RFP 2026 General Legal Counsel.09.17.2026.docx

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

General Legal Counsel Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District

Issue Date: September 24, 2026 Proposals Due: October 15, 2026, by 4:30 p.m. PST)

Submit To:

Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District: Proposal for General Legal Counsel Executive Director PO Box 998 St Helens, OR 97051

Electronic Delivery:

MBeck@Columbia911.com Hand Delivery:

58611 McNulty Way St. Helens, OR 97051 Contact for Questions:

Jeremy Hipes, Executive Director JHipes@columbia911.com 503-366-6971 Request for Proposals for General Counsel The Columbia 911 Communications District is accepting proposals for General Legal Counsel to support the general legal needs of the Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District, its directors and staff. Proposals must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026 Background Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District (C911CD) is the sole public safety 9-1-1 answering point and dispatch center for all public safety agencies based in Columbia County, Oregon. The District also serves small adjacent portions of Clatsop and Multnomah Counties. The District is an Oregon special district formed under Oregon Revised Statutes Chapters 198 and 403. The District is governed by a Board of Directors elected from five geographic zones within Columbia County. Board governs with the participation of a statutory Advisory Committee consisting of appointed executives from each law enforcement, emergency medical, emergency planning, and fire service based in the county. The Board appoints five citizen members to the annual Budget Committee.

The current members of the board of directors are: Jeff Flatt, Brian Tiani, Mark Pacheco, Tyler Miller, and Ken Lawrenson.

An Executive Director manages the District and oversees its day-to-day activities. The District employs approximately 21 full-time employees.

The selected General Legal Counsel serves the Board of Directors and will work closely with the Executive Director and District staff on various issues. Services include, but are not limited to, providing legal advice on the general administration of District business; preparing and providing legal opinions; assisting with establishing procedures; and drafting and reviewing resolutions, contracts, intergovernmental agreements, and other legal documents. If you do not hold a Level 2 Criminal Justice Information Services certificate, you must obtain one from the District.

1. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

1.1 Purpose

This RFP solicits competitive proposals from qualified attorneys and law firms to provide comprehensive general counsel services to the District on an ongoing, as-needed basis. The District seeks a firm or attorney with substantial experience representing Oregon special districts or other Oregon local governments, a strong working knowledge of ORS Chapter 198 and ORS Chapter 403, and the capacity to provide timely, practical, and cost-effective legal advice. This RFP contains the necessary information to understand the general scope of work and responsibilities, the selection process, and the required documentation for submitting a Proposal. The RFP and related documents and addenda (if any are subsequently issued) may be obtained via the District's website at www.columbia911.com.

General Counsel will serve as the District's primary outside legal advisor and, at the District's discretion, may be asked to coordinate special or conflict counsel for discrete matters (e.g., bond counsel, labor and employment litigation, or specialized regulatory matters). The anticipated scope of services includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1.1.2 General Legal Services

• Attend Board meetings (regular, work session, and executive session) as requested, and provide legal advice on matters before the Board.

• Advise the Board and staff on compliance with Oregon's Public Meetings Law (ORS 192.610–192.705) and Public Records Law (ORS 192.311–192.478).

• Advise on governance matters arising under ORS Chapter 198, ORS Chapter 403, the District's bylaws and policies.

• Advise on ethics and conflict-of-interest questions under the Oregon Government Ethics Law (ORS Chapter 244).

• Provide general legal research and opinions on an as-needed basis.

1.1.3 Contracts and Procurement

1.1.4 Real Property, Land Use, and Utility Matters

1.1.5 Employment and Personnel

1.1.6 Finance, Budget, and Levies

1.1.7 Elections

• Advise the Board and elections officials on ballot and levy measure procedures, director elections, and Oregon election law.

1.1.8 Litigation and Claims Management

1.1.9 Policy Development and Training

The scope of work described above is illustrative and not exhaustive. The District reserves the right to modify the scope of services, and to engage special or conflict counsel for specific matters, at its sole discretion.

1.2 Qualifications, Conflict Disclosure and Responses to Proposals

1.2.1 Qualifications. To be considered responsive, a proposal must demonstrate that the responding firm or attorney meets each of the following minimum qualifications:

• Active membership in good standing with the Oregon State Bar, with no history of disciplinary action that would materially affect the ability to represent the District.

• Experience representing Oregon municipal corporations, special districts, or other units of local government.

• Demonstrated working knowledge of ORS Chapter 198 and ORS Chapter 403.

• Demonstrated experience with Oregon public meetings law, public records law, public contracting law, and Oregon Government Ethics Law.

• Adequate staffing and excess professional liability insurance coverage of not less than $2.7 million to support the anticipated scope of work.

• No unresolved conflict of interest that would prevent full and objective representation of the District

1.2.2 Conflicts of Interest

Respondents must disclose any current or prior representation of parties with interests adverse to the District, any current representation of the District's member cities, counties, or overlapping jurisdictions, and any other relationships that could give rise to an actual or apparent conflict of interest. The District reserves the right to request a formal conflicts check and written conflict waiver procedures as a condition of any resulting engagement.

1.2.3 Responses

All responses must follow the directions stated within this RFP. Adherence to these rules will ensure a fair and objective analysis of the Proposals. Prepare proposals simply and economically. Special bindings, colored displays, promotional materials, etc., are not necessary. Proposals shall be submitted as detailed in Section 3.1 below.

1.3 Schedule

*These dates are approximate and subject to change at the sole discretion of the District.

1.4 Issuing Office

Direct all correspondence and questions about this RFP to Jeremy Hipes, Executive Director, Columbia 911 Communications District, PO Box 998, St. Helens, OR 97051, Jhipes@columbia911.com, 503-366-6971. If necessary, interpretations or clarifications will be made by issuance of addenda posted to the District’s website.

1.5 Addenda

The District may issue addenda to this RFP that update or modify RFP requirements. Proposers are responsible for checking the Columbia 911 Communications District website, www.Columbia911.com, to determine if addenda have been added. Only questions answered by formal written addenda are binding. Oral and other interpretations or clarifications will be without legal effect.

1.6 Proposal Withdrawal

Any Proposal may be withdrawn at any time before the “Proposal Due” date and the time specified in Section 1.3, Schedule, by providing a written notice of the withdrawal of the Proposal to the District. A duly authorized representative of the firm shall provide the notice. Withdrawal of a Proposal will not prejudice the right of the Proposer to file a new Proposal on this or future projects.

1.7 Rejection or Acceptance of Proposals

The District may reject or accept any or all Proposals or parts thereof, submitted in response to this RFP. The District expressly reserves the following rights to:

• Disregard any or all irregularities in the Proposals.

• Reject any or all of the Proposals or portions thereof upon finding it is in the public interest to do so.

• Base award with due regard to the quality of services, experience, compliance with the RFP, and other factors as may be necessary under such circumstances.

• Reject all Proposals and re-advertise at the District's sole discretion.

1.8 Evaluation Process and Criteria

A selection committee comprised of Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer and Operations Manager will review all responsive proposals. The committee may, at its discretion, request interviews with some or all respondents before making a final recommendation to the Board. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following weighted criteria:

After reviewing written proposals and any interviews, the selection committee will recommend a firm or attorney to the Board. The Board will make the final selection and authorize the District Executive Director to negotiate and execute a professional services agreement with the selected firm or attorney, subject to Board approval of final contract terms. Because this is an RFP for a professional services agreement, the District reserves its right to choose an attorney or law firm for both objective and subjective reasons. The contract terms shall be negotiable, but services will be at will. Either party may terminate the contract at any time, provided the attorney complies with the Oregon Rules of Professional Responsibility. Each August, the District reviews all professional agreements and decides whether to continue its professional relationship with the provider.

1.9 Public Records

Any materials submitted by the Proposer shall become the property of the District unless otherwise specified. During the evaluation of Proposals and the selection of the General Counsel, the Proposals shall be confidential. After the selection process is complete, the Proposals shall be open to public inspection. Proposals should not contain any information which the Proposers do not wish to become public. If it is necessary to submit confidential information in order to comply with the terms and conditions of the RFP, each page containing confidential information should be clearly marked “NOT FOR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE CONFIDENTIAL TRADE SECRETS.” The District accepts no liability for the inadvertent or unavoidable release of any confidential information submitted, and any claims arising out of any public record request for such information shall be at the Proposer’s expense.

1.10 Federal/State/Local Requirements

The selected Proposer shall comply with all Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, executive orders, and ordinances applicable to the work under this contract. In addition, the Proposers agree to comply with:

· Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

· Section V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;

· The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and ORS 659.425;

· All regulations and administrative rules established pursuant to the foregoing laws and;

· All other applicable requirements of Federal and State civil rights and rehabilitation statutes, rules, and regulations Proposer is subject to the Oregon Worker’s Compensation Law and shall comply with ORS 656.017, which requires the provision of Worker’s Compensation coverage for all employees working under this contract. The District’s employment opportunities and volunteer positions are open to all persons without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, or political affiliation.

1.11 Payment

The District will pay the General Counsel under contract for services performed based on the approved rates, the scope of work completed, and anticipated reimbursement expenses. The District will make monthly progress payments within thirty (30) calendar days after receiving properly itemized invoices. Payment for extra work not described in the scope of services will only be made when authorized in advance and in writing by the Executive Director or Designee prior to such work being performed by the General Counsel.

1.12 Incurred Costs

The District is not liable for any costs incurred by Proposers in the preparation and/or presentation of their Proposals.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 Employment Relationship

The General Counsel will not be eligible for any benefits, vacation, sick leave, or other benefits available to District employees. The applicant and all team members assigned to the District will be subject to any necessary and appropriate investigations to verify their information, including but not limited to criminal history, educational history and/or personal financial history, as well as other background checks, and a check on their history with the Bar, including disciplinary history and any pending claims filed with the Bar.

2.2 Services

The District will accept and review proposals from firms to provide services at an hourly rate. The General Counsel shall provide adequate personnel and resources to fulfill the responsibilities of the General Counsel. The General Counsel will be responsible for District legal representation as authorized by the District. The Executive Director, or other persons directly authorized by the Board, will authorize general legal work, but the Board of Directors must approve special work, such as litigation.

THE DISTRICT WILL NOT PAY FOR TWO ATTORNEYS TO PARTICIPATE IN A CONFERENCE CALL OR TO ATTEND THE BOARD MEETINGS, OR ANY OTHER MEETING OR EVENT WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

2.3 Counsel Evaluations

The Executive Director may evaluate the performance of the General Counsel. Evaluations will be based upon a review of the following:

· Accessibility.

· Timeliness.

· Understanding and addressing staff and Council needs.

· Communication of legal information.

· Clarity of the work product.

· Assistance to staff in addressing legal concerns.

3. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Proposal

The Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District will receive proposals for General Legal Counsel until October 16, 2026, at 4:30 pm, PST. Proposals will not be received after such date and time. Proposals may be submitted electronically. Send electronic submittals in PDF format to MBeck@columbia911.com with the subject line: “Proposal for General Legal Counsel.”

In the event that electronic Proposals are too large to email, a file transfer protocol (FTP) or similar file sharing service shared to the email listed above, or a USB Drive mailed, or hand delivered, to the physical address above will suffice. All Proposals must be received by the date and time listed above to be considered responsive.

To receive consideration, submit Proposals in accordance with the following instructions. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of Proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP.

The District recognizes that in the submittal of Proposals, certain information may be proprietary to the General Counsel and that the safeguarding of such information is necessary. Accordingly, the District will make every effort to prevent any disclosure of data supplied by any General Counsel where the Proposer identifies those portions of its Proposal that are proprietary. See Section 1.11, Public Records.

All requested forms and attachments must be submitted with the Proposal and in the required format. The submission and signing of a Proposal shall indicate the intention of the firm to adhere to the provisions described in this RFP.

3.2 Proposal Format

Respondents’ Proposal should include the following items in the following sequence and any additional information you deem relevant:

1. Cover letter addressed to the Executive Director signed by a duly authorized representative. The cover letter should include contact information for the person or persons authorized to execute a contract with the District.

2. An executive summary stating the professional experience and qualifications that qualify the Proposer to provide general counsel services to the Columbia 911 Communications District, including:

a. A statement of the Proposer's understanding of the services to be performed.

b. Qualifications and experience the Proposer has with providing General Counsel services to municipalities or special districts, specifically in Oregon; familiarity with Federal, State, and Local laws and regulations. And any other applicable qualifications and experience that qualify Proposer for this position.

c. Background of the Proposer. This should include a history of the Proposer and types of services they are qualified to perform and experienced in performing.

d. Attorney qualifications and experience for the individual or team that is anticipated to be assigned to the District, including education, training, and experience. Resumes for these individuals should be included.

3. Describe Proposer’s capability and availability to provide services to the District; this includes availability to attend meetings in-person or remotely.

4. Provide at least two examples of complex issues you or your firm has successfully handled for municipal or other public agency clients.

5. Names and phone numbers for references. Please list at least three, preferably local government agencies that the Proposer has worked with in the last five years. Include:

· Name, address, and contact information for the organization.

· Name, address, and contact information for the primary point of contact the Proposer worked with at the organization.

· A general description of services provided to the organization.

6. Following Proposal review and interviews, the District will be contacting references regarding performance of services, compliance with contractual obligations, working relationship, and other items related to performance under the contract and experiences working with Proposer.

7. Complete fee structure, including travel time and travel costs, billing rates, and minimum billable hours (the minimum increment of time at which the Proposer bills). Please include hourly billing rates, individual rates for each team member assigned to the District and reimbursables for non-legal services.

8. Provide any other information or comments which you believe are relevant and will assist the District in making its selection.

Note: Additional information may be requested to conduct a criminal background check, including an entire history check, disciplinary history, and any pending claims filed with the Oregon State Bar.

END OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Request for Proposals General Legal Counsel – C911CD Page 1 of 11 image1.tiff