CITY ATTORNEY LEGAL SERVICES

CITY OF WEST RICHLAND | CITY ATTORNEY LEGAL SERVICES RFP
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose
The City of West Richland is requesting proposals from qualified professional law firms or individual
attorneys to provide City Attorney - General Municipal Legal Services on a contractual basis. The selected
attorney or firm will provide legal advice, counsel, services, consultation, and opinions across the full
scope of civil municipal legal matters described in this Request for Proposals (RFP).
1.2 Background
The City of West Richland is a non-charter code city organized under Title 35A RCW and operates under
the Mayor-Council form of government. The City Council consists of seven at-large members, and the
Mayor serves as the City's chief executive officer.
West Richland is a growing community in Benton County and the Tri-Cities region. The City's website
currently reports a population of approximately 19,000. The City provides municipal services through
departments and functions that include City Clerk, Community and Economic Development, Finance,
Human Resources, IT, Police, and Public Works.
1.3 Desired Qualifications
* Each attorney proposed to provide services must possess a Juris Doctor degree from a law school
accredited by the American Bar Association.
* Each attorney proposed to provide services must be an active member in good standing of the
Washington State Bar Association.
* Extensive knowledge of federal, state, and municipal statutes, case law, regulations, and policies
relevant to Washington city government, including civil, land use, public works, public records, open
government, employment, and administrative law.
* Ability to provide practical, timely, risk-aware legal advice to elected officials and City staff.
1.4 Experience
A minimum of five (5) years of experience providing general municipal legal services to Washington local
governments is desirable.
Experience should include a broad range of municipal matters, including zoning and land use; Growth
Management Act compliance; environmental review; building and development regulation; personnel
and labor issues; public utilities; public works and procurement; contract development and
interpretation; real estate; interlocal agreements; Public Records Act; Open Public Meetings Act; code
enforcement and nuisance abatement; municipal risk and tort matters; and litigation.
1.5 Contract Period
It is anticipated that the initial contract term will be three years, commencing on or before December 1,
2026 and ending on the date three years from commencement,, with the option for renewal by mutual
agreement, subject to City approval, satisfactory performance, budget authorization, and the terms of
the final professional services agreement. The City retains the right to solicit other proposals for City
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CITY OF WEST RICHLAND | CITY ATTORNEY LEGAL SERVICES RFP
Attorney after the initial 36-month contract, or if the City's needs for general legal services change
substantially.
1.6 City Attorney Role / Appointment
The City Attorney serves as the City's general counsel and provides legal advice, assistance, and
representation to the Mayor, City Council, boards, commissions, and staff. Services include researching
legal issues and recommending courses of action; advising on legal risk; preparing and reviewing
ordinances, regulations, contracts, and other legal documents; issuing legal opinions; and representing
or overseeing the City in claims and litigation. The City Attorney also performs duties required by law or
directed by the Mayor or City Council within their respective authority.
2. SCOPE OF WORK
2.1 General
The City Attorney will provide legal advice, counsel, services, consultation, and opinions to the Mayor,
City Council, department directors, City Clerk, and other City staff on the full scope of civil municipal
legal assignments. Services may include matters involving the West Richland Municipal Code; state and
federal laws applicable to code cities; ordinances and resolutions; land use planning and development;
regulatory compliance; intergovernmental agreements; discrimination and civil rights laws;
public/private development matters; public works and construction; utility regulation and operations;
purchasing and procurement; leasing and real property transactions; employment and labor matters;
public disclosure; Open Public Meetings Act compliance; Public Records Act compliance and responses;
ethics; municipal risk and tort law; code enforcement; nuisance abatement; and litigation avoidance.
* Attend meetings with the Mayor, Councilmembers, department directors, City Clerk, and staff when
requested.
* Be available for telephone, email, video conference, and in-person consultation and site visits as
reasonably necessary.
* Promptly acknowledge requests for legal assistance and provide an expected response timeline
when a substantive response cannot be provided within one business day.
* Advise the Mayor, City Council, and staff of significant new legislation, court decisions, Attorney
General guidance, or other legal developments affecting City operations.
* Coordinate with special counsel, insurance defense counsel, labor counsel, bond counsel, or other
specialty counsel when authorized or appropriate.
* Attend regular City Council meetings, special City Council meetings, workshops, retreats, committee
meetings, and other meetings when requested by the Mayor or a majority of the City Council.
* Provide parliamentary and procedural advice concerning City Council meetings and the City's
adopted Council Rules of Procedure.
* Prepare and/or review ordinances, resolutions, motions, contracts, policies, staff reports, and other
legal documents when requested.
* Represent the City in civil litigation and administrative proceedings when assigned, subject to
coordination with the City's risk pool/insurer and any separately retained defense or specialty
counsel.
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CITY OF WEST RICHLAND | CITY ATTORNEY LEGAL SERVICES RFP
* Review and/or draft contracts, including professional services, public works, purchasing, interlocal,
labor, franchise, development, utility, real estate, lease, and purchase/sale agreements; assist with
negotiations when requested.
* Assist with municipal code development and implementation of new legislative requirements,
including drafting language that accurately reflects policy direction from the Mayor and City Council.
* Advise Community and Economic Development and Code Enforcement staff regarding code
interpretation, land use, investigations, civil infractions, nuisance abatement, enforcement strategy,
and related matters.
* Advise on right-of-way acquisition, easements, real property, utilities, public works, procurement,
and construction matters.
* Advise on labor and employment law, personnel matters, employee discipline, grievances, collective
bargaining, workplace investigations, and related risk management issues.
* Advise on Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act compliance, including exemptions,
disclosure obligations, records-retention-related legal issues, meeting procedure, and training.
* Advise on land use law, Growth Management Act compliance, SEPA, development agreements,
permitting, and quasi-judicial proceedings.
* Provide legal training to elected officials and employees as needed or requested.
* Assist City officials and employees in understanding the legal roles and duties of their respective
offices and their interrelationships.
* Advise City officials and employees regarding ethics, conflicts of interest, appearance of fairness,
prohibited transactions, and related requirements.
* Maintain sufficient familiarity with ongoing City matters to provide timely legal opinions and meet
established deadlines.
* Assist with review and update of City policies.
* Perform other municipal legal services and tasks as assigned by the Mayor or authorized City
representative.
3. RFP INSTRUCTIONS AND EVALUATION
Respondents should submit a written proposal addressing each of the requirements and evaluation
criteria below. Proposals should be concise and directly responsive. By submitting a proposal, the
respondent certifies that the information provided is true and accurate.
3.1 RFP Submittal
This document outlines the requirements, selection process, and the documentation necessary to
submit a responsive proposal for this service. Sealed proposals (one original and five copies) shall be
submitted to the City Clerk no later than 4pm on Wednesday, October 21st, 2026, to:
Stephanie Haug, City Clerk
City of West Richland
3100 Belmont Boulevard, Suite 100
West Richland, WA 99353
Envelopes containing the proposals are to be sealed and clearly marked: "City Attorney-Legal Services
Proposal." All proposals shall be considered valid for a period of ninety (90) days from the proposal
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CITY OF WEST RICHLAND | CITY ATTORNEY LEGAL SERVICES RFP
closing date and shall contain a statement to that effect. Proposals should be limited to 15 pages,
excluding resumes and required forms.
Accepted proposals shall be subject to applicable laws and regulations governing public disclosure. Any
information received within the proposal will be considered part of the public record of this procurement.
The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive informalities and irregularities in the
proposal submitting process, to negotiate further with all proposers within the competitive range, and
to accept a proposal which is considered to be in the best interest of City.
Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted to Stephanie Haug, City Clerk, at the above address, by
calling 509-967-3431, or via email atshaug@westrichland.org.
3.2 Proposal Requirements
Firm / Practice Information
* Firm or practice name, mailing address, email addresses, telephone numbers, and website.
* Identification of the attorney proposed to serve as primary City Attorney and all supporting attorneys
or key personnel.
* Detailed resumes describing education, professional qualifications, municipal experience, and
areas of expertise.
Qualifications and Experience
* Disclose any pending litigation, judgments, disciplinary matters, or Washington State Bar Association
complaints relating to the professional activities of the firm or proposed attorneys, to the extent
disclosure is legally permitted.
* Describe experience representing Washington code cities and working within a Mayor-Council form
of government.
* Describe experience with labor negotiations, police guilds, human resources, employment law,
employee discipline/grievances, and workplace investigations.
* Describe experience with land use, development, Growth Management Act, SEPA, code
enforcement, public works, utilities, real estate, and municipal contracting.
* Describe experience with the Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act, including complex
or high-volume records matters and elected-official/staff training.
* Describe experience drafting and updating municipal codes, ordinances, resolutions, policies, and
procedures in response to legislative or case-law changes.
* Describe experience reducing liability and legal exposure for municipalities.
* Describe experience with interlocal agreements, franchise agreements, development agreements,
and other complex municipal contracts.
* Identify current municipal clients and any prior municipal clients served within the last five years.
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CITY OF WEST RICHLAND | CITY ATTORNEY LEGAL SERVICES RFP
Conflicts of Interest
* Identify any existing or potential conflicts of interest that could affect representation of the City,
including representation of clients with interests adverse to the City, major developers, utilities, labor
organizations, or other entities that regularly interact with the City.
* Describe the firm's process for conflict checks, conflict waivers, ethical walls, and handling matters
in which the primary City Attorney has a conflict.
Method and Approach
* Describe how the firm will provide the required services and maintain familiarity with ongoing City
matters.
* State expected response times for routine, urgent, and emergency legal requests.
* Describe availability for in-person meetings and identify the office location of the primary attorney.
* Describe backup coverage during illness, vacation, trials, conflicts, or other absences.
* Describe how work will be assigned among attorneys and staff and how the City will be informed
before work is delegated to higher- or lower-rate personnel.
* Describe billing practices, matter tracking, budget monitoring, and methods for avoiding
unnecessary legal expense.
Insurance / Contract Compliance
A Statement of Contract Compliance: Upon execution of a Professional Services Agreement the
person/firm selected will be required to provide proof of comprehensive insurance, general liability or
other financial security in a manner satisfactory to the City and sufficient to provide a minimum of
$2,000,000 per occurrence or claim in liability and lawyers' professional errors and omissions coverage.
Fee Proposal and Start Date
* Provide the proposed compensation structure, including hourly rates, retainer or flat-fee options,
blended rates, and any proposed annual adjustments.
* Identify which services are included in any retainer or flat fee and which services will be billed
separately.
* Identify rates for partners, associates, paralegals, investigators, and other personnel who may bill the
City.
* Identify reimbursable expenses and any administrative, technology, research, travel, copying, or
other charges.
* Identify areas likely to require special counsel and explain how such services would be coordinated
and billed.
* Describe any proposed not-to-exceed amounts, matter budgets, or other cost-control tools.
* Identify the earliest start date upon which the firm/attorney can begin providing services.
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CITY OF WEST RICHLAND | CITY ATTORNEY LEGAL SERVICES RFP
Professional References
* Provide at least three references from Washington local-government clients for whom the proposed
primary attorney or firm has provided comparable municipal legal services. Include contact name,
agency, telephone number, email address, and nature/duration of the relationship.
3.3 RFP Selection Process
A Selection Committee designated by the City will review responsive proposals and may invite the most
qualified respondents to interview. Proposals should provide a straightforward, concise description of
the respondent's ability to satisfy the City's requirements. Promotional materials are not necessary.
Evaluation Criteria Points
Qualifications and municipal experience of the 25
proposed primary City Attorney and key
personnel
Proposed fee structure, proposed start date, and 20
overall value
Service commitment, responsiveness, 20
availability, and backup coverage
Understanding of West Richland's needs and 20
quality of proposed approach
Relevant Washington municipal references and 10
demonstrated client service
Conflict-management approach and ability to 5
provide independent, practical counsel
TOTAL 100
3.4 Award of Contract
Any contract resulting from this RFP will be in a form supplied or approved by the City and will, at a
minimum, reflect the material requirements of this RFP and the successful proposal. The City is not
responsible for costs incurred by any respondent in preparing, submitting, presenting, or negotiating its
proposal.
Final selection and contracting authority will be exercised in accordance with applicable law, the West
Richland Municipal Code, City purchasing/contracting policies, and any required Mayor or City Council
approval.
3.5 Notices and Standard Terms
Good Faith
This RFP has been prepared in good faith. Information provided by the City is subject to revision or
amendment through written addenda.
Right to Cancel
The City reserves the right to modify, suspend, delay, or cancel this RFP or selection process at any time,
subject to applicable law.
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CITY OF WEST RICHLAND | CITY ATTORNEY LEGAL SERVICES RFP
Not an Award
Nothing in this RFP or in communications during the evaluation process constitutes an award, contract,
or binding agreement.
Property / Public Records
Proposals submitted to the City become public records and are subject to disclosure under the
Washington Public Records Act, chapter 42.56 RCW, unless an exemption applies.
Proprietary Material
A respondent claiming that specific proposal material is exempt from disclosure must clearly identify the
specific material and the legal basis for the claimed exemption. Marking an entire proposal 'confidential'
or 'proprietary' will not, by itself, prevent disclosure. The City will process public records requests in
accordance with applicable law.
City Not Liable for Costs
The City will not reimburse respondents for costs incurred in preparing or presenting proposals,
participating in interviews, or negotiating an agreement.
Proposal Interviews
The City may interview some, all, or none of the respondents. The City reserves the right to reject any or
all proposals, waive minor irregularities, request clarification, check references beyond those listed, and
modify or abandon the selection process before contract execution.
Right to Award
The City may select a proposal without further discussion. Respondents should therefore submit their
most favorable terms initially, while recognizing that the City may negotiate final contract terms.
Withdrawal of Proposals
A respondent may withdraw its proposal before the submission deadline by written notice from an
authorized representative.
Termination
The final professional services agreement will contain termination provisions approved by the City.
Terms of Payment
Payment terms will be established in the final professional services agreement and will be subject to City
invoice review and approval.
4. RFP CERTIFICATION
The City's RFP Certification must be read, signed, and submitted with the proposal. ( located on the
following page.)
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CITY OF WEST RICHLAND | CITY ATTORNEY LEGAL SERVICES RFP
CERTIFICATION
I have read the Request for Proposals for City Attorney Legal Services and understand its intent. I
understand that the City will review the respondent's ability to meet the criteria and provide the required
services and will select the respondent that the City determines best meets its needs, subject to
applicable approval and contracting requirements.
I understand that information submitted to the City is a public record subject to disclosure under
Washington law unless an exemption applies.
1. I am authorized to commit my firm to this proposal, and the information and pricing contained in the
proposal will remain valid for 90 days from the proposal deadline.
2. All information presented is accurate and complete, and the proposed services can be provided as
represented.
3. I have had an opportunity to submit questions regarding this RFP in accordance with the RFP process.
4. I understand that a material omission of required information may result in rejection of the proposal as
non-responsive.
5. This proposal is made without collusion or fraud.
6. Submission of this proposal constitutes the respondents' offer to provide the proposed services,
subject to negotiation and execution of a final agreement approved by the City.
Proposer Signature Date
Name (Print) Title
Address Phone
Email Address Firm
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