To:  Mike Wildgen, City Manager

From:  Ed Mullins, Finance Director

Date:  February 19, 2004

Subject:  Bond Counsel

In late January, the Finance Department sent a request for proposals for the provision of bond counsel services to seven law firms.  Responses were received from four firms on February 11, 2004.  The firms that responded included:  Gilmore & Bell; Kutak Rock; Stinson, Morrison, Hecker; and Triplett, Woolf & Garretson.  Gilmore & Bell are currently the City’s bond counsel for general obligation bonds.  Mary Carson, formerly with Logan, Carson, Riley, & Kaup, and currently with Triplett, Woolf & Garretson has represented the City on revenue bonds.

A committee consisting of the Legal Services Director, Administrative Services Director, Finance Director, and the Management Analyst in Finance evaluated the proposals.  It was the unanimous decision of the committee to recommend that Gilmore & Bell continue as bond counsel.  In addition, it was recommended that Gilmore & Bell represent the City on revenue bond issues as well.  The recommendation was based upon the high level of service that Gilmore & Bell has provided the City.  Gilmore & Bell’s proposal was also the lowest in terms of costs for all instances of debt issuances, except for revenue bond issues over $10 million.  However, it was determined that the level of service provided by Gilmore & Bell would justify the additional cost of those issues.  The firm of Stinson, Morrison, Hecker submitted the potential low bid on revenue bond issues.  Their bid could be increased depending upon the complexity of the revenue bond issue.

It is recommended that the City Commission authorize the City Manager to sign an agreement with Gilmore & Bell to provide bond counsel services to the City of Lawrence.