Placentia Cit Council
AGENDA REPORT
TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CITY ADMINISTRATOR
DATE: MAY 2, 2023
SUBJECT: AGREEMENT FOR GRANT WRITING AND LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY SERVICES WITH TOWNSEND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, INC.
FISCAL
IMPACT: EXPENSE: $66,000 FY 2024-25 LEGISLATIVE (101001-6001) EXPENSE: $72,000 FY 2025-26 LEGISLATIVE (101001-6001)
EXPENSE: $78,000 FY 2026-27 LEGISLATIVE (101001-6001)
SUMMARY:
The City regularly seeks grant opportunities to provide necessary funding for a myriad of projects and services. In addition, monitoring state and federal legislative platforms to protect and promote the City's interest on priority issues and legislative/regulatory matters that may impact the City at the state and federal level is of upmost importance. For the past 6 years, Townsend Public Affairs (TPA) has been successfully performing as the City's state and federal legislative advocate and has assisted Placentia in identifying and securing state and federal funding for a variety of public improvements and programs, ranging from transportation and infrastructure improvements to parks and public safety. Since 2017, TPA has worked with City staff to secure over $6.2 million in funding. The most recent examples include funding for the North Orange County Public Safety Task Force and Statewide Parks Program. This action would approve a new three-year agreement with TPA to provide grant writing and legislative advocacy services.
STRATEGIC PLAN STATEMENT:
This item is consistent with the City Council approved 5 -Year Strategic Goal, under Goal #1 to Ensure Long -Term Fiscal Sustainability, under Objective #1.1, which is to Continue efforts to seek and obtain new sources of state and federal grants, including Federal and state earmarks and Biden Infrastructure Package and Goal #8 to Improve City Governance, under Objective #8.2, which is to Monitor Legislation, unfunded mandates and ballot measures from Sacramento.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that City Council take the following actions:
1. Approve Professional Services Agreement with Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. for Grant Writing and Legislative Advocacy Services; and
2. Authorize the City Administrator to execute the necessary documents, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
1 .f.
May 2, 2023
City Council Agenda
May 2, 2023
Page2of3
DISCUSSION:
Townsend Public Affairs (TPA), Inc. is an experienced legislative advocacy and grant writing firm that provides local, regional, state and federal services to public agencies. TPA operates five offices (four in California and one in Washington, DC) serving over 300 clients during their 24 years of advocacy. TPA currently provides services to several cities within Orange County, including Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Irvine, La Habra, Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Santa Ana, Stanton, and Tustin.
TPA provides services that identify, analyze and monitor legislation which are directly relevant to the City's legislative platform. TPA can also leverage their relationships with legislators to advocate for a City position and facilitate meetings with policy makers. TPA's services include:
• Monitoring legislative developments affecting the City and updating designated City staff through written reports/analysis, phone calls, legislative tracking, e-mails, and conference calls/meetings;
• Preparing City representatives for hearings and meetings with members of Congress and California State Legislature by providing support materials, talking points, and briefing papers;
• Participating in the ongoing Federal Earmark process to help promote the City's funding priorities;
• Providing the City with grant management and assistance; • Developing a strategy to gain support for City programs and activities at the state and federal level;
• Representing the City at hearings, particularly those involving appropriations requests; and • Providing testimony at Committee and floor sessions on behalf of the City.
Throughout the years, by contracting with TPA for state and federal legislative advocacy services, Placentia has been able to secure state and federal funding in the amount of $6.2 million for critical community projects and programs which has far exceeded the cost of utilizing a legislative advocate. All City Departments maintain access to the firm's resources and staff to secure funding and support legislative advocacy as needed. TPA has gained tremendous experience and institutional knowledge in both the grant and advocacy components of the City.
Under our current purchasing policy, the City's Finance Director has determined that the City can select consultants for professional services for continuing services under Section 17D which states:
(1) Professional firms providing engineering, land surveying, transit, planning, environmental, auditing, architecture, landscape architecture or other services may be retained on a continuing basis to provide professional services within the scope of the original RFP/Contract.
This action would approve a three-year agreement with Townsend for grant writing and advocacy services.
City Council Agenda
May 2, 2023
Environmental (CEQAI Review
This proposed action is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., "CEQA") and CEQA regulations (14 California Code Regulations §§ 15000, et seq.) because it constitutes an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
Accordingly, this action does not constitute a "project" that requires environmental review (see specifically 14 CC § 15378 (b)(4-5)).
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact of the agreement is an expense of $5,500 per month; $66,000 for the first year of the new contract. Subsequently, the second year will be an expense of $6,000 per month for a total of $72,000 per year and the third year of the contract will be an expense of $6,500 per month for a total of $78,000. The current fiscal year has sufficient funds to cover the expense of the first two months of the agreement (May/June) in Account No. 101001-6001 with the balance being funded in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget. It is anticipated that there will be a significant revenue offset received through successful grant acquisition and legislative advocacy for the benefit of City-wide projects, services and programs.
Submitted by:
Reviewed and approved:
lea n= t: Ortega Jennif r Lampman
Assistant to the City Administrator/ Director of Finance Economic Development Manager
Reviewed and approved:
at -hien R rula
City Administrator
Attachments:
1. Townsend Public Affairs Summary
2. Professional Services Agreement with Townsend Public Affairs, Inc.