Town Attorney RFP

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
TOWN ATTORNEY
TOWN OF JOHNSTOWN
ISSUED:
June 24, 2026
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS:
July 31, 2026
5:00 P.M. local time
SUBMIT PROPOSALS TO:
Matt LeCerf
Town Manager
mlecerf@johnstownco.gov

1. Introduction
The Town of Johnstown ("Johnstown" or "Town") is seeking written proposals from qualified
law firms to provide comprehensive municipal attorney services under contract. The
selected firm will serve as the Town Attorney and provide legal guidance to the Town Council,
Town Manager, appointed officials, and Town Staff.
The Town seeks a firm with extensive experience in Colorado municipal law, including but
not limited to land use and development, real estate transactions, ordinance drafting,
intergovernmental agreements, open meetings and public records compliance, contract
review, and general local government matters.
2. Background
Johnstown is a Home Rule Municipality operating under a Home Rule Charter located in
Northern Colorado with a rapidly growing residential and commercial population. The Town's
current population is estimated at 23,000, having grown by almost 20% since the last US
Census count. Johnstown provides a wide range of municipal services including public
works, stormwater, water and wastewater services, police services, planning-engineering
and building, municipal court, and public transportation, among others. Municipal Court
services are currently provided under contract with a separate legal firm and contract
municipal judge. Fire protection is provided by two entities, a special district and an
authority, based on geographical boundaries in the Town limits. Complimenting the two fire
districts in the community are two school districts in the community. The Town operates
under a Council-Manager form of government.
3. Scope of Legal Services
The selected firm is expected to provide the services outlined below.
* General Municipal Counsel to the Town and Town Council.
* Attend Regular Town Council meetings, Special Town Council meetings, and, as
requested, Town Council Work Sessions.
* Lead, or participate in, Town Council training sessions.
* Provide legal opinions, guidance, and memoranda on municipal issues.
* Draft and/or review ordinances, resolutions, contracts, policies, and procedures to
ensure compliance with State, Federal and Local Laws.
* Assist with Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), Colorado Open Meetings Law, and
Municipal Election matters.
* Coordinate with outside Counsel regarding litigation on behalf of the Town.
* Support Town Staff across all departments in day-to-day legal questions.

* Draft Land Use & Development Agreements in collaboration with Town Staff.
* Advise on development review, zoning, subdivision, annexation, and planning issues.
* Provide counsel related to quasi-judicial and legislative land-use actions.
* Draft, review, and negotiate development agreements.
* Attend Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment meetings when requested by
Staff.
* Lead, or participate in, Planning Commission training sessions.
* As requested, draft and/or represent the Town in acquisitions, disposals, easements,
rights-of-way, leases, and other real estate transactions.
* Conduct due diligence, title review, and related real estate tasks.
* Provide counsel including, but not limited to preparation and negotiation
intergovernmental Agreements, Town Utility, DDA (advising the Town, not the DDA) &
regulatory issues.
* When requested, provide guidance on personnel matters.
* Advise the Town on regulatory compliance issues affecting municipal operations.
In addition to general legal services, the Town utilizes special legal counsel for the services
identified below. The selected firm may assist or oversee the work of special counsel as
appropriate and necessary.
* Metropolitan Districts, Special Improvement Districts, and Intergovernmental
Agreements related thereto.
* Water court change cases and water related matters.
* Public finance matters for larger incentive/economic development agreements that
may involve public improvement fees (PIFs), business improvement districts (BIDs)
or other financing mechanisms.
* Bond counsel.
4. Expected Qualifications
Responding firms are expected to demonstrate:
* At least five (5) years of experience representing Colorado municipalities.
* Expertise in land use law, real estate law, and general municipal law.
* An individual or a team with sufficient capacity to provide responsive and timely
service. If the firm consists of a team, please identify who will be our primary Town
Attorney representative.
5. Proposal Requirements
Proposals must be no more than 15 pages and should include the following:

1) Cover Letter Summary of the firm's interest and overall approach.
2) Firm Qualifications & Experience
a. Description of relevant municipal, land use, and real estate legal work.
b. Identification of attorneys who will serve the Town, with resumes.
3) Approach to Service Delivery
a. Availability for meetings and consultation.
b. Proposed communication protocols.
c. Expectations related to response times for routine and urgent matters as
requested.
d. Describe your philosophy regarding risk management, litigation, and practical
problem solving.
e. Conflict-of-interest checks and procedures.
4) Fee Structure
a. Proposed hourly rates for Attorneys and Staff.
i. If billing rates are separate for in-house work vs. developer (billback)
work, please indicate rates separately.
b. Billing policies (increments, travel, meeting attendance, etc.).
5) Professional Liability and Insurance
a. Provide the name of your professional liability, insurance carriers, and
insurance limits on each policy.
6) Client References
a. At least three municipal clients (current or past), preferably in Colorado.
6. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on:
* Relevant municipal law experience.
* Depth of land use expertise.
* General municipal qualifications of proposed attorneys will be a priority. Additional
specialty experience in practice areas such as oil and gas, metro districts, or public
utilities may also be considered.
* Responsiveness and service approach. Preference may be given to firms whose
offices are located withing a 45-minute drive of Johnstown Town Hall.
* Cost and fee structure.
* Demonstrated understanding of municipal operations.
7. Submission Instructions

All submissions must be electronic in PDF format. Submissions shall be delivered via e-mail
to Matt LeCerf, Town Manager, at mlecerf@johnstownco.gov. The deadline for submissions
is 5:00 PM on Friday July 31, 2026.
8. Questions
All questions should be submitted via e-mail to: Matt LeCerf, Town
Manager, mlecerf@johnstowco.gov not later than Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 5:00 PM.
Questions will be answered through a single posted addendum on Monday, July 20, 2026, by
5:00 PM on the Town's website landing page for RFPs and Bids:
https://johnstownco.gov/bids.aspx. Those who submit questions will also receive the
complete addendum directly by email on Monday July 20, 2026.
9. General Conditions
* The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.
* The Town may request interviews with finalist firms.
* All proposal materials become the property of the Town and may be subject to public
disclosure under CORA. Please clearly identify any confidential documents as such
on the document as applicable.