Maverick County Hospital District Board approves Request for Proposal for General Counsel Services
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
The Maverick County Hospital District (MCHD) Board of Directors approved to publish request for proposal for general counsel legal services for the second consecutive month at their regular meeting held on Wednesday, July 30, 2014, at the Second Floor Conference Room at the local hospital district’s offices located at 3406 Bob Rogers Drive, in Eagle Pass, Texas.
At their regular meeting on June 25, 2014, the MCHD Board approved to “put out a request for Legal Services as General Counsel since it has been four years since the last request for proposal and are currently on a month to month basis.” The motion was made by Board member Ricardo E. Calderon and seconded by Board Vice-President and Maverick County Treasurer Rito J. Valdez, III. At this June 25th meeting, both Calderon and Valdez voted in favor of the motion to seek request for proposals for general counsel legal services while Board President Juan Manuel “Chuco” Farias voted against preferring to keep current general counsel Brin & Brin of San Antonio, Texas. Board members Joaquin L. Rodriguez and Humberto Duran were absent at this meeting.
The MCHD Board’s June 25th decision to request proposals for general counsel legal counsel, however, was not implemented by the Board President Farias and Chief Executive Officer Terri Contreras, prompting Board member Calderon to write to Board President Farias and request that the Board’s decision on June 25th be implemented as approved by the Board.
CEO Contreras replied to Board member Calderon admitting that while the Board approved action going out for request for proposals for general counsel legal services at the June 25th Board meeting, the motion made by Calderon lacked specificity and that the item was being placed again on the July 30, 2014 regular Board meeting for discussion with possible action to approve the terms of the request for proposal.
According to the MCHD Board Agenda for the July 30th meeting, two specific items were placed on the agenda: Item No. 6 A Discussion with possible action to request bids for Hospital District legal counsel services and Item No. 6 B Discussion with possible action to renew legal counsel service agreement with Brin & Brin, LLP.
At the July 30th Board meeting, Board President Farias requested that Agenda Item 6 A regarding discussion with possible action to request bids for Hospital District legal counsel services be discussed in Executive Session despite not being listed on the Agenda as an Executive Session item, although the Texas Government Code does allow governmental entities to consult with their attorneys to discuss contracts. The Board went into Executive Session to discuss the already previously approved request for proposals for general counsel legal services.
Upon returning to Open Session, Board member Calderon motioned, once again, to publish request for proposals for general counsel legal services with local news media, San Antonio news media, and the State Bar of Texas for three consecutive weeks. Board member Joaquin L. Rodriguez seconded the motion and amended Calderon’s motion, which Calderon accepted, that the request for proposal for general counsel legal services provide that the law firm or attorney have experience in Health Care Law. The MCHD Board unanimously approved for the second time to seek request for proposals for general counsel legal services. Board President Farias noted that Agenda Item 6 B calling for discussion with possible action to renew legal counsel service agreement with Brin & Brin, LLP was not needed and would be skipped on the agenda.
According to the request for proposal for general counsel legal services, “Maverick County Hospital District will be accepting request for proposals (RFP) from qualified law firms licensed to practice in the State of Texas to provide legal professional services, legal advice, counsel, consultation to CEO and Board of Directors on a wide variety of civil assignments, including but not limited to: general healthcare law, labor law, general state and federal laws related to grant and contract issues, public disclosure issues, laws against discrimination, property/real estate law, contract law, and purchasing and procurement. All interested law firms operating and/or managing from an office in the Southwest Texas region are asked to contact: Terri Patlan-Contreras, CEO, Maverick County Hospital District, 3406 Bob Rogers Drive, Suite 140, Eagle Pass, Texas 78852, (830) 757-4990. All qualified law firms will then be issued RFP plans and shall submit sealed bids by 12 Noon on Thursday, September 4, 2014.”
