County Seeks Water Legal Advice
Sonora, CA — Tuolumne County is hiring an outside firm to give legal advice on water issues.
The County has approved a contract with Sacramento based firm Somach, Simmons and Dunn. Water issues have become so complex in California, that the Board of Supervisors feel a specialized legal team is needed in addition to the County Counsel’s Office. Ongoing water debates that impact the county include water rights, area of origin and point of origin.
The firm provides similar legal advice to the City of Roseville, Sacramento County Regional Sanitation District, T.U.D., Rancho Murrieta Community Services District and others. Tuolumne County will primarily be working with attorneys Nicholas Jacobs and Kanwarjit S. Dua, depending on what expertise is needed. They will be paid a fee of $260 an hour, and utilized on an as-needed basis. The contract was approved by the Supervisors with a 5-0 vote.