Proposal for State Legislative Advocacy Services | City of Hercules Page 1
Proposal for State
Legislative Advocacy Services
October 21, 2025
Proposal for State Legislative Advocacy Services | City of Hercules Page 1
October 21, 2025
Dante Hall, City Manager
City of Hercules
111 Civic Drive
Hercules, CA 94547
Dear Mr. Hall:
Thank you for the opportunity for Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. (“TPA”) to submit our proposal for State Legislative Advocacy Services to the City of Hercules (“City”).
Since our inception in 1998, TPA has earned the reputation as a Champion for Better Communities by providing the experience, resources, and relationships expected from a premier legislative advocacy and grant writing firm while also giving clients the unique brand of customer service they deserve: personal attention, maximum accessibility, and passion for their mission.
Our strategic approach to advocacy and funding is tailored to meet each client's individual needs.
We leverage the breadth and depth of our team and our vast network of relationships with key stakeholders and decision makers.
Over the years, TPA has been proud to secure more than $3.2 billion in competitive grants and appropriations and to successfully advance more than 150 pieces of legislation on behalf of our clients. But beyond the numbers, what sets us apart is our dedication to helping communities like Hercules turn bold ideas into reality , whether securing new funding, shaping statewide policy, or protecting vital resources that your residents rely on.
Thank you again for your interest in our firm and consideration of this proposal. Please contact us if you have any questions or need additional information. We would be honored to serve the City of Hercules.
Yours truly,
Christopher Townsend
President
Proposal for State Legislative Advocacy Services | City of Hercules Page 2
FIRM OVERVIEW
TPA is a state and federal legislative advocacy and grant writing firm that provides lobbying and funding services to public agencies and nonprofit organizations throughout California.
• Founder/Owner/President: Christopher Townsend
• Advocacy Success: Shepherded over 150 client-sponsored legislative proposals into law
• Funding Success: Over $3.2 billion in state, federal, and local government grants as well as grants from nonprofit organizations and private companies
• Longevity: 27 years (founded in 1998)
• Number of Employees: 23
• Number of Registered State and Federal Lobbyists and Grant Writers: 18
• Number of Offices: Five
o TPA State Capitol Office, Sacramento
o TPA Federal Office, Washington, DC
o TPA Northern California Office, Oakland
o TPA Central California Office, Fresno
o TPA Southern California Office, Newport Beach
• Types of Clients:
o City Governments
o County Governments
o Water and Sanitation Districts
o Transportation Districts
o K–12 School Districts
o Community College Districts
o Parks and Recreation Districts
o Fire Protection Districts
o Museums, Science Centers, and Cultural Facilities
• Areas of Specialization:
o Local Governance (Cities, Counties, Special Districts) o Transportation Policy and Infrastructure
o Water and Sanitation Policy and Infrastructure
o Education Policy and Infrastructure
o Housing and Economic Development
o Parks and Community Facilities (Recreational, Cultural, Historical) o Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources
o Public Safety
o Budget and Finance
• Ranking by Revenue Reported to the California Secretary of State:
o 5th of 491 Firms Registered for Q1 of the 2025–26 Legislative Session o 99th Percentile
• TPA is ranked as one of the top 100 federal lobbying firms and represents more California public agencies in Washington, DC than any other advocacy firm in the nation.
Proposal for State Legislative Advocacy Services | City of Hercules Page 3
FIRM OVERVIEW
STATE LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY ACHIEVEMENTS
Policy Sector Issue Outcome Of Lobbying Efforts
Municipal
Management
Local Control
• AB 2339 (Gipson, 2018) signed into law to permit cities to sell their drinking water property in special circumstances
• Secured a state audit request of the State Department of Health Care Services due to its management of sober living homes
• SB 927 (Anderson, 2016) signed into law to permit public utility districts to establish district boundaries without legislation.
Local
Infrastructure
Revenue
• Several bills signed into law to facilitate the voter consideration of local revenue measures
• Worked with numerous local governments on elements of redevelopment dissolution to maximize contractual
obligations and implementation of local plans
Cannabis
• AB 2020 (Quirk, 2018), signed into law to allow cities to approve temporary cannabis events
• Led a coalition to help pass California’s first medicinal cannabis regulatory framework legislation
Transportation
Local Streets &
Roads
• AB 2496 (Petrie-Norris, 2022) signed into law to mitigate loud vehicle noise
• Relinquishment of certain sections of Highway 1, SR 133, Beach Boulevard, and other state highway systems to the jurisdiction of local cities
Transit Districts
• AB 3177 (Chavez, 2018) signed into law to permit the North County Transit District to negotiate procurements on the open market
• AB 354 (Nguyen, 2023) signed into law to expand SacRT’s Board of Directors
• AB 1052 (McCarty, 2023) signed into law to enable SacRT to limit potential future tax measures to jurisdictions within its boundary
Vehicle Code
• AB 705 (Lowenthal, 2023) signed into law to expand the allowable length of a vehicle that could be defined as an autoette
Water &
Sanitation
Water Quality
• AB 2022 (Gordon, 2016) first bill signed into law in the nation to allow the bottling of advanced recycled water for
educational purposes
Water District
Formation
• SB 634 (Wilk, 2017) signed into law to consolidate multiple existing water agencies to create the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency
Sanitation
Infrastructure
• SB 991 (Newman, 2022) signed into law to permit local agencies to use progressive design-build for water projects Housing &
Community
Development
Homelessness
• Creation of the Homelessness Emergency Aid Program
(HEAP) to provide funding to cities, counties, and continuums of care
• Creation of the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and
Prevention (HHAP) Grant Program
• AB 1285 (Wicks, 2023), signed into law to require continuums of care to provide evidence of encampment resolution
impacts in regionally coordinated homelessness action plans
Proposal for State Legislative Advocacy Services | City of Hercules Page 4
FIRM OVERVIEW
• AB 2011 (Wicks, 2022) signed into law to construct 2 million units of affordable and mixed- income housing along transit - friendly commercial corridors
Affordable
Housing
• SB 593 (Wiener, 2023) signed into law to finance affordable housing units
• SB 591 (2021, Becker) signed into law to increase the production of intergenerational housing developments
Community
Development
• AB 1486 (Ting, 2019) signed into law to clarify and strengthen provisions in the Surplus Land Act to promote the use of public land for affordable housing projects.
Recreation &
Natural
Resources
Park and
Recreation
Facilities
• Implementation of Prop 68, which allocated $4 billion to parks and recreation programs
• SB 5 (De Leon, 2017) signed into law to allocate $3.5 billion in state funding for parks, drought/water, and flood protection programs
• Secured amendments to AB 1737 (2022, Holden) to protect cities from several onerous requirements related to the operation of day camps
Energy
• Secured amendments to SB 379 (2022, Weiner) to protect cities utilizing online, automated platforms for issuing solar - energy system permits
Public Safety
Crime Reduction
• AB 645 (Friedman, 2023) signed into law to implement speed safety system pilot programs
• SB 1079 (2022, Portantino) signed into law to permit the use of sound-activated devices to prevent loud, modified exhaust systems
E-Bike Safety • SB 381 (Min, 2023) signed into law to require a study on electric bicycles and the safety of riders and pedestrians Local Law
Enforcement
• Establishment of the North Orange County Public Safety Collaborative
Emergency
Management
• AB 2553 (Ting, 2019) signed into law to expand an
emergency shelter pilot program statewide
Education
Community
College Districts
• AB 1173 (Ta, 2023) signed into law to require local
educational agencies (LEA) serving grades 9 to 12 to notify community college districts when holding career fairs
• Worked with a coalition of community college and K12
stakeholders to implement and fund the California Adult Education Program.
School Facilities • SB 1406 (Mendoza, 2016) signed into law , protecting community colleges from frivolous lawsuits
A DETAILED SCHEDULE OF OUR STATE, FEDERAL, AND LOCAL LEGISLATIVE ADV OCACY
ACHIEVEMENTS CAN BE PROVIDED UPON REQUEST
Proposal for State Legislative Advocacy Services | City of Hercules Page 5
EXHIBIT A
ALL-INCLUSIVE RETAINER:
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES MONTHLY FEE
State Legislative Advocacy Services December 2025: $2,000* January 2026–September 2026: $5,000*
• Conduct Detailed Orientation Included
• Develop Legislative Strategy Included
• Engage with Decision-Makers and
Stakeholders Included
• Coordinate Advocacy Efforts Included
• Craft Legislative Materials and
Communications Included
• Provide Progress Reports Included
• Prepare and File Lobbying Disclosure
Reports Included
*The monthly fee includes all reasonable business and travel expenses.