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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2025-60 Prosecuting Attorney Services_Kyle Hoffman PLLCCity of East Wenatchee, Washington Resolution No. 2025-60 A Resolution of the City of East Wenatchee, Washington authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement between the City of East Wenatchee and Kyle Hoffman Law, PLLC to provide general criminal prosecution and related legal services to the City. 1. Alternate Format. a. Para leer este documento en un formato alternativo (español, Braille, leer en voz alta, etc.), comuníquese con la administradora municipal al alternateformat@eastwenatcheewa.gov, al (509) 884-9515 o al 711 (TTY). b. To read this document in an alternate format (Spanish, Braille, read aloud, etc.), please contact the City Clerk at alternateformat@eastwenatcheewa.gov, at (509) 884-9515, or at 711 (TTY). 2. Authority a. RCW 35A.11.020 and RCW 35A.12.190 authorize the City Council to organize and regulate its internal affairs and to define the powers, functions and duties of its officers and employees. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EAST WENATCHEE DO RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: 3. Authorization. The City Council authorizes the Mayor to execute an agreement that conforms to the language set forth in Exhibit A. 4. Severability. If a court of competent jurisdiction declares any provision in this resolution to be contrary to law, such declaration shall not affect the validity of the other provisions of this Resolution. 5. Effective date. This Resolution beconies effective inimediately. Passed by the City Council of East Wenatchee, at a regular meeting thereof on this 2nd day of December, 2025. CITY OF EAST WENATCHEE, WASHINGTON By Q^/Ad^ j^ft^J^^ Jerri^a Crawford, JVIayor ATTEST: Anna Laura Leon, City Clerk Approved as to form only: ^^ Bob Siderius, City Attorney Filed with the City Clerk: Passed by the City Council^ Effective Date: 11-24-2025 12-02-2025 12-02-2025 AGREEMENT FOR CITY ATTORNEY SERVICES THIS AGREEMENT is between the City of East Wenatchee (the "City") and Kyle Hoffman Law PLLC (the “Law Firm”). WHEREAS, RCW 35A.12.020 and EWC 2.16.010 authorizes the Mayor to appoint a City Attorney; and WHEREAS, the Mayor has appointed Kyle F. Hoffman, a member of the Law Firm, as an Assistant City Attorney; and WHEREAS, the Parties desire to document their agreements regarding the provision of legal services by the Law Firm. 1.Provision of Attorney Services. a. General. Beginning January 1, 2026, Law Firm will perform and act as an attorney for the City to provide general criminal prosecution and related legal services to City. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such services will include, without limitation, serving as attorney for City at the municipal court level for the prosecution of criminal and infraction cases within the jurisdiction of the East Wenatchee Municipal Court. Law Firm will provide all necessary offices, equipment and support staff needed to provide these services. Law Firm shall report to the Mayor, or her/his designee, and shall provide other services relating to prosecution as follows: (i)Consulting with the City police department for consideration of appropriate charging decisions and referrals to Superior Court; (ii)Coordinating felony decline cases with the Douglas County Prosecutor’s office to enable a handoff between entities. (iii)Advising the City police department, as requested, on the conduct of investigations, property seizures, warrants and other issues as may be requested by City’s Police Department. b.Special City Attorney. Nothing in this section prevents Law Firm and the City Council from agreeing to retain and utilize the services of a special city attorney to assist Law Firm or the City in in special or unique cases. c.Standard of Performance. Law Firm and its employees, contractors and agents, will provide the Attorney Services with the same skill and care ordinarily exercised by members of Law Firm’s profession. EXHIBIT A d. Compliance with Laws. Law Firm will comply with all federal, state and municipal laws, rule and regulations that apply to the providing of the Attorney Services. e. Personnel Performing Attorney Services. While the Attorney Services may be performed by any Washington licensed attorney employed or contracted by Law Firm, it is intended that Kyle F. Hoffman be the primary attorney responsible for communicating with the City and providing the Attorney Services. At the time of this agreement there is no secondary contact. In the event that the Law Firm anticipates that will provide services under this Agreement through attorneys other than Kyle Hoffman, Law Firm shall notify the Mayor and obtain the Mayor's prior approval for use of the secondary attorney to provide services under this Agreement. F. Reporting. Law Firm shall provide information on the disposition of specific cases upon request. Additionally, Law Firm shall provide the Mayor with general information regarding the number of cases currently pending upon request. 2. Manner of Performance of Legal Services and Communications. Transmission of Attorney Work Product may be by electronic e-mail. All attorney work product for outside distribution will be provided to the City in a timely manner for review and approval prior to distribution. Outside distribution shall mean any production to members of the public but shall not include production of work product to the Court, defense attorneys or others in the normal course of providing Attorney Services. Law Firm will promote and protect the public interest over individual interests. 3. Compensation, Billing and Payment. The City will pay the Law Firm as follows for providing the Attorney Services: a. Fees. As compensation for providing criminal prosecution and infraction prosecution City Attorney Services, the Law Firm will be paid $12,345.00 per month, with services beginning January 1, 2026. Preparation for Jury trials shall be included in the $12,345.00. In the event the City requires appeal work, the City shall pay the Law Firm $162.00 an hour. b. Reimbursement of Costs. Besides the payment for Attorney Services, City will reimburse Law Firm for all out-of-pocket costs it incurs, including filing fees, court costs, and related litigation expenses. Law Firm will not charge for routine and ordinary telephone charges and postage charges. c. Billing and Payment. The City shall pay Law Firm the flat rate amount of $12,345.00 per month. Law Firm shall invoice City at the beginning of each month for services to be rendered during that month. City shall process the invoice for payment mid-month. Time spent by Law Firm in preparing for and attending jury trials will be separately itemized and billed monthly and submitted to City by the 15th day each month with City’s payment due within 30 days of the date that the billing is received. EXHIBIT A d. Charge-through of Attorney’s standard rate. The attorneys in Law Firm have standard rates for legal services higher than the rates in section 3(a). At those times where the Attorney Services are incurred for third party’s benefit, or where the Municipal Code or other law provides that City’s costs are to be reimbursed by a third party, or where a contract with a third party provides that City’s costs are to be reimbursed by a third party, the rates will be at the standard rate for the attorney performing those Attorney Services. The parties will determine the best method of tracking, billing, collection and payment for Attorney Services provided under this circumstance based on the Law Firm’s standard rates for legal services. 4. Conflicts of Interest. Law Firm has an independent law practice and regularly performs legal services for clients other than City. Law Firm will not perform legal services for clients which would constitute a conflict of interest or an ethical violation as defined in the Rules of Professional Conduct established by the Washington State Supreme Court without a written waiver from the City. If a conflict of interest arises where Law Firm cannot represent the City on a matter, City may retain such other legal counsel the City deems appropriate. 5. Discrimination. Law Firm will not discriminate against any employee or other applicant for employment or any other person in providing services required under this agreement because of race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, sex, gender, age, or physical, mental or sensory handicap, unless a bona fide occupational qualification exists. 6. Termination. Either party may terminate this Agreement without cause, by providing written notice of 90 days to the other party. 7. Term. This Agreement is effective January 1, 2026 and expires on December 31, 2026. This Agreement will automatically renew for one-year period terms beginning upon the expiration date of the then-current term unless either party notifies the other party in writing at least 60 days prior to the expiration date of that term that the Agreement will not be extended. If the Agreement is not extended, the Law Firm will complete work in progress under mutually acceptable terms. If the parties cannot agree on terms for completing work in progress, the Law Firm will provide all unfinished documents, reports, or other material to City and City will pay the Law Firm for all work completed. 8. Professional Liability Insurance. Law Firm will secure and maintain a policy of professional liability insurance with an insurance company licensed to do business in the State of Washington with limits of no less than $1,000,000. Proof of insurance will be provided to the City upon the City’s request. 9. Indemnification. For this paragraph a party will include their respective officials, officers, employees and agents. The parties will indemnify one another as follows: a. Mutual Indemnification. The parties will indemnify and hold each other harmless from all claims, losses or liability, including attorneys’ fees, including claims arising by accident, injury or death caused to persons or property of any kind proximately caused by the willful, reckless or negligent act of the other, including their respective officials, officers and employees. To the extent any of the damages referred to in this paragraph were caused by or EXHIBIT A resulted from the concurrent willful, reckless or negligence of the parties, the obligation to indemnify will be limited for the willful, reckless or negligent act of the party. It is specifically intended that if the alleged action of the Law Firm is not the sole alleged injury subjecting City to a claim for damages, Law Firm’s obligation to indemnify will not include the obligation to defend, but only to hold the City harmless from any judgment that may be entered against City for Law Firm’s percentage of fault. b. Indemnification for Acts in Official Capacity. City will indemnify and hold Law Firm harmless from all claims, losses or liability, including reasonable attorney’s fees, arising out of Law Firm’s performance of services required under this agreement, including claims arising by accident, injury or death caused to persons or property of any kind, to the extent the same are unrelated to any fault or neglect of Law Firm. 10. Independent Contractor. In providing Attorney Services, Law Firm works independently and without City’s supervision or control. The parties agree that Law Firm is an independent contractor and is not an employee of City, nor will any actions under this agreement convert any employee of Law Firm into being an employee of City. City will not be liable for, nor obligated to pay to Law Firm, contractor or any employee of Law Firm, sick leave, vacation pay, overtime or any other benefit applicable to employees of City, nor to pay or deduct any social security, income tax, or other tax from the payments made to Law Firm which may arise as an incident of the Law Firm performing Attorney Services for City, nor will the City be obligated to pay industrial insurance for the services rendered by the Law Firm. 11. Ownership of Work Product. All data, materials, reports, memoranda, and other documents developed by the Law Firm under this Agreement are the property of City and will be provided to City at its request at no charge to City. 12. Disclosure of Records under the Public Records Act. All of Law Firm’s writings, as defined in the Public Records Act, RCW 42.56 (the “Act”), associated with this Agreement and performing this Agreement, whether generated or received by Law Firm (“Records”), may be public records subject to disclosure under the Act and may also be exempt from disclosure as being subject to the attorney/client privilege or any other statutory exemption. a. Maintenance of Records. The Law Firm will maintain all Records in compliance with local retention schedules and will make the Records available to the City at no extra charge so City can comply with the City’s obligations under the Act. b. Potential Exemption of Records under the Attorney/Client privilege. Upon receiving a request to disclose Records under the Act which Law Firm believes are exempt from disclosure under the Act by reason of the attorney/client privilege or any statutory exemption, Law Firm will notify City, who will determine whether City will exercise its right to maintain the exemption, or waive the attorney/client privilege and/or exemption and disclose the Record. 13. Administration. The administrative contact for the City will be the City Clerk and for the Law Firm will be Kyle F. Hoffman. Any notices required under this Agreement will be delivered to the respective party at the respective addresses set forth: EXHIBIT A CITY: LAW FIRM: City Clerk Kyle F. Hoffman Laura Leon Kyle Hoffman Law PLLC 271 9th Street NE 1250 N. Wenatchee Ave., Ste H 175 East Wenatchee, WA 98802 Wenatchee WA 98801 cityclerk@eastwenatcheewa.gov Kyle@hoffmanlawpllc.org 509-886-6104 509-885-5901 14. Entire Agreement. This Agreement represents the Parties’ entire integrated agreement and supersedes all prior oral or written negotiations, representations or agreements. The Parties may modify this Agreement only by a written instrument. CITY: KYLE HOFFMAN LAW, PLLC: ________________________ _________________________________ Jerrilea Crawford, Mayor Kyle F. Hoffman, Manager December ___, 2025. December ___, 2025. EXHIBIT A