DATE: February 2, 2026
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City Manager
Kevin Ortiz, Management Analyst
DEPARTMENT: City Manager
SUBJECT: FOURTH AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH
CALIFORNIA PUBLIC POLICY GROUP TO CONTINUE TO
PROVIDE STATE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY SERVICES AND
OPTIONAL GRANT WRITING SERVICES FOR A TWO-YEAR
TERM
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution: 1) authorizing the Mayor to execute a Fourth Amendment to the agreement with California Public Policy Group (CPPG), in the amount of $120,000 for an extended two-year term for state legislative advocacy services and optional grant writing services; 2) authorizing an as needed in-person travel budget in an amount not-to-exceed $5,000 per year ($10,000 for a two-year term); and 3) authorizing a contingency in the amount of $18,000 with authorization given to the City Manager to execute any contract amendments necessary for grant writing services up to the contingency amount.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CPPG (previously dba RPPG) has been proactively tracking legislation on behalf of Foster City since January 2021, keeping the City engaged by providing detailed policy analysis on state legislative proposals. Significant efforts have been made to advance the City’s public policy advocacy positions on certain priority bills.
On December 18, 2023, the City Council by Minute Order No. 1954 unanimously approved the 2024 State Legislative Platform and Policy. The Legislative Platform and Policy has allowed the City to have a sustained and engaged presence in the state
legislative process. Staff’s recommendation is to maintain the momentum and build upon the foundation that has been established in the past few years. An extension to the existing agreement with CPPG will ensure consistency and continuity in the City’s representation on the state level based on the Council-approved Legislative Platform and Policy. CPPG would continue to monitor and provide reports to the City, advocate on the City’s behalf on specific legislation, provide formal legislative updates and as an added optional service, help identify potential grant opportunities that align with the City’s Legislative Platform and Policy, and assist in the grant writing aspect on a per- grant basis.
The proposed Fourth Amendment would extend the term of the agreement with CPPG by two years, at a flat fee retainer of $5,000 per month for a total of $60,000 per year (grant services not included). If the City engages CPPG to pursue any grant opportunities, the City will be charged for grant writing services based on the amount of funding requested in the grant proposal (Attachment 3).
BACKGROUND
CPPG is a full-service lobbying and consulting practice firm based in Sacramento that strives to advance the policy interests of public agencies. On January 15, 2021, the City of Foster City entered into a Professional Services Agreement with RPPG for State Legislative Advocacy Services. This agreement was for an initial one-year term in an amount not-to-exceed $49,999. After a successful first year, the City Council approved a First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with RPPG for a two-year term for an additional $156,000. At the February 20, 2024 Council meeting, the City Council approved an additional two-year contract extension in an amount not-to-exceed 120,000 and a contingency in the amount of $12,000. The City Council also adopted the Third Amendment to the Agreement on August 19, 2024, to assign the Professional Services Agreement to CPPG (previously RPPG). Consistent with the previous contract amendment, the Scope of Services includes a flat monthly retainer for legislative advocacy services and a fee on a per-grant basis for optional grant writing services.
CPPG has been instrumental in assisting the City with strengthening its legislative advocacy efforts as well as assisting with applying for eligible grant funding this past year. As shown in its 2025 End of Year Report (Attachment 4), CPPG has accomplished the following on behalf of Foster City:
900 pieces of legislation tracked and assessed for impacts on City operations, legal, and/or local decision making;
More than 50% success rate on legislative engagement; achieving the desired outcome or secured critical amendments to dramatically reduce adverse impacts on the City (7 desired outcomes based on CPPG’s engagement of 12 total); 250+ combined deliverables and touchpoints provided to and on behalf of the City, which include legislative updates, legislative and budgetary position letters, policy, political analysis, and meetings with City and/or State legislature on behalf of the City;
Assembled the broadest and strongest VLF coalition to date, including local governments, statewide labor organizations, rank-and-file police, sheriff deputies, and firefighter associations.
ANALYSIS
The objective in pursuing legislative advocacy is to keep the City Council, City staff, and the Community informed of proposed legislation that may have the potential to impact the City. Legislative advocacy is predicated on raising awareness and providing education to all those alike. Legislative tracking is critical given the volume of measures introduced in a legislative year. A legislative advocacy consultant helps assess and advise the City on the current political climate, and assist with navigating the complexities of state legislation. While there is no guarantee that a sustained effort will lead to success on one particular issue of importance; a lack of a sustained effort will lead to state policies that could impact local decision making and/or create new financial, legal, or operational challenges for Foster City.
Legislative advocacy services provided by consultants are typically intended to extend over a longer period. The extension of the agreement with CPPG for another two years would allow for an effective and sustained engagement in the state legislative process.
This longevity is valuable as the legislative advocacy consultant becomes intimately familiar with the City's needs and priorities in order to effectively represent the City’s interests.
In 2024, CPPG assisted staff with the development of the City’s Legislative Platform and Policy, which is an important component of the City’s overall legislative advocacy program. A legislative platform is a set of guiding principles that reflect overarching ideals and priorities of the Council. Using the approved Legislative Platform as a guide, the Legislative Policy outlines the formal process for responding to legislative proposals in a streamlined manner. The collaborative effort between CPPG and City staff culminated in the adoption of the 2024 Legislative Platform and Policy at the December 18, 2023 City Council Meeting. The platform enables City staff, in collaboration with CPPG, to effectively respond to proposed legislation that potentially affects Foster City, while aligning with the principles of the City Council-adopted legislative platform.
Following the adoption of the Platform and Policy, CPPG continued to play a significant role in engaging with the City and staff on important legislation over the past two years.
As further detailed in the proposal from CPPG (Attachment 3), the scope of work and implementation for legislative advocacy services includes, but is not limited to:
Legislative Review, Tracking, and Advocacy
Participate and Advise in Annual Legislative Strategic Planning Explore Potential Funding Opportunities, General Fund, and Competitive Grant Programs
Representation
Frequent, Consistent Communication
Relationship Building
Education Tour
Targeted Engagement with Statewide Local Government Association and Local Agency Partners
Continuing Work on Foster City’s State Legislative Platform Federal and State Budget Earmark Advocacy
Consistent with the previous contract amendment, the Scope of Services includes a flat monthly retainer for legislative advocacy services and a fee on a per-grant basis. In addition to providing legislative advocacy services, CPPG will continue to keep the City informed of upcoming grant opportunities, especially those that are in areas of special interest to the City. If the City is interested in pursuing a grant, CPPG will continue to be able to provide grant writing and project management services on a per-grant basis, from start to finish of the grant proposal. This includes the preparation of funding abstracts, project narratives, and required forms and attachments.
The key difference in the proposal for the Fourth Amendment compared to previous contract amendments is the inclusion of an as needed in-person travel budget in an amount not-to-exceed $5,000 per year. It is important to note that this budget would only be used in connection with City-requested travel and no travel-related expenses shall be assessed unless specifically requested and approved by the City.
California Environmental Quality Act
Not Applicable
FISCAL IMPACT
As part of their proposal, CPPG provided a pricing model for consideration. The pricing model includes a flat fee retainer for legislative advocacy services, a budget for as needed in-person travel, and a per-grant fee schedule. City staff is recommending that the Fourth Amendment continue to be structured under a flat fee for State legislative Advocacy Services with the optional add on of Grant Writing Services on a per-grant basis to provide flexibility in the number of grants/the amount being pursued.
If approved, CPPG will continue to provide State Legislative Advocacy services for a flat fee retainer of $5,000 per month for a total of $60,000 per year, otherwise $120,000 over a two-year period. In addition, staff is requesting that the Council authorize an as needed in-person travel budget in the amount of $5,000 per year for a total of $10,000 for the two-year term and a 15% contingency in the amount of $18,000 with authorization given to the City Manager to execute any contract amendments up to the contingency amount for grant writing services on a per-grant basis per the Proposed Per-Grant Fee Schedule. The Fourth Amendment will extend the term of the agreement by two years beginning March 1, 2026 through February 29, 2028.
Funding is available and recommended to be utilized from the City Manager’s Office Contract, Professional, and Specialized Services Budget, Account No. 001-0110-413- 4251.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Smart Planning, Development, and the Local Economy
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 – Fourth Amendment to the Agreement with CPPG Attachment 3 – CPPG Proposal
Attachment 4 – 2025 CPPG End of Year Report