DATE:August 19, 2024
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
FROM: Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City Manager
DEPARTMENT: City Manager
SUBJECT: THIRD AMENDMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF AGREEMENT
FROM RENNE PUBLIC LAW GROUP LLP (DBA, RENNE PUBLIC
POLICY GROUP) TO CALIFORNIA PUBLIC POLICY GROUP FOR
CONTINUED STATE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY SERVICES AND
OPTIONAL GRANT WRITING SERVICES
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute a Third Amendment and Assignment of the Agreement from Renne Public Law Group, LLP (“RPLG”) doing business as Renee Public Policy Group (“RPPG”) to the California Public Policy Group (“CPPG”) for continued State legislative advocacy services and optional grant writing services.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City entered into an Agreement with RPLG dba RPPG on January 15, 2021 (“Agreement”) for State Legislative Advocacy Services for an initial one-year term. The Agreement was subsequently amended on March 1, 2022, and again on February 20, 2024.
RPPG will be separating from RPLG to form a new legislative advocacy and grant writing entity: the California Public Policy Group (“CPPG”). In order to ensure a smooth transition, RPPG and CPPG are requesting that the City assign the Agreement from RPLG/RPPG to CPPG. The original Agreement, however, prohibits any assignments.
RPPG has played a critical role in advancing the City’s approved 2024 State Legislative Platform and Policy. City staff believes that RPPG will continue to provide valuable services
as CPPG and therefore recommends that the City Council approve the Third Amendment to the Agreement and Assignment to allow an assignment to CPPG for continued legislative advocacy services.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
On January 15, 2021, the City and RPLG dba RPPG entered into the Agreement whereby RPPG was to provide State Legislative Advocacy Services at a monthly flat rate of $4,000 for a not to exceed amount of $49,999 for an initial term of twelve months.
On March 1, 2022, the City Council approved a First Amendment to the Agreement for an additional two-year term at a monthly flat rate of $6,500, for a not to exceed amount of $205,999.
On February 20, 2024, the City Council approved a Second Amendment to the Agreement to extend the term an additional 24 months and increase the compensation by an additional $120,000. The services were also revised to exclude the grant writing services in the monthly retainer but include optional grant writing services on a per-grant basis.
Recently, the City received a joint notice from RPLG and CPPG regarding the separation and requesting an assignment of the Agreement from RPLG/RPPG to CPPG. (Attachment 1). This change will allow RPPG employees an opportunity to gain ownership in the new entity while maintaining a partnership with RPLG but continue their commitment to providing public sector representation.
Section 17 of the original Agreement (Attachment 4) prohibits any assignment of the Agreement. As such, staff has prepared a Third Amendment to the Agreement that would revise Section 17 to allow assignments of the Agreement but only upon written approval from the City. Additionally, the Third Amendment would also assign all of the services that RPPG was required to provide to the City under the Agreement to CPPG. If the Council approves the Third Amendment and Assignment of the Agreement, CPPG would assume all terms, conditions and obligations of the Agreement. The assignment would be effective Tuesday, October 1, 2024. There are no other changes to any other terms of the Agreement.
CALIFORNIA EQUALITY QUALITY ACT
Adopting the proposed Resolution to approve the Third Amendment and Assignment of the Agreement does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq.) (CEQA) as the proposed action does not have the potential to result in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment (14 Cal. Code Regs. § 15378.)
FISCAL IMPACT
There would be no direct fiscal impact from approval of the Third Amendment and Assignment to the Agreement.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Smart Planning, Development, and the Local Economy
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Joint Letter
Attachment 2 – Resolution
Attachment 3 – Third Amendment and Assignment
Attachment 4 – Original Agreement