August 7, 2010

‘York County Solicitor Mike Flannelly said dealing with the federal government is a mixed bag. Yes, you can end up with a multimillion-dollar revenue source, such as the contract for housing federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at York County Prison. But you have to tread carefully. … So when the existing contract with ICE expires at the end of September 2011, county officials want to be sure they're getting the best deal possible before they renew it.

To help in that regard, the county commissioners on Wednesday approved the hiring of the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Arent Fox to provide legal advice and representation when the county negotiates the new contract. Flannelly said Arent Fox represented the county during the last contract negotiations over the immigration detainees.

Flannelly said the county will specifically deal with Arent Fox lawyer William Goodrich Jr., who has previously represented the county in dealing with ICE, and who specializes in negotiating with the federal government. He said Goodrich is familiar with the county's existing contract. "I think it's a wise idea to hire someone with expertise, given the millions and millions of dollars at stake," Flannelly said.’

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