HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 731 Draft 01 2018-2020 •
COUNTY OF HAWAII �r'='.�% _•• STATE OF HAWAII
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RESOLUTION NO. 731 20
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT OF LEONG
KUNIHIRO BENTON& BROOKE,AS SPECIAL COUNSEL TO REPRESENT THE
COUNTY OF HAWAII, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES,HEALTH &
SAFETY DIVISION,WORKERS' COMPENSATION BRANCH.
WHEREAS, Section 6-5.5, of the Hawai`i County Charter, Special Counsel, provides
that the County Council, may approve by two-thirds vote of its entire membership the
employment of Special Counsel, for any special matter presenting a real necessity for such
employment; and
WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii, Department of Human Resources, Health& Safety
Division, Workers' Compensation Branch ("County") handles numerous workers' compensation
cases and due to the number of cases is in still in need of assistance of a Special Counsel; and
WHEREAS, on November 3, 2015, the County Council approved the hiring of Leong,
Kunihiro, Benton, & Brooke as Special Counsel to represent the County for a sum not to exceed
Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00); and
WHEREAS, on February 19, 2019, the County Council approved an additional Fifty
Thousand dollars ($50,000) for legal services rendered by Special Counsel; and
WHEREAS, Special Counsel represents the County in its most challenging workers'
compensation claims, provides claims management oversight, makes recommendations
regarding settlement, negotiations, pertinent evaluations and investigation, and promote
resolution and closure; and
WHEREAS, the Office of the Corporation Counsel does not have the expertise and
personnel resources to provide the same level of legal services rendered by Special Counsel; and
WHEREAS,there is a real necessity for Special Counsel to continue representing the
County in its most challenging work; and
WHEREAS,there is an additional Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00)
budgeted for legal services to be rendered by Special Counsel; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that:
1. Pursuant to County Charter, Section 6-5.5, Special Counsel, the County
Council authorizes the continued retention of Special Counsel to represent the County; and
2. The funds for the Special Counsel shall not exceed Five Hundred Fifty
Thousand Dollars ($550,000.00).
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall transmit a copy of this
resolution to the Office of the Corporation Counsel and the Department of Human Resources.
Dated at Kona , Hawai`i, this 16th day of September , 2020.
INTRODUCED BY.
, , I. N.. 1. 11-14••
Al. draik6,
CO CI �'1.' , '! •QTY OF .'AWA
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
County of Hawaii AYES NOES ABS EX
Hilo, Hawai`i CHUNG X
DAVID X
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by EOFF X
the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER X
County of Hawai`i on September 16, 2020
KIERKIEWICZ X
LEE LOY X
ATTEST: POINDEXTER X
RICHARDS X
VILLEGAS X
9 0 0 0
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Reference:
C-1072/Waived FC
j ??L ---\' RK HAI &PRESIDING OF ER RESOLUTION NO. 731 20
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