Municipal Legal Services

Introduction and Background The City of Uhland, Texas is a Type A general law municipality serving roughly 5,000 residents. The City is in Central Texas (within Hays and Caldwell Counties) and provides municipal services to a growing community with increasing operational, governance, development, infrastructure, and administrative needs. The City of Uhland is seeking statements of qualifications from qualified attorneys and/or law firms to provide general municipal legal services to the City. The selected attorney or firm will serve as legal counsel to the City and will be expected to provide practical, timely, and professional legal guidance to the City Council, City Administrator, and designated City staff. The City is seeking legal counsel with demonstrated experience advising Texas general law municipalities, supporting stable governance, reducing legal and operational risk, and helping a growing municipal organization make sound decisions in compliance with state and federal law. This RFQ is intended to evaluate qualifications. Fee schedules and rate information may be requested separately after qualifications have been reviewed. Purpose The purpose of this Request for Qualifications is to identify and select qualified municipal legal counsel to provide general City Attorney services to the City of Uhland. The City desires legal counsel that is responsive, practical, experienced in Texas municipal law, and capable of assisting the City with both routine and complex matters. The selected attorney or firm should be able to provide guidance on municipal governance, open government, public information, development, land use, annexation, ETJ issues, procurement, contracts, personnel matters, ordinances, code enforcement, litigation risk, and other legal matters affecting the City. The City reserves the right to reject any and all submissions, waive informalities or irregularities, request additional information, conduct interviews, negotiate with one or more respondents, and select the respondent deemed most qualified and in the best interest of the City. Scope of Services The selected attorney or firm may be asked to provide legal services including, but not limited to, the following: A. General Municipal Legal Counsel 1. Provide timely legal advice and opinions to the City Council, City Administrator, and designated City staff. 2. Advise the City on matters involving Texas general law municipal authority and governance. 3. Provide legal guidance regarding the roles, responsibilities, and authority of the City Council, Mayor, City Administrator, officers, boards, commissions, and staff. 4. Advise the City on risk management, liability exposure, procedural compliance, and legally defensible decision-making. 5. Provide legal advice related to the City's Code of Ordinances, policies, rules, and procedures. B. Meetings, Agendas, and Open Government 1. Attend regular City Council meetings, special meetings, workshops, and other meetings as requested by the City. 2. Attend meetings of boards, commissions, or committees when required or requested by the City. 3. Provide legal advice during meetings regarding parliamentary, procedural, statutory, and governance matters. 4. Advise the City on compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. 5. Advise the City on compliance with the Texas Public Information Act. 6. Assist with executive session matters, agenda language, meeting procedures, public hearings, public testimony, and related governance issues. C. Ordinances, Resolutions, Contracts, and Policies 1. Draft, review, and revise ordinances, resolutions, contracts, agreements, leases, memoranda of understanding, policies, notices, deeds, easements, and other legal instruments. 2. Review contracts and agreements for legal sufficiency, enforceability, risk allocation, insurance, indemnity, termination rights, and statutory compliance. 3. Assist with procurement documents, interlocal agreements, professional services agreements, development-related agreements, and other municipal contracts. 4. Assist with policy development and implementation to strengthen internal controls, administrative clarity, and legal compliance. D. Development, Land Use, Annexation, and ETJ Matters 1. Advise the City on planning, zoning, subdivision, platting, land use, development standards, and related municipal authority. 2. Advise the City regarding development agreements, subdivision improvement agreements, public infrastructure obligations, vested rights, land use regulations, and related matters. 3. Provide legal guidance regarding annexation, disannexation, extraterritorial jurisdiction, ETJ release requests, municipal boundaries, and related statutory processes. 4. Advise the City on public hearings, notices, zoning procedures, development approvals, and land use decision-making. 5. Assist the City in evaluating legal and operational risks associated with major development proposals. E. Procurement, Finance, and Administrative Operations 1. Advise the City on municipal purchasing, procurement, bidding, requests for qualifications, requests for proposals, professional services procurement, competitive procurement exceptions, and related requirements. 2. Review purchasing policies, financial procedures, contracts, and internal controls for legal compliance. 3. Advise on budget, debt, grants, fee authority, utility billing, municipal revenues, and related legal matters as requested. 4. Provide guidance on economic development, EDC-related matters, tax issues, and intergovernmental agreements as needed. F. Personnel, Employment, and Organizational Matters 1. Provide legal advice regarding personnel matters, employment law, discipline, termination, workplace investigations, personnel policies, administrative structure, and related matters. 2. Advise the City regarding appointments, resignations, vacancies, officer duties, department authority, and organizational governance. 3. Assist with employment agreements, job-related policies, administrative procedures, and personnel-related risk management. G. Code Enforcement, Municipal Court, and Prosecution-Related Coordination 1. Advise the City on code enforcement, nuisance abatement, property maintenance, municipal regulatory enforcement, and related legal procedures. 2. Assist with legal questions involving municipal court operations, citations, enforcement authority, warrants, and prosecution-related coordination, as requested. 3. Coordinate with municipal prosecutors or other special counsel if separate prosecutorial services are retained by the City. H. Litigation and Special Counsel Coordination 1. Represent the City in litigation, administrative proceedings, claims, disputes, and other legal proceedings as authorized by the City Council, including matters not assigned to or covered by Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool counsel. 2. Assist the City in evaluating litigation risk, claims, settlement options, and legal strategy. 3. Coordinate with outside counsel, insurance counsel, or special counsel when appropriate. 4. Provide regular updates to the City Council and City Administrator regarding active or potential legal matters. I. Legislative and Regulatory Updates 1. Inform the City of new or proposed state and federal legislation, regulations, court decisions, and administrative guidance affecting Texas municipalities. 2. Assist the City in implementing required legal changes. 3. Provide training or briefings to the City Council, boards, commissions, and staff as requested. The City may expand, reduce, or modify the scope of services as needed to conduct the business of the City.

Qualifications:

Desired Qualifications Respondents should demonstrate the following qualifications: 1. Significant experience representing Texas municipalities. 2. Demonstrated experience advising Type A general law cities. 3. Strong knowledge of Texas municipal governance, the Texas Local Government Code, Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Public Information Act, election-related procedures, procurement law, land use law, annexation, ETJ matters, personnel matters, and municipal risk management. 4. Experience working directly with elected officials, city administrators/managers, city secretaries, department heads, and municipal staff. 5. Ability to provide practical, clear, timely, and legally sound advice. 6. Ability to attend City Council meetings and other meetings as required. 7. Capacity to respond quickly to urgent or time-sensitive matters. 8. Demonstrated ability to help municipalities maintain stable governance and reduce legal risk during periods of growth, transition, or operational complexity. 9. Strong professional reputation and references. Submission Requirements Each response should include the following information. Responses should not exceed thirty (30) pages, excluding resumes, required forms, and optional sample materials: A. Title Page 1. Name of attorney or law firm. 2. Primary office address. 3. Telephone number. 4. Email address. 5. Website address, if applicable. 6. Name, title, phone number, and email address of the person authorized to negotiate on behalf of the respondent. B. Letter of Interest Provide a letter of interest that includes: 1. Legal name of the respondent. 2. Date of submission. 3. Statement of interest in serving as municipal legal counsel for the City of Uhland. 4. Summary of the respondent s municipal law practice. 5. Description of the respondent s experience with Texas general law cities. 6. Statement regarding the respondent s ability to provide timely, practical, and responsive legal services. C. Qualifications and Experience Provide the following: 1. Resume or curriculum vitae for the attorney proposed to serve as the City s primary legal counsel. 2. State Bar of Texas license number for each attorney proposed to provide services. 3. Years of legal experience and years of municipal legal experience. 4. Areas of specialization within municipal law. 5. Description of relevant experience representing Texas cities, especially general law municipalities. 6. Description of experience with governance, council procedures, open meetings, public information, land use, development agreements, annexation, ETJ matters, procurement, personnel, code enforcement, litigation risk, and municipal operations. 7. List of backup or support attorneys who may provide services to the City, including their qualifications and areas of practice. 8. Number of attorneys, paralegals, and support staff available to assist with City matters. D. Approach to Providing Services Provide a statement describing how the respondent proposes to provide legal services to the City, including: 1. Proposed service model. 2. Communication approach with City Council, City Administrator, and staff. 3. Availability for meetings and time-sensitive matters. 4. Expected response times for routine and urgent requests. 5. Process for tracking assignments, opinions, contract reviews, and pending legal matters. 6. Approach to managing risk and providing practical legal guidance. 7. Approach to working with a growing municipal organization. 8. Whether services are proposed to be provided primarily in person, remotely, or through a hybrid approach. E. References Provide at least five professional references for municipal or public-sector clients for whom the respondent has provided services within the last five years.

References should include:

1. Client name. 2. Contact person. 3. Title. 4. Phone number. 5. Email address. 6. Description of services provided. 7. Dates services were performed. F.

Disclosures Provide the following disclosures:

1. Any actual or potential conflicts of interest involving the City of Uhland, City officials, staff, consultants, developers, vendors, or other parties with matters before the City. 2. Any litigation within the past five years in which the respondent represented a party adverse to a Texas municipality. 3. Any disciplinary action, ethics violation, sanction, grievance, or bar-related action involving the firm, proposed attorneys, or employees within the past five years. 4. Any other information that may reasonably affect the respondent s ability to provide independent legal advice to the City. G. Additional Information Respondents may provide additional information they believe is relevant to the City s evaluation, including training experience, sample municipal work products, legislative update practices, technology tools, or other resources available to the City. Fee schedules, hourly rates, retainers, flat-fee models, or other cost proposals should not be included in the initial qualifications response unless specifically requested by the City. The City may request fee schedules and rate sheets from selected respondents after qualifications have been reviewed.

Important Dates Event Date RFQ Issued:

May 12, 2026 Deadline for

Questions:

May 30, 2026

Responses Due:

June 15, 2026

Review of Qualifications:

June 16 - June 20 Interviews, if conducted Week of June 22 Selection /

Council Consideration:

July 2, 2026 Questions and Communications Questions regarding this RFQ must be submitted in writing by email to:

Hayden Brodowsky, City Administrator Email:

h.brodowsky@uhlandtx.us Questions must be received no later than May 30, 2026. The City may issue written responses, clarifications, or addenda as determined necessary. Respondents are responsible for ensuring they have received and reviewed any addenda or clarifications issued by the City. Respondents should not contact individual City Councilmembers regarding this RFQ outside of the process established by the City. Unauthorized communications may be considered in the City s evaluation of a response. Submission Instructions Responses must be submitted by email to: h.brodowsky@uhlandtx.us The email subject line should state: RFQ - Municipal Legal Services - [Respondent Name] Responses must be received no later than June 15, 2026, at 5 PM. Responses received after the deadline may not be considered. Respondents are responsible for confirming timely delivery of their submission. The City is not responsible for technical issues, email delivery failures, file size limitations, or other transmission problems that prevent timely receipt. Evaluation Criteria Responses will be evaluated based on qualifications, experience, and overall fit with the City s needs. The City may use the following criteria: Criterion Weight Municipal law experience: 30% Experience with Texas general law cities: 20% Development, land use, annexation, ETJ, and governance experience: 15% Availability, responsiveness, and service approach: 15% Proposed team qualifications and capacity: 10% References, reputation, and demonstrated fit: 10% The City may consider any other information deemed relevant to determining the most qualified respondent. Review and Selection Process The City Council and City Administrator will review the responses submitted. The City may request additional information, clarification, interviews, presentations, or fee schedules from one or more respondents. The City may select one or more finalists based on qualifications. After the most qualified respondent or respondents have been identified, the City may request fee schedules, rate sheets, proposed service models, and contract terms. The City Council will make the final selection and approve any agreement for legal services. The City is not obligated to select the lowest-cost respondent and may select the respondent determined to be most qualified and in the best interest of the City. This RFQ does not commit the City to award a contract, pay any costs incurred in preparing a response, or proceed with the procurement of legal services. Contract Model and Fees The City is open to considering different service and compensation models, including hourly billing, monthly retainer, blended model, flat-fee model, or another structure proposed by the respondent. Respondents should not submit fee schedules or rate sheets with the initial qualifications response unless requested by the City. After review of qualifications, the City may request fee information from selected respondents. Any final agreement will be subject to negotiation and approval by the City Council. Term and Termination The final contract term will be negotiated with the selected respondent and approved by the City Council. The City reserves the right to terminate any agreement in accordance with the terms of the final contract. The City may require that the agreement allow termination with or without cause upon written notice. The City Attorney serves at the pleasure of the City Council, subject to applicable law and the terms of any approved agreement. Conflicts of Interest and Ethics Respondents must disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may affect their ability to provide independent legal advice to the City. The selected respondent shall comply with all applicable laws, professional responsibilities, ethical obligations, and State Bar of Texas requirements. The selected respondent shall maintain good standing with the State Bar of Texas throughout the term of service. No respondent shall offer, give, solicit, or accept any gratuity, gift, favor, or thing of value in connection with this RFQ or any resulting contract in violation of applicable law, ethics rules, or City policy. Public Information All responses submitted to the City may be subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act. Respondents are responsible for clearly identifying any information they believe may be confidential or excepted from disclosure. The City does not guarantee that any information submitted will be withheld from public disclosure. Reservation of Rights The City reserves the right to: 1. Accept or reject any or all responses. 2. Cancel, modify, or reissue this RFQ. 3. Waive informalities, irregularities, or technical defects in responses. 4. Request clarification or additional information from any respondent. 5. Conduct interviews or presentations with one or more respondents. 6. Negotiate with one or more respondents. 7. Request fee schedules and rate sheets after reviewing qualifications. 8. Select the respondent determined to be most qualified and in the best interest of the City. 9. Decline to award a contract. 10. Enter into an agreement for some or all of the services described in this RFQ. 11. Retain special counsel or additional counsel for specific matters as needed. No Obligation This RFQ does not create an obligation for the City to award a contract or reimburse any respondent for costs incurred in preparing or submitting a response. All costs associated with preparing a response are the sole responsibility of the respondent. Final Agreement Any final agreement for legal services shall be negotiated between the City and the selected respondent and shall be subject to approval by the City Council. No contract shall be binding on the City unless approved by the City Council and executed by the appropriate City official.