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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Professional Services Agreement for the Development and Implementation of the Street Furniture Program
1) Motion authorizing the City Manager, or their designee, to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Gobis & Company, LLC, for consulting services to develop and implement a Bus Shelter and Transit Bus Advertising Program, in a not-to-exceed amount of $61,150.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Consent Calendar
Approved for December 10, 2024 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2006, the City Council approved a license agreement with Outfront Decaux Street Furniture Inc. to provide bus shelters and maintenance for 70 bus shelters and share in the advertising revenue generated at the bus shelters and on Beeline buses. The contract is expiring, and a new license agreement is needed to continue to provide bus shelters and generate funding for Beeline operations. Gobis & Company, LLC (Gobis), a consulting firm specializing in sidewalk and transit amenities, proposes a comprehensive plan that includes preparing a request for proposal, and evaluation of proposals to select the option that provides the most bus shelters and generates the most revenue. The Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Gobis will support Glendale’s vision and City’s goals of improving its public transit experience. Staff is requesting City Council approval of the recommended PSA in light of two other, active contracts between the City and Gobis, the total NTE amount of which is $129,350.
RECOMMENDATION
Pass a motion authorizing the City Manager or a designee to execute a PSA with Gobis for the City’s Street Furniture Program in the not-to-exceed amount of $61,150.
ANALYSIS
In 2005, the City identified several revenue-generating strategies, including entering into an agreement with a private marketing firm to install bus shelters in the City of Glendale featuring advertising panels. The selected firm installs attractive bus shelters in specified locations at no cost to the City. In addition, the City is paid a set annual amount, a {{section.number}}c2
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percentage of all advertising revenue, or a combination of both. The firm also sells advertising on Beeline buses and provides a percentage of revenue applied to Beeline operations.
In 2006, the City Council approved a license agreement with Outfront Decaux Street Furniture Inc., to provide 70 bus shelters and maintenance and share in the advertising revenue generated at the bus shelters and on Beeline buses. The contract is expiring, and a new license agreement is needed to continue providing bus shelters and generating funding for Beeline operations.
On September 21, 2021, City Council directed staff to survey Beeline bus stops to add shelter, shade, and bus amenities at Beeline bus stops. The Bus Stop Improvement Program (BSIP) Request for Proposal issued on October 2022, included the following tasks; inventory existing Beeline bus stops, update the existing bus stop database, conduct a multilingual rider survey and host two focus groups, and compile a catalog of commercially available bus stop amenities. The recommendations of the BSIP are to be applied to both the non-advertising and advertising bus shelters.
Glendale’s current advertising bus shelter program, maintained under a contract with Outfront Media, will soon expire. This program supports 116 shelters, though City studies indicate that additional shade solutions are needed for over 50% of stops due to low ridership, space constraints, and ADA requirements. Given the City’s growth and the increased focus on outdoor and transit-friendly spaces, the Street Furniture Program will include shelters, benches, shade structures, recycling stations, and Wi-Fi-enabled real- time displays to support an improved transit experience and encourage public transit usage.
Gobis, selected for its experience with a similar program in Los Angeles, will provide expertise in expanding Glendale’s street furniture and securing revenue-sharing arrangements favorable to the City.
Gobis will collaborate with the City to create a community-centric program that supports public transit, active mobility, and neighborhood aesthetics. Gobis will assist with program vision and goal setting, Request for Proposal (RFP) development, RFP marketing, proposal evaluation, and negotiation support ensuring a fair revenue-sharing structure and equitable program distribution.
Staff is requesting City Council approval because the recommended PSA is the third contract into which the City will have entered with Gobis over the past three years. In 2022, the City contracted with Gobis in a NTE amount of $30,000 for as-needed consulting services, including development and implementation of advanced fare, parking and toll payment systems using mobile payments, open payments, smart card and radio frequency technologies. In 2023, the City contracted with Gobis in a NTE amount of $99,350 to support the development and implementation of the Climate Mobility and Safety Application. Together with the recommended PSA, the cumulative NTE amount of the active and pending contracts with Gobis will be $190,500, subject to amendment. {{section.number}}c3
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STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The intent of the proposed PSA is to develop a plan for the future of the City’s Bus Shelter and Transit Bus Advertising Program. Gobis will be expected to complete outreach and negotiations with eligible firms to ensure the most advantageous revenue-sharing program.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Professional Services Agreement with Gobis & Company, LLC, for consulting services to develop and implement a Bus Shelter and Transit Bus Advertising Program will cost $61,150, which was approved as a part of the FY 2024-25 budget. No new appropriation is being requested at this time.
The City Council approved funding is outlined below:
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$61,150 43110-2580-PWD-7533-P0000 Transit Utility Fund
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a). Even if it is a “project,” the action being considered is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15306 as it consists of basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. Moreover, it is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) as the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
The names and business addresses of the members of the board of directors, the chairperson, CEO, COO, CFO, Subcontractors and any person or entity with more than 10% interest in the company are attached in Exhibit 2, in accordance with the City Campaign Finance Ordinance No. 5744.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: The City Council may reject the motion to enter into a PSA with Gobis and direct staff to seek new proposals. This may delay the Street Furniture Program implementation.
Alternative 2: The City Council may direct staff to explore in-house program development, though this would require additional resources and expertise not currently available. {{section.number}}c4
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ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Daniel Hernandez, Director of Public Works
Prepared by:
Martha D'Andrea, Transit Manager
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Gobis Proposal
Exhibit 2: Campaign Finance Disclosure Form