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Agenda Item 34.
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| City Council Meeting |
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| Subject: |
| Agreement for Legislative Advocacy Services |
| RECOMMENDATION |
- Approve the Agreement with Townsend Public Affairs to provide Legislative Advocacy Services in an amount not-to-exceed $60,000;
- Authorize the City Manager to issue up to four one-year extensions; and
- Authorize the Purchasing Agent to issue Purchase Orders accordingly
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| BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION |
For more than 25 years, the City has retained the services of a state and federal legislative advocate to assist the City in developing and successfully pursuing its legislative priorities. These services include:
- Developing key advocacy goals for each new legislative session and assisting the City in achieving those goals;
- Participating in the ongoing legislative process to help ensure that the City's desired level of state funding is secured;
- Providing the City with grant management and assistance;
- Developing a strategy to gain support for City priorities at the state level;
- Representing the City at hearings, particularly those involving appropriations requests;
- Providing testimony at Committee and floor sessions on behalf of City;
- Preparing City representatives for hearings and meetings with members of Congress and California State Legislature by providing support materials, talking points, and briefing papers; and
- Monitoring legislative developments affecting the City's agenda and updating designated City staff through written reports/analysis, phone calls, legislative tracking, e-mails, and conference calls/meetings
Throughout the years, by contracting for state and federal legislative advocacy services, Brea has been able to secure state and federal funding for critical community projects and programs which has far exceeded the cost of utilizing a legislative advocate.
To help secure these important services, the Management Services Department developed the scope of services requirements and the Purchasing Division solicited competitive proposals from well-qualified consultants. Even though notifications were posted on the City’s website and on the City’s eProcurement system, which sent nationwide notices to interested firms, of the 47 firms who downloaded the RFP, only two submitted responses by the May 23, 2019 deadline. The primary reason cited for not submitting a proposal was that the prospective consultants provided advocacy services only at the federal level and not on the state level. Staff began the evaluations immediately after the proposal deadline. A panel of three raters evaluated the proposals based on demonstrated competence, professional qualifications, and a fair and reasonable price for the City. Staff on the panel independently ranked the proposals and determined that Townsend Public Affairs was the best-qualified consultant to provide both state and federal legislative advocacy services and that their price was fair and reasonable. The Ferguson Group, the other firm to submit a proposal, only demonstrated providing federal advocacy services.
| Rank |
Consultant Name |
Price |
| 1 |
Townsend Public Affairs |
$60,000 |
| 2 |
The Ferguson Group |
$60,000 |
The Agreement has a one-year base period at a cost of $60,000 and options for up to four one-year extensions that will permit the continuance of these services based on mutual agreement of the parties. Ferguson’s price for the entire five-year period totaled $300,000 for federal advocacy services only and Townsend’s price was $312,000 for state and federal services. Townsend's pricing has a small increase of $6,000 per year in years four and five. The first year’s pricing is identical to the current contract the City has with Townsend dating back to 2014, which will expire June 30, 2019.
Since the prices for the services are fixed for each year of the contract, staff requests that City Council authorize the City Manager to exercise the renewal terms as long as the consultant’s performance continues to meet Brea’s requirements. Moreover, either party may terminate the agreement with a short-term notice, if desired. This will allow the City to continue to monitor the performance of the firm and adjust services as necessary. |
| COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION |
| The Finance Committee reviewed staff’s recommendation at their June 11, 2019 meeting and recommended to proceed with awarding the contract to Townsend Public Affairs. |
| FISCAL IMPACT/SUMMARY |
The City recently solicited competitive proposals from well-qualified consultants for state and federal legislative advocacy services. Based on a review of proposals, staff is recommending that Townsend Public Affairs be awarded the contract. For the past 12 years, Townsend Public Affairs has been successfully performing as the City’s state and federal legislative advocate and has assisted Brea in identifying and securing state and federal funding for a variety of public improvements and programs, ranging from transportation and infrastructure improvements to affordable housing and parks. Since 2007, Townsend Public Affairs has worked with City staff to secure over $16 million in funding. The most recent examples include funding for the North Orange County Public Safety Task Force and the SR 57/Lambert Road Interchange Improvement project. Staff recommends approving the Agreement with Townsend Public Affairs to provide Legislative Advocacy Services.
The total annual cost for advocacy services will not change and is currently a budgeted item. The Fiscal Year 2019-20 Budget has sufficient funding available in the General Fund (110), Urban Runoff (410), Water Utility (420), and Sewer Utility (430). Therefore, no additional funding is required. |
| RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED: |
William Gallardo, City Manager
Prepared by: Liz Pharis, Senior Management Analyst
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