TO:

HONORABLE MAYOR

AND CITY COUNCIL

 

FROM:

Richard Doyle

City Attorney

SUBJECT:

Amendment to Legal Services Agreement with Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal

DATE:

December 6, 2001

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

Adoption of a resolution authorizing the City Attorney to execute a second amendment to the agreement for legal services with Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, to increase the amount of total compensation to a total amount not to exceed $200,000.00.

 

Background

 

On February 28, 2001, the City Attorney’s Office entered into an agreement with Sonnenschein Nath and Rosenthal to provide legal advice and assistance to the City Attorney’s Office on environmental issues pertaining to City’s Airport.  Since that time, the agreement has been amended to extend the term of the Agreement through September 30, 2002 and increase the amount of total compensation to a total amount not to exceed $100,000.

 

DISCUssion

 

Nicholas C. Yost acts as a consultant to the City Attorney’s Office.  He is a partner of the firm Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal and head of the firm’s environmental practice.  Mr. Yost is highly experienced in environmental issues under both CEQA and NEPA.  While working in the California Attorney General’s Office from 1965 to 1977, he co-authored the California Airport Noise Standards, administered the division of the Attorney General’s Office responsible for litigation, and handled landmark CEQA litigation.  Mr. Yost also served on the federal level as General Counsel for the Council on Environmental Quality from 1997 to 1981, where he had lead responsibility for drafting the regulations implementing NEPA.

 

Mr. Yost has continued to provide legal services involving NEPA, noise control, and flight track issues. In order to compensate for his services, it is necessary to increase the amount of compensation by $100,000, for a total compensation not to exceed $200,000.

 

PUBLIC OUTREACH

 

Not applicable.

RICHARD DOYLE

City Attorney

 

 

By__________________________

EVET S. LOEWEN

Chief Deputy City Attorney