Agenda Item
City Council
Item #: 7.3. 7/12/2022 File #: 22-0411
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Rob Houston, City Manager
1. SUBJECT
Options for grant writing and legislative advocacy services.
2. SUMMARY
A discussion of options to contract with a firm or firms to provide grant writing and legislative advocacy services to the City.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
Provide direction to staff as to the services the City Council would like to pursue.
4. FISCAL IMPACT
None.
5. STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Goal 2: Be a fiscally healthy community
b: Analyze future fiscal needs and potential revenue opportunities.
6. DISCUSSION AND BACKGROUND
Every year, the state and federal governments consider dozens of bills that directly affect the City of Orange. These bills have a range of effects including proscribing local authority, imposing unfunded mandates, providing grant funds to achieve policy goals, and changing regulations. While the City has been successful in receiving regional, state and federal grants in the past, there are numerous grants that the City may be unaware of or that require significant staff time to prepare and manage.
The City has historically tracked legislative activities and responded to grant opportunities internally.
In August 2021, the City Council directed staff to join the League of California Cities (League) and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). These two organizations provide extensive resources to track and analyze legislation, advocate on behalf of cities and the region, and alert us to grant opportunities.
In addition to membership in the League and SCAG, most Orange County cities also contract with firms for professional support with legislative advocacy and grant writing. These services augment existing staff resources to ensure that the City effectively communicates its legislative priorities and pursues grant funding. These services generally fall into three categories:
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Item #: 7.3. 7/12/2022 File #: 22-0411
· State Advocacy
o Create the City’s Legislative Platform
o Attend hearings and coordinate meetings
o Provide reports on legislation status
o Advocate for the City’s position on legislation and regulatory issues · Federal Advocacy
o Same as State Advocacy, but at the federal level
· Grant Writing
o Identify priority funding areas
o Identify funding opportunities at the federal, state, foundation, and regional level o Provide grant writing and submission services
o Manage grants awarded to the City as needed
There are firms that provide all three of these services and others that specialize in just one of them.
Depending on the City’sneeds and scope of services, the cost can be a flat monthly rate, or services provided on an as-needed basis with negotiated rates for staff and other costs.
If the City Council would like to pursue professional support for legislative advocacy and grant writing, staff would recommend developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for these services. The RFP process would allow staff to evaluate the potential service providers and present a recommendation for City Council consideration. Staff would also request City Council input on which services to include in the RFP and recommend an initial service term of one year to determine the effectiveness of the services provided.
7. ATTACHMENTS
· None
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