Legal services confirmed at Hamilton City Council

Tompkins Wake have been re‐confirmed as Hamilton City Council’s preferred supplier of legal services for another three years to June 2016.

Council Chief Executive Barry Harris today released this information from the Council’s confidential items heard at the Finance and Monitoring Committee last week and following contractual issues being finalised.

Mr Harris said that the Council renewed the contract without going to open tender after considering a number of factors, including that the Council is halfway through a major statutory process. “This allows the Council to have continuity of legal advice and minimises the risk while we undertake number of complex change projects that are currently in progress ‐ including the District Plan Review,” he said.

Mr Harris was able to confirm that the negotiated rates of Tompkins Wake have been benchmarked against all of government arrangement and are within mid range of prices available. “The Council expressed satisfaction with the current levels of service provided by Tompkins Wake and there is value in the significant knowledge they have already developed regarding this Council’s business. This does not however mean there can be any complacency and the relationship will be closely monitored,” he said.

The Council will be undertaking a public tender, or expression of interest process, for the provision of legal services to Council post 30 June 2016.