Consent Item 14
Consent Item 14
TO: Ava Community Energy Authority
FROM: Dan Lieberman, Director of Marketing
SUBJECT: New Consulting Services Agreement with Celery Design Collaborative
DATE: June 12, 2024
__________________________________________________________________ Recommendation
Adopt a Resolution authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to negotiate and execute a Consulting Services Agreement with Celery Design Collaborative with a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 in compensation at an hourly rate of $185 for Fiscal Year 2024-25.
Background and Discussion
Ava staff issued a competitive solicitation for an independent graphic and web design consultant on April 25, 2019, and selected Celery Design Collaborative (“Celery”), a small firm located in Berkeley and registered as a Small, Local, and Emerging Business (SLEB) with the County of Alameda. The Board approved a contract with Celery at the regular meeting on July 17, 2019. The contract was amended annually to expand the scope of work and extend the contract term through June 20, 2024.
Per Ava’s Administrative Procurement Policy, “Agreements with existing vendors may be amended and/or extended to allow for the continuation of services for no more than a total term of five (5) years.” As Ava staff anticipated a contract value over $100,000 for design services in the coming Fiscal Year (FY), a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on April 18, 2024. The solicitation was sent to Ava’s solicitation email list (2,114 recipients) and also to vendors listed on the Alameda County Small, Local and Emerging Business (SLEB) program website with North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes for design, videography, and/or photography Consent Item 14
services (267 recipients). Ava received 27 proposals. Staff evaluated and scored the proposals, and is initially moving forward with this contract in order to ensure continuity of design services as we move into the coming FY. Based on our initial evaluation, we anticipate signing more than one contract as a result of the RFP, to cover the scope of services desired.
Ava recently hired a full-time, in-house designer and content strategist. With these acquisitions, we anticipate reducing our need for design services from outside firms.
However, we anticipate 1) variable workloads that will require bringing in additional designers as needed and 2) projects that require skill sets beyond what we have in-house, including but not limited to videography, photography, and exhibit booth design and production.
Fiscal Impact
There are funds in the current Marketing and Account Services budget to accommodate this additional amount. Ava receives a discounted non-profit hourly rate from Celery.
Attachments
A. Resolution Authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to Negotiate and Execute a Consulting Services Agreement with Celery Design Collaborative Attachment Consent Item 14A
RESOLUTION NO. R-2024-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF AVA COMMUNITY ENERGY AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO A NEW
CONSULTING SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH CELERY DESIGN COLLABORATIVE WHEREAS The Ava Community Energy Authority (“Ava”) was formed as a community choice aggregation agency (“CCA”) on December 1, 2016, Under the Joint Exercise of Power Act, California Government Code sections 6500 et seq., among the County of Alameda, and the Cities of Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Piedmont, Oakland, San Leandro, and Union City to study, promote, develop, conduct, operate, and manage energy-related climate change programs in all of the member jurisdictions. The cities of Newark and Pleasanton, located in Alameda County, along with the City of Tracy, located in San Joaquin County, were added as members of Ava and parties to the JPA in March of 2020. The city of Stockton, located in San Joaquin County was added as a member of Ava and party to the JPA in September of 2022. The city of Lathrop, located in San Joaquin County, was added as a member to Ava and party to the JPA in October of 2023. On October 24, 2023, the Authority legally adopted the name Ava Community Energy Authority, where it had previously used the name East Bay Community Energy Authority since its inception.
WHEREAS in July 2019, through a competitive solicitation EBCE selected and entered into a Consulting Services Agreement with Celery Design Collaborative of Berkeley, California to provide Graphic and Web Design Services; and WHEREAS five amendments have been executed to extend the contract term and increase the not-to-exceed limit on the contract, triggering the Administrative Procurement Policy requirement that Ava staff to issue a competitive solicitation; and WHEREAS a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued on April 18, 2024.
The solicitation was sent to Ava’s solicitation email list (2,114 recipients) and also to vendors listed on the Alameda County Small, Local and Emerging Business (SLEB) program website with North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes for design, videography, and/or photography services (267 recipients). Ava received 27 proposals.
WHEREAS Staff evaluated and scored the proposals, and is initially moving forward with this contract in order to ensure continuity of design services as we move into the coming FY. Based on our initial evaluation, we anticipate signing more than one contract as a result of the RFP, to cover the scope of services desired.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF AVA COMMUNITY ENERGY AUTHORITY DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Attachment Consent Item 14A
Section 1. The CEO is hereby authorized to negotiate and execute a Consulting Services Agreement between Ava and Celery Design Collaborative, with a term covering FY2024-25, with compensation not to exceed $200,000 at $185 per hour rates.
The Agreement will be approved by General Counsel.
ADOPTED AND APPROVED this 12th day of June, 2024
Jack Balch, Chair
ATTEST:
Adrian Bankhead, Clerk of the Board