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HomeMy WebLinkAboutContractAGREEMENT FOR LEGAL DEFENSE IN HARTMAN V. CITY OF RENTON ET. AL THIS AGREEMENT, dated for reference purposes only as April 3, 2024, is by and between the City of Renton (the “City”), a Washington municipal corporation, and Patterson Buchanan Fobes Leitch, Inc., P.S. (“Consultant”), a Professional Service Corporation. The City and the Consultant are referred to collectively in this Agreement as the “Parties.” Once fully executed by the Parties, this Agreement is effective as of the last date signed by both parties. 1. Scope of Work: Consultant agrees to provide the City with the following services and work product (referred to hereafter as the “Work”): Exhibit Attached: See Exhibit A, which is incorporated herein by this reference, for a full description of the Work. The purpose of the Work is briefly summarized as: the legal defense of the City of Renton and its employees against the claims made in the King County Superior Court case entitled, M.H.; C.H.; and Sophie Hartman vs. State of Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families; Kelsey Owens; Lauren Maulden; City of Renton Police Department; Adele O’Rourke; Washington Court Appointed Special Advocate Association; Virginia Whalen; Seattle Children’s Hospital; Rebecca Wiester, M.D.; Mark S. Wainwright, M.D.; Timothy J. Brei, M.D.; Lusine Ambartsumyan, M.D.; Helen L. Dichek, M.D.; Nancy Chase, B.S.N., R.N.; Beth Webb Nauert, M.D.; and John and Jane Does 1-10; filed with case number 24-2-05829-0 SEA, related to a 2021 incident (City Claim no. 24-016), which may hereinafter be referred to as the “Work.” Consultant’s legal representation of the City shall adhere to all applicable Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC). 2. Changes in Scope of Work: The City, without invalidating this Agreement, may order changes to the Work consisting of additions, deletions or modifications. Any such changes to the Work shall be ordered by the City in writing and the Compensation shall be equitably adjusted consistent with the method of compensation agreed to in Section 4. 3. Time of Performance: A. Schedule for Performance. Consultant shall promptly commence and diligently complete performance of the Work starting upon execution of this Agreement unless a separate schedule is agreed to in writing or specified in the Scope of Work in Section 1 of this Agreement. CAG-24-089 PAGE 2 OF 14 B. Deadline for Completion of all Work. It is expected that all Work shall be completed by no later than April 30, 2025. This date may be extended by written amendment to this Agreement. 4. Compensation: A. Maximum Amount. Consultant understands that funds have been allocated to a maximum of $99,000. If further authority is required, Consultant shall submit a revised budget and request additional authority. B. Rate of Compensation. Compensation shall be paid after Work is actually performed, as follows – applicable box checked: Rate(s), payment schedules, or amounts specified in Exhibit A, which is attached and incorporated herein. Consultant agrees that any hourly or flat rate charged by it for its Work shall remain locked at the negotiated rate(s) unless otherwise agreed to in writing. Except sales and use taxes required by state law to be collected by Consultant from the City, the Consultant shall be solely responsible for payment of any taxes imposed as a result of the performance and payment of this Agreement. C. Reimbursable Costs. See Exhibit A. D. Method of Payment. On a monthly basis for any month in which Work is performed, the Consultant shall submit a voucher or invoice in a form approved by the City, including as may be applicable a description of what Work has been performed, the name of the personnel performing such Work, and any hourly labor charge rate for such personnel. The Consultant shall also submit a final bill upon completion of all Work. Payment shall be made by the City for Work performed within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt and approval by the appropriate City representative of the voucher or invoice. If the Consultant’s performance does not meet the requirements of this Agreement, the Consultant will correct or modify its performance to comply with the Agreement. The City may withhold payment for work that does not meet the requirements of this Agreement. E. Effect of Payment. Payment for any part of the Work shall not constitute a waiver by the City of any remedies it may have against the Consultant for failure of the Consultant to perform the Work or for any breach of this Agreement by the Consultant. PAGE 3 OF 14 F. Non-Appropriation of Funds. If sufficient funds are not appropriated or allocated for payment under this Agreement for any future fiscal period, the City shall not be obligated to make payments for Work or amounts incurred after the end of the current fiscal period, and this Agreement will terminate upon the completion of all remaining Work for which funds are allocated. No penalty or expense shall accrue to the City in the event this provision applies. 5. Notices and Contract Administration: Any notice required under this Agreement (e.g. notices of termination or insurance cancellation) shall be in writing, delivered by personal service or certified mail, with return receipt requested, to the Required Notice Contact(s) identified below. Required notices shall include a copy of the Agreement, the City’s CAG number assigned to the Agreement, and clearly identify the parties and the date referenced in the first paragraph of this Agreement. A copy of the required notice shall also be provided to all email addresses identified for both parties in this Section, including those listed as required notice contact and contract project manager. Required notices shall be deemed received upon the date of personal delivery, the date the USPS confirms delivery, or the date courtesy emailed notice is acknowledged as received by the required notice email contact address, whichever occurs first. If a Party first makes reasonable attempts to deliver a required notice by one of the alternative delivery methods without a successful confirmed delivery, the required notice will be deemed received three (3) days after it is mailed by regular first-class mail and emailed to all below-listed email addresses along with the last known email address used by the receiving party to communicate regarding the contract. CITY OF RENTON Required Notice Contact: City Clerk Attn: Formal Contract Notice 1055 South Grady Way Renton, WA 98057 Cityclerk@rentonwa.gov legaladmin@rentonwa.gov CONSULTANT Required Notice Contact: Duncan Fobes Patterson Buchanan Fobes & Leitch Inc. P.S. 1000 Second Ave, 30th Floor Seattle, WA 98104 dkf@pattersonbuchanan.com Communication regarding contract administration that does not include a required notice may be done through the party’s Project Managers using the contact information provided below. Contract Project Manager: Contract Project Manager: PAGE 4 OF 14 ALEX TUTTLE ATUTTLE@RENTONWA.GOV 425-430-6492 DUNCAN FOBES DKF@PATTERSONBUCHANAN.COM 206-462-6704 6. Termination: A. The City reserves the right to terminate this Agreement at any time, with or without cause by giving ten (10) calendar days’ notice to the Consultant in writing. In the event of such termination or suspension, all finished or unfinished documents, data, studies, worksheets, models and reports, or other material prepared by the Consultant pursuant to this Agreement shall be submitted to the City, if any are required as part of the Work. B. In the event this Agreement is terminated by the City prior to completion of all Work, the Consultant shall be entitled to payment for all Work performed in accordance with this Agreement, less all payments previously made. If the Agreement is terminated by the City after partial performance of Work for which the agreed compensation is a fixed fee, the City shall pay the Consultant an equitable share of the fixed fee. This provision shall not prevent the City from seeking any legal remedies it may have for the violation or nonperformance of any of the provisions of this Agreement. Amounts owing to the City by Consultant pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be deducted from the final payment due the Consultant. No payment shall be made by the City for any expenses incurred or work done following the effective date of termination unless authorized in writing by the City. C. The Washington Rules of Professional Conduct list several types of conduct or circumstances that require or allow Consultant to withdraw from representing a client, including non-payment of fees, misrepresentation or failure to disclose material facts, action contrary to its advice and conflict of interest with another client. Consultant will, to the extent possible, identify in advance and discuss any issues which may lead to its withdrawal, and if withdrawal ever becomes necessary, written notice will be given. 7. Right To Use Work Product: Consultant will perform all Work identified in this Agreement in a professional and workmanlike manner and in accordance with all reasonable and professional standards and laws for legal services provided in Washington state. Compliance with professional standards includes, as applicable, performing the Work in compliance with applicable City standards or guidelines (e.g. design criteria and Standard Plans for Road, Bridge and Municipal Construction). Professional engineers shall certify engineering plans, specifications, plats, and reports, as applicable, pursuant to RCW 18.43.070. All final work product created for and delivered to the City pursuant to this Agreement shall be the original work of the Consultant and free from any intellectual PAGE 5 OF 14 property encumbrance which would restrict the City from using the work product. Consultant grants to the City a non-exclusive, perpetual right and license to use, reproduce, distribute, adapt, modify, and display all final work product produced pursuant to this Agreement. The City’s or other’s adaptation, modification or use of the final work products other than for the purposes of this Agreement shall be without liability to the Consultant. The provisions of this section shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement. 8. Record Maintenance: The Consultant shall maintain accounts and records, which properly reflect all direct and indirect costs expended and Work provided in the performance of this Agreement and retain such records for as long as may be required by applicable Washington State records retention laws, but in any event no less than six (6) years after the termination of this Agreement. The Consultant agrees to provide access to and copies of any records related to this Agreement as required by the City to audit expenditures and charges and/or to comply with the Washington State Public Records Act Chapter 42.56 RCW). The provisions of this section shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement. 9. Public Records Compliance: The Parties understand that Consultant is a private corporation and not a public agency. To the full extent the City determines necessary to comply with the Washington State Public Records Act, Consultant shall make a due diligent search of all records in its possession or control relating to this Agreement and the Work, including, but not limited to, e-mail, correspondence, notes, saved telephone messages, recordings, photos, or drawings and provide them to the City for production. In the event Consultant believes said records need to be protected from disclosure, it may, at Consultant’s own expense, seek judicial protection. Consultant shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the City for all costs, including attorneys’ fees, attendant to any claim or litigation related to a Public Records Act request for which Consultant has responsive records and for which Consultant has withheld records or information contained therein, or not provided them to the City in a timely manner. Consultant shall produce for distribution any and all records responsive to the Public Records Act request in a timely manner, unless those records are protected by court order. The provisions of this section shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement. 10. Independent Contractor Relationship: A. The Consultant is retained by the City only for the purposes and to the extent set forth in this Agreement. The nature of the relationship between the Consultant and the City during the period of the Work shall be that of an independent contractor, not employee. The Consultant, not the City, shall have the power to control and direct the details, manner or means of Work. Specifically, but not by means of limitation, the Consultant shall have no obligation to work any particular hours or particular PAGE 6 OF 14 schedule, unless otherwise indicated in the Scope of Work or where scheduling of attendance or performance is mutually arranged due to the nature of the Work. Consultant shall retain the right to designate the means of performing the Work covered by this agreement, and the Consultant shall be entitled to employ other workers at such compensation and such other conditions as it may deem proper, provided, however, that any contract so made by the Consultant is to be paid by it alone, and that employing such workers, it is acting individually and not as an agent for the City. B. The City shall not be responsible for withholding or otherwise deducting federal income tax or Social Security or contributing to the State Industrial Insurance Program, providing insurance benefits, provide training, tools, or materials, or otherwise assuming the duties of an employer with respect to Consultant or any employee of the Consultant. C. In the event special training, licensing, or certification is required for Consultant to provide Work he/she will acquire or maintain such at his/her own expense and, if Consultant employs, sub-contracts, or otherwise assigns the responsibility to perform the Work, said employee/sub-contractor/assignee will acquire and or maintain such training, licensing, or certification. D. This is a non-exclusive agreement and Consultant is free to provide services to other entities, so long as there is no interruption or interference with the provision of Work called for in this Agreement. 11. Hold Harmless: The Consultant agrees to release, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the City, elected officials, employees, officers, representatives, and volunteers from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, causes of action, arbitrations, mediations, proceedings, judgments, awards, injuries, damages, liabilities, taxes, losses, fines, fees, penalties, expenses, attorney’s or attorneys’ fees, costs, and/or litigation expenses to or by any and all persons or entities, arising from, resulting from, or related to the negligent acts, errors or omissions of the Consultant in its performance of this Agreement or a breach of this Agreement by Consultant, except for that portion of the claims caused by the City’s own negligence. 12. Gifts and Conflicts: The City’s Code of Ethics and Washington State law prohibit City employees from soliciting, accepting, or receiving any gift, gratuity or favor from any person, firm or corporation involved in a contract or transaction. To ensure compliance with the City’s Code of Ethics and state law, the Consultant shall not give a gift of any kind to City employees or officials. Consultant also confirms that Consultant does not have a business interest or a close family relationship with any City officer or employee who was, PAGE 7 OF 14 is, or will be involved in selecting the Consultant, negotiating or administering this Agreement, or evaluating the Consultant’s performance of the Work. 13. City of Renton Business License: Unless exempted by the Renton Municipal Code, Consultant shall obtain a City of Renton Business License prior to performing any Work and maintain the business license in good standing throughout the term of this agreement with the City. Information regarding acquiring a city business license can be found at: https://www.rentonwa.gov/Tax Information regarding State business licensing requirements can be found at: https://dor.wa.gov/doing-business/register-my-business 14. Insurance: Consultant shall secure and maintain: A. Professional Errors and Omissions insurance of at least $5 million in policy limits. Consultant will provide a Certificate of Insurance as soon as practicable. B. Workers’ compensation coverage, as required by the Industrial Insurance laws of the State of Washington, shall also be secured. C. Commercial Automobile Liability for owned, leased, hired or non-owned, leased, hired or non-owned, with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence combined single limit, if there will be any use of Consultant’s vehicles on the City’s Premises by or on behalf of the City, beyond normal commutes. D. Consultant shall provide the City with written notice of any policy cancellation, within two (2) business days of their receipt of such notice. 15. Delays: Consultant is not responsible for delays caused by factors beyond the Consultant’s reasonable control. When such delays beyond the Consultant’s reasonable control occur, the City agrees the Consultant is not responsible for damages, nor shall the Consultant be deemed to be in default of the Agreement. 16. Assignment: Neither the City nor the Consultant shall assign, transfer or encumber any rights, duties or interests accruing from this Agreement without a signed amendment to this Agreement. 17. Merger, Acquisition, or Name Change: If Consultant is merged with, acquired by another entity, or has a name change, such party shall provide written notice to the City PAGE 8 OF 14 within 20 days of the effective date of such merger, acquisition, or name change. The surviving or acquiring entity shall assume all rights and obligations of such party under this Agreement, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties in a signed amendment to this Agreement. The new or renamed entity will promptly sign an amendment upon request by the City to document its assumption of all obligations under this Agreement. 18. Discrimination Prohibited: Except to the extent permitted by a bona fide occupational qualification, the Consultant agrees as follows: A. Consultant, and Consultant’s agents, employees, representatives, and volunteers with regard to the Work performed or to be performed under this Agreement, shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, nationality, creed, marital status, sexual orientation or preference, age (except minimum age and retirement provisions), honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical handicap, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification in relationship to hiring and employment, in employment or application for employment, the administration of the delivery of Work or any other benefits under this Agreement, or procurement of materials or supplies. B. The Consultant will take affirmative steps to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical, sensory or mental handicaps, or marital status. Such action shall include, but not be limited to the following employment, upgrading, demotion or transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation and selection for training. C. If the Consultant fails to comply with any of this Agreement’s non-discrimination provisions, the City shall have the right, at its option, to cancel the Agreement in whole or in part. D. The Consultant is responsible to be aware of and in compliance with all federal, state and local laws and regulations that may affect the satisfactory completion of the project, which includes but is not limited to fair labor laws, worker's compensation, and Title VI of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, and will comply with City of Renton Council Resolution No. 4085. 19. Other Provisions: A. Approval Authority. Each individual executing this Agreement on behalf of the City and Consultant represents and warrants that such individuals are duly authorized to execute and deliver this Agreement on behalf of the City or Consultant. PAGE 9 OF 14 B. Certification Regarding Federal Debarment and Suspension Status. Consultant affirms that neither it nor its principals nor its subcontractors and their principals: (1) are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from the award of contracts by any federal department or agency; (2) have within a 3-year period preceding any partially or wholly federally funded contract been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (federal, state, or local) contract or subcontract; been in violation of federal or state antitrust statutes, or been convicted of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property; or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (federal, state, or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in (2) above; and, (3) have within a 3-year period preceding an award of any partially or wholly federally funded contract, had one or more contracts terminated for cause or default by any federal or state agency. Consultant further promises that if it or its principals in the future are debarred or suspended from eligibility of award by the federal government that it shall within 3 days notify the City of such change in status. C. Amendment and Modification. This Agreement may be amended only by an instrument in writing, duly executed by both Parties. D. Conflicts. In the event of any inconsistencies between Consultant proposals and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail. Any exhibits/attachments to this Agreement are incorporated by reference only to the extent of the purpose for which they are referenced within this Agreement. To the extent a Consultant prepared exhibit conflicts with the terms in the body of this Agreement or contains terms that are extraneous to the purpose for which it is referenced, the terms in the body of this Agreement shall prevail and the extraneous terms shall not be incorporated herein. E. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be made in and shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington and the City of Renton. Consultant and all of the Consultant’s employees shall perform the Work in accordance with all applicable federal, state, county and city laws, codes and ordinances. F. Joint Drafting Effort. This Agreement shall be considered for all purposes as prepared by the joint efforts of the Parties and shall not be construed against one party or the other as a result of the preparation, substitution, submission or other event of negotiation, drafting or execution. PAGE 10 OF 14 G. Jurisdiction and Venue. Any lawsuit or legal action brought by any party to enforce or interpret this Agreement or any of its terms or covenants shall be brought in the King County Superior Court for the State of Washington at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, King County, Washington, or its replacement or successor. Consultant hereby expressly consents to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction and venue of such court even if Consultant is a foreign corporation not registered with the State of Washington. H. Severability. A court of competent jurisdiction’s determination that any provision or part of this Agreement is illegal or unenforceable shall not cancel or invalidate the remainder of this Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect. I. Sole and Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the Parties and any representations or understandings, whether oral or written, not incorporated are excluded. J. Time is of the Essence. Time is of the essence of this Agreement and each and all of its provisions in which performance is a factor. Adherence to completion dates set forth in the description of the Work is essential to the Consultant’s performance of this Agreement. K. Third-Party Beneficiaries. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to, nor shall be construed to give any rights or benefits in the Agreement to anyone other than the Parties, and all duties and responsibilities undertaken pursuant to this Agreement will be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Parties and no one else. L. Binding Effect. The Parties each bind themselves, their partners, successors, assigns, and legal representatives to the other party to this Agreement, and to the partners, successors, assigns, and legal representatives of such other party with respect to all covenants of the Agreement. M. Waivers. All waivers shall be in writing and signed by the waiving party. Either party’s failure to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall not be a waiver and shall not prevent either the City or Consultant from enforcing that provision or any other provision of this Agreement in the future. Waiver of breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any prior or subsequent breach unless it is expressly waived in writing. N. Counterparts. The Parties may execute this Agreement in any number of counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, and all of which will together constitute this one Agreement. 4-11-2024 Approved by Alex Tuttle via 4/10/20-24 email PAGE 12 OF 14 EXHIBIT A – SCOPE OF SERVICES I. Administration of Agreement. The designated representatives for administration of this Agreement are: a. Alex Tuttle (“City Attorney”) for the City of Renton (“City”) b. Duncan Fobes for Patterson Buchanan Fobes & Leitch (“Consultant”) II. Communications. a. City Attorney will be actively involved in all matters related to the Scope of Work, directing strategy, evaluating and making decisions regarding documents that will be disclosed, redacted, or not produced pursuant to the Public Records Act, Ch. 42.56 RCW. b. City Attorney must be given advance notice of any significant decisions related to the Scope of Work in order for City Attorney to participate fully in making such decisions. c. Any extensive legal research proposed by CONSULTANT should be discussed in advance with City Attorney. d. The City Attorney must be advised as soon as reasonably possible of any potential conflicts or ethical violations during the course of the representation. III. Compensation. Payment to CONSULTANT will be of the satisfactory performance of the Work under this Agreement, including reimbursable expenses. Compensation shall be payable as follows: a. Professional fees. Hours worked, which shall include travel-only hours to the extent they are necessary, shall be billed in increments of one-tenth of an hour at the applicable hourly rates of the person performing the work. Duncan Fobes/Principal/Of Counsel $350 per hour Associate $275 per hour Paralegal $115 per hour No other fees for professional services will be paid unless approved in writing by the City Attorney before the fees are incurred. Professional Fees may be adjusted annually but must have the prior written approval of the City. b. Reimbursement of Expenses. The City shall reimburse CONSULTANT for reasonable expenses that are properly documented in the following categories and subject to any limitations set forth within each category: has been retained because of CONSULTANT’s expertise. The City will not reimburse CONSULTANT for fees associated with the training of PAGE 13 OF 14 attorneys, including time spent by attorneys as a learning experience, doing legal research needed to educate less experienced lawyers in basic fields of expertise for which CONSULTANT was chosen, or as a result of a transfer of attorneys during an engagement. 1. Long distance telephone charges. 2. Charges for copying documents not to exceed $.10 per page; 3. Courier service or other expedited mail delivery only where the urgency was caused by the City or the City requests the service; 4. The City will not reimburse for time spent by CONSULTANT in preparing or reviewing firm billings to the City or in internal firm quality control procedures; 5. Transportation, lodging and meals incurred by CONSULTANT while traveling from CONSULTANT's office in connection with the Scope of Work, subject to the following limits: i. The IRS standard mileage rate for vehicles; ii. Reimbursement for meals inclusive of tips (alcohol is not a reimbursable expense) shall be estimated based on reasonable costs for the area of travel (refer to https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates) iii. Lodging is reimbursable at cost only for the standard single occupancy rate. The accommodation should be appropriate for carrying out the business purpose; and iv. Air travel shall be by coach class at the lowest price available only with the prior approval of the City Attorney. v. Reasonable fees for expert consultants retained by CONSULTANT consistent with the Scope of Work, Reimbursement of Expenses Section 4.6.) and approved in advance by the City Attorney; and, vi. All other necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in litigation subject to prior approval by the City Attorney. c. Invoices. CONSULTANT shall submit monthly invoices to the City's Legal Department (legaladmin@rentonwa.gov). Each invoice shall include all supporting documentation to substantiate the invoiced amount, including all documentation of reimbursable expenses, and be in a form acceptable to the City. Each invoice should set forth the following information for each date services were performed: 1. A brief summary of the services provided; 2. The number of hours or fractions of hours, spent by each provider; 3. The hourly rates of each of the providers; 4. Each hour charged on each matter shall be separately accounted for; 5. Invoices for experts, consultants, and outside vendors, (e.g., copy services, investigators, messenger services, filing fees, etc., retained by CONSULTANT in substantially similar format as noted in (i)-(iii) above, reviewed and approved by CONSULTANT. All invoices in this category PAGE 14 OF 14 must be included in CONSULTANT's invoice (with attached copies of the third-party invoices). Within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of a complete, satisfactory invoice, the City will make payment to CONSULTANT in the amount of the invoice approved by the City Attorney. To the extent that this provision conflicts with the Agreement, the Agreement shall prevail. IV. Plan, Budget and Status Reports for Legal Services. a. Budget. Upon execution of the Agreement, City Attorney and CONSULTANT shall consult regarding the Budget for Scope of Work. The Budget may be produced and modified in writing by City Attorney in consultation with CONSULTANT. b. Status Reports. CONSULTANT shall regularly (ideally monthly) update the City’s insurer of the status of the case, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing by the City Attorney and CONSULTANT. The contact person for the City’s insurer will be provided to CONSULTANT via email as soon as practicable following the execution of the Agreement. V. Records. a. For a period of ten (10) years following final payment by the City to CONSULTANT under this Agreement, CONSULTANT shall maintain all files and documents Files") related to performance of the services under this Agreement. b. The City and its authorized representatives shall have access to the Files for the purpose of inspection, copying, cost review, and audit during CONSULTANT's normal business hours. c. Prior to destroying the Files, CONSULTANT shall contact the City and inquire whether the City opts to have the Files delivered to the City. VI. Public Communications. CONSULTANT shall not issue any news releases or make any statements to a member of the news media or the general public regarding this Agreement or the Scope of Services under the Agreement without the prior approval of the City Attorney.