FROM: Robert Thompson, General Manager
Originator: Laura Maravilla, Director of Human Resources
SUBJECT:
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PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT SERVICES AGREEMENTS FOR HUMAN RESOURCES LEGAL SERVICES
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GENERAL MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION
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RECOMMENDATION: Recommend to the Board of Directors to:
Approve Professional Consultant Services Agreements with Liebert Cassidy Whitmore and Payne & Fears LLP for Human Resources Legal Services, Specification No. CS-2023-1412BD, for the period beginning November 1, 2023 through October 31, 2026 with two (2) optional one-year renewals.
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BACKGROUND
The Human Resources (HR) Department is a full-service, centralized department comprised of 27 staff members who serve as a strategic partner to all Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) departments on employment, labor, and safety and health issues. There are three main functional areas including HR Operations, Employee and Labor Relations, and Risk Management. Together, these three groups are responsible for managing OC San's human capital, developing and administering programs to attract and retain top talent, and ensuring the health and safety of OC San's workforce, while also ensuring compliance with employment laws and regulations.
In March 2023, OC San's Board of Directors directed staff to enter into a professional services agreement with one or more legal firm(s) to provide a full range of legal services on human resources matters, with the understanding that more than one firm may be needed and called upon based on specialization, availability, and/or conflict of interest. Subsequently, a Legal Services Ad Hoc Committee was formed, comprised of three (3) Board members appointed by the Board Chairman. OC San staff was tasked with facilitating the Committee, drafting the Scope of Work, identifying viable legal firms, and executing the procurement. Through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process, OC San sought qualified labor and employment leg...
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