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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>One of my partners sent me the e-mail below. This is something that those of us who represent contractors who contract with governmental agencies need to be aware of. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#0000A0'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#0000A0'>Bruce D. Partington</span></b><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Clark</span><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Partington</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><a href="mailto:bpartington@cphlaw.com" title="blocked::mailto:bpartington@cphlaw.com"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>bpartington@cphlaw.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Direct: 850-432-1399</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Fax: 850-432-7340</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:9.0pt;color:#1F497D'>*Board Certified in Construction Law</span></i><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:#1F497D'>NOTICE: This e-mail message and any attachments are private communication sent by the law firm of Clark Partington Hart Larry Bond & Stackhouse, and may contain confidential, legally privileged information meant solely for the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Please notify the sender immediately by replying to this message, and delete the e-mail and any attachments from your system. Thank you.</span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> LocGovTopics [<a href="mailto:locgovtopics-bounces+wdunaway=cphlaw.com@listserve.com">mailto:locgovtopics-bounces+wdunaway=cphlaw.com@listserve.com</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Richard A. Harrison<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, January 13, 2014 9:10 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:LocGovTopics@listserve.com">LocGovTopics@listserve.com</a><br><b>Subject:</b> [Locgovtopics] Caution regarding F.S. 119.0701 contract requirements<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>Most on here are familiar with the newly enacted F.S. 119.0701, which requires that agency contracts contain specified terms as to a contractor’s obligations under the Public Records Law.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>Many agencies are now routinely incorporating such requirements into their contracts, and seemingly doing so without much thought on the matter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>Here is a lurking issue: the statutory definition of “contractor” in this section is any entity “that enters into a contract for services with a public agency <b>and</b> is acting on behalf of the public agency as provided under s. 119.011(2).” Thus, the definition incorporates the “acting on behalf of” concept, and by extension the well-known Schwab test for determining who is “acting on behalf of” a public agency. It would therefore appear to me (and likely to any reviewing court) that an agency and a contractor signing a contract with these provisions incorporated have both expressly admitted that the contractor is “acting on behalf of” the agency under 119.011(2) and Schwab.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>If both parties do that knowingly, or just don’t care (perhaps because the contractor is plainly “acting on behalf of” the agency under Schwab) then there’s no problem. But if agency contractors in particular aren’t paying attention, then they will be making admissions that they may later come to regret. And if they are paying attention, then agency attorneys may soon have to confront objections to the inclusion of such language in contracts. I can envision a contractor objecting, stating that it refuses to concede in advance that it is “acting on behalf of” the agency and therefore subject to the Public Records Law under 119.011(2) and Schwab. In some cases, that position may not be unreasonable – after all, Schwab is a fact-intensive inquiry. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>Just a thought for a Monday morning . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>How are you dealing with this issue in your agency contracts? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr style='height:52.65pt'><td width=265 valign=top style='width:198.9pt;border:none;border-right:solid #A6A6A6 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:52.65pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";font-variant:small-caps;color:#17365D'>Richard A. Harrison, P.A. </span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";font-variant:small-caps;color:gray'>Attorneys at Law</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#0D0D0D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";font-variant:small-caps;color:gray'> </span></b><span style='color:#0D0D0D'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=373 valign=top style='width:279.9pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:52.65pt'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#17365D'>Richard A. Harrison</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#0D0D0D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>Florida Bar No.: 602493<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>Board Certified by The Florida Bar in City, County & Local Government Law</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#0D0D0D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>400 N. Ashley Drive</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#0D0D0D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>Suite 2600</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#0D0D0D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>Tampa, FL 33602</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#0D0D0D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><u><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:blue'><a href="mailto:rah@harrisonpa.com">rah@harrisonpa.com</a></span></u><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#0D0D0D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>Office: 813-712-8757 Ext. 7057<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>Cell: 813-230-7317<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#0D0D0D'><a href="http://www.harrisonpa.com">www.harrisonpa.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#0D0D0D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#0D0D0D'>CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email transmission and any documents attached to or accompanying this email contain information from the law firm of Richard A. Harrison, P.A., which is confidential and/or legally privileged. The information is intended solely for the use of the individuals or entities to whom this email is intended to be delivered. Any transmission of confidential and/or legally privileged information to persons or entities other than the intended recipients, whether through inadvertence or otherwise, shall not be construed as a waiver of any legal privilege or confidentiality. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that the opening, review, disclosure, copying, distribution, or forwarding of this email or its contents or attachments, or the taking of any action in reliance thereon, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please immediately and permanently delete it and any attachments from your records and notify us via email so that we may take appropriate corrective action. Thank you.</span><span style='color:#0D0D0D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>