By Barbara Behrendt, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, August 28, 2010
BROOKSVILLE — Hernando County's purchasing consultant is recommending that a time study of the county attorney's office be conducted before the county requests proposals from other lawyers interested in providing the county with legal services.
The recommendation by consultant Lisa Hammond mirrors a suggestion made by the focus group that examined the county attorney's operations for the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce recently.
Two weeks ago, chamber focus group member John Mitten told the County Commission there was no way currently of tying the cost of the county attorney services to a measure of productivity.
"You have to find a way to determine if your attorney's office is efficient or not,'' Mitten said.
He explained that the "seductive'' part of seeking outside legal proposals is that private firms bill by the hour. To make a comparison with the cost of the county attorney's office, it is necessary to conduct a time study in which staffers report what they are spending their days doing, minute by minute.
With such a study, a total cost of completing a particular project can be determined. Since other county departments are billed for central services, such as legal work, such an analysis would provide information about the true cost of the service, the focus group determined.
County Attorney Garth Coller, who was hired in 2000 as the county's first full-time attorney, responded to the report, saying that, if the county were seeking an hourly cost for what his office does, it would fall between $40 and $60 per hour. He also said he had no problem with the county exploring its options because he was confident his staff's services would measure up as a bargain.
Hammond's memo to the board suggests that the county could use the focus group to help conduct the time study. She also explains that the analysis would assist in building the kind of request for proposals the County Commission would need if it decides to pursue outside legal service proposals.
She proposes reviewing the office's processes and workloads, surveying county departments to identify their legal needs, identifying and eliminating irrelevant activities and drafting a scope of services based on the county's legal needs.
The commission can then consider two options if it determines to seek proposals. One would be a request for proposals that would allow commissioners to consider both cost and proposed services. The other, a request for qualifications, would focus more on the resumes of individuals or firms. In that case, cost is negotiated after the top candidate is selected.
Commissioners asked for the detailed process earlier this month. Commissioner Jim Adkins suggested the idea, as the county is grappling with its tight budget and painful spending cuts.
The county's attorney's office has come under fire from some residents, who have questioned the cost and the number of attorneys. With the recent departure of assistant county attorney Erica Moore, the office now has three attorneys, including Coller.
His compensation package, including benefits, is $186,274 annually. Total salary and benefit costs for the office are approximately $596,000.
Hammond also provided the County Commission with the requests for legal proposals from other jurisdictions and pointed out that, because of language in Coller's contract, the board would have to make some decision on his future during their meeting on Oct. 26.
Barbara Behrendt can be reached at behrendt@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1434.