Item #02
Date: November 15, 2022
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Kristina Heredia, Assistant Community Development Director Jim Schaad, City Manager
Subject: Expenditure of Remaining Community Design Grant Funds Recommendation:
Pass a Motion to 1) suspend competitive bidding for the expenditure of the remaining Community Design Grant from Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) as the funds must be expended by December 31, 2022, and 2) authorize the City Manager or designee, to enter into a contract with Visual Impact Signs for an amount not to exceed $70,075.
Rationale for Recommendation:
SACOG awarded the City of Marysville a Community Design Grant in 2015 to facilitate economic development in the downtown commercial area. While some of the money was utilized to create the Covid Playbook, the majority has not been spent. In December of 2021 SACOG granted the City a oneyear extension to the grant. This extension expires in December of this year. Community Development has been working with a local sign company to create new wayfinding signs for the City, and for light pole banners to replace the current old, faded banners. Due to the looming deadline, and the desire of the City to work with a local company, staff is requesting the City Council suspend the requirement for competitive bidding.
Background:
The City was awarded this grant in December 2015 to facilitate economic development in the Downtown commercial area. The Community Design funding is focused on providing business and property owners with technical assistance in the form of one-on-one consulting with experts in retail, architectural, landscape and planning fields. Wayfinding and directional signs are a helpful tool in supporting local businesses and is a key feature of the grant. The SACOG Board approved this project for funding and the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has a deadline to expend the funds which is fast approaching. The City must expend the remaining grant funds by December 31, 2022. A copy of the MOU can be found as Attachment 1.
Item #02
Discussion & Analysis:
Existing signage is present in the City. However, the signs do not include a comprehensive color scheme and many of the signs are old, include peeling paint and are faded. Examples of the existing signs can be found at Attachment 2.
It is proposed that the remaining grant funds be used to provide pole signs that provide banners that can be swapped out during holidays as decorative features. The second component would be permanent wayfinding signs that include a common theme and include the iconic Marysville arch symbol. The signs will direct people to parking, points of interest and civic uses. A copy of the proposed signs can be found at Attachment 3).
In order to make sure the City does not miss out on the remaining grant funds, there is urgency in spending the funds by December 31, 2022. Therefore, consistent with Section 2.76.140.6.A.ii of the City of Marysville Municipal Code: “When, upon a majority vote of the city council, it is determined that it is in the best interests of the city to suspend competitive bidding for any purchase or contract.”, the City Council may authorize sole source contracts.
City staff contacted several local sign companies and requested bids. Visual Impacts is a local sign company that was responsive to staff’s request and provided an estimate well within the grant amount.
Staff reviewed the proposed design and determined they are of high quality, compatible with the Historic District and will provide a public benefit.
Fiscal Analysis:
The majority of funding is available through the Community Design Grant to fund both the wayfinding signs and administrative costs by City staff to oversee the contracts and installation. The City is providing $5,000 for this effort to be absorbed by the current FY 22-23 budget. The funding available includes:
SACOG Community Design Grant - $65,075
City Share - $5,000
Total - $70,075
Attachments:
1) SACOG MOU
2) Existing Sign Examples
3) Proposed Wayfinding Signs
4) Contract with Visual Impact Signs