2026-01 Request for Proposals General Legal Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
FOR
OUTSIDE GENERAL LEGAL COUNSEL
RFP Number: VRWD-2026-01
Release Date: April 20, 2026
Proposal Due Date: June 3, 2026 @ 4PM
Issued by:
Ventura River Water District
409 Old Baldwin Road
Ojai, CA 93023
https://vrwd.ca.gov
Submit Questions and Proposals by Email to: alma@vrwd.ca.gov

RFP - General Legal Counsel
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I. Introduction and Notice
The Ventura River Water District ("District" or "VRWD") invites proposals from qualified law firms
and to provide General Legal Counsel services to the District. The selected firm will serve as the
District's primary legal advisor, providing general counsel services and, as needed, coordinating
with or overseeing special counsel retained for specialized matters.
Issuance of this Request for Proposals ("RFP") does not obligate the District to award a contract
or to pay any costs incurred in preparing a proposal.
II. District Background
VRWD is an independent California special district located in Ojai, California and organized under
the County Water District Code (California Water Code 30000). VRWD is governed by a
fivemember elected Board of Directors who serve overlapping four-year terms, and every year
at the beginning of each calendar year they select board officers. The District provides high-quality
potable water service to residential, multi-family, and commercial customers within its service area
and operates pursuant to the California Water Code and other applicable state and federal laws.
The District's has an annual operating budget of approximately $3 million and budgets
approximately $35,000 for general legal services.
The District's affairs are governed by the Board of Directors, with daytoday operations
administered by the General Manager. The Board appoints and retains the District's General
Legal Counsel.
The District's operations involve complex regulatory, environmental, and intergovernmental
considerations, including groundwater management within the Ventura River Watershed,
waterrights matters, coordination with regional agencies, capital improvement projects, grant
compliance, and publicagency governance requirements.
III. Scope of Services
The District seeks General Legal Counsel capable of providing comprehensive, timely, and
practical legal advice tailored to the needs of a California water special district. Services include,
but are not limited to, the following:
A. General Counsel Services
1. Provide legal advice and consultation (oral and written) to the Board of Directors and
General Manager.

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2. Attend regular and special Board meetings, including open and closed sessions,
workshops, and other meetings as requested.
3. Advise on compliance with applicable laws, including but not limited to:
a. Ralph M. Brown Act
b. California Public Records Act
c. Political Reform Act and conflictofinterest laws
d. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
e. Proposition 218 and related ratesetting requirements
f. California Water Code and special district law
4. Draft, review, and revise resolutions, ordinances, policies, contracts, memoranda of
understanding (MOUs), agreements, staff reports, notices, and other District documents.
5. Provide guidance on governance, ethics, elections, and Board procedures.
6. Advise on relevant state and federal legislation, regulations, and case law affecting the
District.
B. Specialized and Support Services
1. Advise on water law matters, including groundwater management, SGMA/GSAs, water
rights, adjudications, and interagency agreements.
2. Advise on public contracting, construction law, procurement, and claims.
3. Provide legal support on labor and employment matters, excluding matters assigned to
separate labor counsel, if applicable.
4. Represent the District in litigation, administrative proceedings, and negotiations, or
coordinate and oversee special counsel when appropriate.
5. Provide risk management and claims support, including insurancerelated matters.
6. Assist with legal compliance related to grants, environmental permitting, and regulatory
agencies.
IV. Minimum Qualifications
Proposers must meet the following minimum qualifications:
1. Be licensed to practice law in the State of California and be members in good standing
with the State Bar of California.
2. Demonstrate significant experience (minimum 7-10 years preferred) providing
general legal counsel services to California public agencies, preferably water districts or
other special districts.
3. Demonstrate experience in public agency law, water law, CEQA, Brown Act, Public
Records Act, public contracting, and special district governance.
4. Demonstrate the ability to provide timely responses and maintain reasonable availability
to the Board and General Manager.

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5. Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with the Board and General Manager.
V. Proposal Content and Format
Proposals shall be clear, concise, and wellorganized and shall not exceed 15-20 pages,
excluding resumes and appendices.
A. Required Proposal Contents
1. Cover Letter / Executive Summary
a. Firm name, address, and primary contact
b. Overview of qualifications and proposed approach
c. Identification of the proposed General Counsel
2. Firm Qualifications and Experience
a. Description of the firm and areas of practice
b. Experience representing California water districts and special districts
c. Relevant representative matters
3. Key Personnel
a. Identification of the primary attorney and backup attorneys
b. Resumes and State Bar numbers
c. Office location(s) and accessibility
4. Approach and Service Delivery
a. Approach to providing general counsel services
b. Communication style and responsiveness
c. Availability and succession/continuity planning
d. Approach to coordinating and overseeing special counsel
5. Conflicts of Interest and Disclosures
a. Identification of any actual or potential conflicts of interest
b. Description of how conflicts would be avoided or mitigated
c. Disclosure of any malpractice claims, State Bar discipline, or pending
investigations
6. Fee Structure and Billing
a. Proposed billing structure (hourly, retainer, or hybrid)
b. Hourly rates by position
c. Billing practices with minimum billing increments, travel charges, and
reimbursable expenses
7. References
a. At least three publicagency client references, preferably water or special districts

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VI. Compensation
The District anticipates compensating General Legal Counsel on an hourly basis, with additional
services billed as agreed. The District reserves the right to negotiate scope, rates, and terms with
the selected proposer.
VII. Insurance and Indemnification
The selected proposer will be required to provide insurance consistent with publicagency
standards, including:
Commercial General Liability
Professional Liability (Errors and Omissions)
Workers' Compensation, as applicable
The selected proposer shall agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the District, its Board
members, officers, employees, and agents as required under the final professional services
agreement.
VIII. Term of Agreement
The District anticipates entering into a professional services agreement for a five (5) year term,
with options for extension at the District's discretion. Either party may terminate the agreement
upon written notice, as specified in the final contract.
IX. Evaluation and Selection Process
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Qualifications and experience with public agencies and water districts
Understanding of the District's legal needs
Experience and qualifications of proposed personnel
Responsiveness and availability
Fee structure and overall value
References
The District may conduct interviews with shortlisted proposers. Final selection will be made by
the Board of Directors.

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X. Submittal Instructions
Only electronic submittals will be accepted via email to:
(cid:44604)(cid:44605)(cid:44606)(cid:44607)(cid:44608)(cid:44610)(cid:44609) alma@vrwd.ca.gov
Proposals shall be submitted in PDF format with the subject header as:
"Proposal - General Legal Counsel Services"
Proposals must be received no later than:
(cid:44417)(cid:44418)(cid:44419)(cid:44420)(cid:44421)(cid:44422)(cid:44423)(cid:44428)(cid:44424)(cid:44425)(cid:44426)(cid:44427) June 3, 2026
(cid:44983)(cid:44984)(cid:44985)(cid:44972)(cid:44986) 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Late proposals may not be considered.
The District reserves the right to request additional information or clarification from proposers.
XI. General Conditions
The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.
The District may waive minor irregularities.
All proposals are public records subject to the California Public Records Act.
Proposers are responsible for all costs incurred in preparing their proposals.
XII. Additional Provisions
The VRWD reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive informalities and minor
irregularities in proposals received, and to accept any portion of a proposal or all items proposed
if deemed in the best interest of the District to do so.
XIII. Exceptions and Deviations
Any exceptions to or deviations from the requirements set forth in this RFP must be declared in
the proposal submitted by the proposer. Such exceptions or deviations must be segregated as a
separate element of the proposal under the heading "Exceptions and Deviations". VRWD may
waive any immaterial deviation or defect in a proposal.

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XIV. Proposal Evaluation Scoring Matrix
Proposal Evaluation Criteria - General Legal Counsel
Evaluation Maximum
Description
Category Points
Experience providing general legal counsel services to
Qualifications &
California public agencies, with emphasis on water districts 30
Experience
and special districts
Demonstrated understanding of the District's legal
Understanding of
environment, governance structure, waterrelated legal 15
VRWD's Needs
issues, and regulatory context
Experience, availability, and qualifications of the proposed
Key Personnel 15
General Counsel and backup attorneys
Communication style, responsiveness, availability,
Approach &
continuity/succession planning, and approach to Board and 15
Responsiveness
staff support
Fee Structure & Reasonableness, transparency, and overall value of
15
Value proposed fees and billing practices
Quality and relevance of references from publicagency
References 10
clients
Total Possible
100
Points
Optional Interview Adjustment:
The Board may, at its discretion, conduct interviews with proposers and adjust final scores
based on interview performance.