Ag nda p rt
September 18, 2023
TO:
FROM:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
Department of Information Technology
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH MAGELLAN ADVISORS, LLC. TO FURNISH AND DELIVER A STRATEGIC
BROADBAND PLAN IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $231,369
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1 . Find that the proposed contract is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 (b )(3), the "common sense" provision that CEQA only applies to projects that may have an effect on the environment; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract, based on a competitive selection process pursuant to Pasadena Municipal Code Section 4.08.047, with Magellan Advisors, LLC for a two-year period in an amount not-to-exceed $231,369, which includes a ten percent contingency. Competitive Bidding is· not required pursuant to the City Charter Section 1002(F), contracts for professional or unique services.
BACKGROUND:
On March 27, 2023 the City was awarded the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) Local Agency Technical Assistance (LATA) grant for $325,000 to fund the City of Pasadena Strategic Broadband Plan.
The CPUC established the LATA grant program for technical assistance funding for planning work, including community needs assessments, environmental and engineering studies, network design, and broadband strategic plans, which will facilitate high-speed broadband infrastructure proje~ts.
Following the award, on May 22, 2023, City Council authorized the City Manager to execute agreements with the CPUC to accept the LATA grant to fund and develop a MEETING OF 09/18/2023 AGENDA ITEM NO. __ l __ _
Contract Authorization with Magellan Advisors, LLC for a Strategic Broadband Plan September 18, 2023
Strategic Broadband Plan that includes a market analysis, feasibility study, and needs assessment.
The goal of the plan is to increase broadband access to underserved and unserved areas in the· city and ensure that everyone has access to affordable, reliable, and high speed broadband. The major deliverables within the plan will include conducting a needs assessment and gap analysis to identify key issues and barriers related to broadband access, conducting a comprehensive asset inventory of current broadband assets, preparing a market assessment of current service offerings available to both businesses and residents, engaging with existing broadband providers and new entrants about their investment plans for the future, recommending policies and actions to promote broadband deployment, and developing any technical and financial models to support these recommendations.
The Strategic Broadband Plan is an important step in ensuring that everyone in the city has access to affordable, reliable, and high-speed broadband. The plan is expected to be completed in approximately eight months of contract signing.
On June 13, 2023, staff prepared and posted a notice on OpenGov, inviting vendors to submit responses to the Request for Proposals {RFP) for professional services to furnish and deliver a "City of Pasadena Strategic Broadband Plan". Following advertising, twenty-one companies downloaded the RFP, none of which were local Pasadena businesses. By the July 28, 2023, deadline, a total of five responsive proposals were received.
A panel of DolT staff evaluated these proposals using predefined criteria in the RFP:
Criteria Weight
Proposed Solution 35%
Experience 35%
Cost Proposal 20%
Local Pasadena 5%
Business
Small or Micro-Business 5%
Total 100%
The proposals were scored and ranked as follows:
Rank Proposer Location Score (100· max)
1 Magellan Advisors, LLC Denver, CO 70.68
2 rreleworX McLean, VA 59.64
3 rrelevate, LLC Wienna, VA 58.70
4 Global Information Intelligence Plano, TX 50.00 LLC
5 Telcon Services Eagle, ID 40.34
Contract Authorization with Magellan Advisors, LLC for a Strategic Broadband Plan September 18, 2023
Attachment A includes a summary of the scoring criteria and results.
Based on the scoring above, staff recommends authorization to enter into a two-year contract with Magellan Advisors, LLC for the development and delivery of a Strategic Broadband Plan in an amount not to exceed $231,369.
A breakdown of the contract is as follows:
Base Bid $210,335
Contingency Allowance (10%) $ 21.034
Contract Not-to-Exceed Amount $231,369
Magellan Advisors are the leading turnkey broadband development firm for municipalities, regional councils of government, and utilities. Magellan has over sixteen years of experience in developing strategic bro'adband plans.
There is currently one active contract with Magellan Advisors for Fiber Network Management and Construction Management Services.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
This proposed contract supports the City Council Strategic Goal to improve, maintain, and enhance public facilities and infrastructure by creating a strategic broadband plan to close the digital divide and expand broadband services throughout the community.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The proposed action has been determined to be exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 (b)(3), the "common sense" provision of CEQA (formerly the general rule), which applies to projects which may have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. No direct physical changes to the environment are proposed.
Contract Authorization with Magellan Advisors, LLC for a Strategic Broadband Plan September 18, 2023
FISCAL IMPACT:
The maximum cost of the proposed action is $231,369. Funding for this action will be addressed by the utilization of existing budgeted appropriations in Capital Improvement Program project #71167 (City Fiber Network Expansion FY 2020 - FY 2024) and the entire cost will be reimbursable by the LATA grant. It is anticipated that the entire amount will be spent in between FY 2024. There are no indirect or support costs anticipated as a result of this contract award.
Prepared by:
Christopher Huynh
Telecom & Regulatory Administrator
Department of Information Technology
Approved by:
MIG~¼-
City Manager
Respectfully submitted,
P~o~
PHILLIP LEC~AIR
Chief Information Officer
Department of Information Technology
Attachment A: Summary of Proposal Scoring