City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: OCTOBER 18, 2022 FROM: COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARD: 1
DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THE MISSION INN FOUNDATION FOR ADVOCACY, FUND DEVELOPMENT, MARKETING, EDUCATION, HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND INTERPRETATION, AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FOR ARTS-RELATED PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS FOR A TERM ENDING JUNE 30, 2023, IN THE AMOUNT OF $67,104 ISSUE:
Approve a one-year Professional Consultant Services Agreement with the Mission Inn Foundation of Riverside, California, for advocacy, fund development, marketing, education, historic preservation and interpretation, and administrative services for arts-related programs and projects for a term ending June 30, 2023, in the amount of $67,104.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve a one-year Professional Consultant Services Agreement with the Mission Inn Foundation of Riverside, California, for advocacy, fund development, marketing, education, historic preservation and interpretation, and administrative services for arts-related programs and projects for a term ending on June 30, 2023, in the amount of $67,104; and Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Professional Consultant Services Agreement with Mission Inn Foundation, including making minor and non-substantive changes.
BACKGROUND:
The Mission Inn Foundation (Foundation) was incorporated in 1976 to assist in the preservation and restoration of the historic Mission Inn. To date, the Foundation continues to preserve and promote the history of the Mission Inn in its role of operating a non-profit museum and facilitating arts-related programs and projects that serve the community and visitors. The Foundation has received funding annually since Fiscal Year (FY) 2008/09. The Foundation received $67,104 in funding for FY 2021/22.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed one-year Agreement is to support the programs and services offered to Riverside residents and visitors to the City for FY 2022/23. The Agreement is for an amount of $67,104. The Scope of Services identifies six areas of services:
Advocacy
Fund Development
Marketing
Education
Historic Preservation and Interpretation
Administration
The Foundation provides an annual report with goals met for each area of service. Key tasks are identified under each category. For FY 2021/22, the Foundation completed most of the services identified in the Agreement. The services identified in the Agreement for FY 2021/22 are as follows:
Areas of Service
Advocacy:
Foundation Met Goal By:
1 Represent and participate in local as well as national and regional initiatives and programs Staff participated in several local and national initiatives including the American Alliance of Museums, American Association for State and Local History, National Trust for Historic Preservation, California Association of Museums, California Preservation Foundation, Old Riverside Foundation, Riverside Historical Society, Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce, Riverside Downtown Partnership, and Friends of the Mission Inn.
Doors Open Riverside is part of a national program to showcase historic structures and provide public tours to otherwise private structures. The Mission Inn Foundation coordinates and provides the volunteer tour guides for the program, which would not exist without MIF volunteer program. 2 Participate in Riverside Cultural Consortium and/or other forums monthly Foundation staff participated in the Cultural Directors’ Consortium, Riverside Police Officers Association, Riverside Downtown Partnership, Riverside Woman’s Club, Downtown Neighborhood Area Alliance, and Inlandia Institute.
Foundation hosts First Sunday events on a monthly basis in conjunction with downtown cultural organizations and First Thursday events on a monthly basis in conjunction with Arts Walk.
Fund Development:
1 Diversify funding sources for Foundation:
a.
Identify and cultivate at least 4 new prospects per quarter Throughout 2021-2022, the Foundation continued increasing and diversifying the products available for online purchase and delivery. The Foundation expanded product inventory from local artists, artisans and vendors to represent a diverse Riverside art community.
The Mission Inn Run returned to a live event in 2021, hosted in downtown Riverside on October 23-24. Overall, 2,727 participants joined the Mission Inn Run, the highest participant count since 2017 and the first increase in runner participation in eight years.
The Frank Miller Civic Achievement Award, originally scheduled for May 2020, was postponed to September 2020 initially and ultimately postponed to September 2021. This event is traditionally a major fundraiser for the Foundation and a source of many new fundraising prospects.
The Cabaret Mission Inn, a new fundraiser originally slated for April 2020, was to October 2021. 200 guests attended the inaugural Cabaret Mission Inn on October 28, 2021. Due to the success of Cabaret Mission Inn, a repeat performance was held on April 1, 2022. b.
Continue use of donor management software in Foundation fundraising activities by adding contacts created through public programs and lectures The Foundation constituent database continues to be refined as contacts from donations, members and program participants are added. Constituents who actively give, such as donors, members and event attendees are added to the Donorview system. Constituents who have a lesser level of contact, such as free events, are added to our Constant Contact database. c.
Submit a minimum of four (4) grants a year
The Foundation applied for grants within this period including but not limited to:
E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation grant funding for education programs (awarded $40K in Dec 2021) “Cataloging California” grant for archival work (awarded $3K in January 2022) d.
Seek grant funding to continue conducting a minimum of one activity per year in an area of Riverside with limited exposure to art and cultural experiences School trips and in-person programs continued to be impacted during school year 2021-2022. The Foundation developed a new traveling program that teachers can utilize in classrooms going forward. Traveling Trunks launched in December 2021 as a mobile learning unit focusing on tactile learning. These trunks are designed to cover a variety of local history, and feature replica artifacts and primary source materials for students to use in the classroom. The program is underwritten by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. 2 Mission Inn Foundation Run
a.
Manage and direct the event by November 2021
The 2021 Mission Inn Run returned to an in-person event, with a virtual option. There were 2,727 participants in the event. There were virtual options in 5K, 10K and ½ Marathon distance. Each participant received a newly designed T-Shirt and medal, most of which were mailed to participants. A local artist designed the shirt featuring the artwork of the late Riverside artist Don O’Neill. b.
Diversify sponsorship opportunities by pursuing new major sponsors for the event and increasing the participant fees for the half marathon Sponsorship for the 2021 Mission Inn Run continued to be low due to uncertainty regarding the trajectory of the pandemic. The largest new sponsorship came from Roar Organic ($2,500), a sport drink company. c
Diversify participation in race by local underserved communities through marketing and community outreach Due to safety and planning concerns in 2021, the free elements of the Mission Inn Run, in particular Clark’s Nutrition Health Fair, was reduced. To reach local participants, the Foundation advertised both the race and free activities via Facebook and Instagram to Riverside neighborhoods. Additionally, postcards were mailed using the USPS Direct system to all neighbors around downtown Riverside, which included special discount codes for those residents. d.
Develop and distribute marketing materials to attract participation from outside of Riverside The Foundation marketed the Mission Inn Run on Facebook and Instagram across Southern California, in particular the LA and Desert (Palm Springs to Indio) markets.
Marketing Development:
1 Marketing Plan/Materials:
a.
Develop and distribute marketing materials to raise public awareness and participation in MIF/Museum programs in markets outside of Riverside.
The Foundation primarily uses Facebook and Instagram to market to outside groups, targeting the LA metro area, desert communities and Inland Empire cities. In Spring 2022, the Foundation is promoting its Landmark Walking Tours to regions within 60 miles of Riverside, primarily through social media and tour operator events. b.
Develop programs and marketing designed to diversify local participation, particularly for underserved communities.
The Foundation is beginning the process of developing specialty tours, with tours in Spanish and American Sign Language potentially being offered by Summer 2022.
Exhibit labels for Toward Peace include Spanish language translation, and all future exhibits will feature Spanish language translations.
The RUSD student exhibition featured labels in both English and student’s native language, with free access for all. 2 Arts Walk and First Sundays: Continue to participate through free open tours on Thursdays and dynamic programming on Sundays eight times a year The Foundation participated in the following programs:
October 2 – Citrus theme – 35 participants
November 7 – Festival of Lights theme – 10 participants February 6 – Create Your Own Bell – 35 participants
March 6 -Create Your Own Stained Glass – 30 participants April 3 -Create Your Own Painting – 35 participants
May 1 – Create Your Own Macaw – TBD
3. Provide monthly staff and volunteer updates and quarterly training to promote and provide customer awareness of other Riverside cultural activities and programs.
The Foundation holds weekly staff meetings to discuss both internal and external activities, including updates on partnerships and other Riverside activities. Communications with docents and supports occurs through multiple channels, including VSP (volunteer communication channel), Constant Contact, Docent continuing education forums, committee meeting and other distribution methods.
Education:
1 Mission Inn Tours – provide free tours to Riverside Title 1 school programs School tours were offered, but were not utilized by RUSD and other districts until spring 2022. As of April 22, 2022, tours were given to 261 students, 132 of which were free admission. 2 Docent Training: enhance & administer program for community volunteers, creating ambassadors for Riverside history and culture Docent Training returned to in-person classes beginning September 2022 with 44 original students. At the end of the eight-month program, 11 new Docents will graduate.
The Foundation has developed a condensed version of the Docent program to complete over four months, with the intention of running two programs a year. 3 Museum-Gallery Exhibits minimum of two (2) per year
An exhibition featuring a selection of photos and murals from the RUSD English Learners program was on exhibit at the Main Street Gallery - July through September 2021. Students created photographic prints with labels written in both English and their native language.
Toward Peace, an exhibition exploring the peace work of Frank Miller and his connection to local and national peace movements, opened in September 2021. This exhibition is the culmination of two years of research and development, and features never before seen artifacts from the Foundation’s collections. 4 First Sundays participation. Continue to participate through free open tours on Thursdays and dynamic programming on Sundays 8 times a year The Foundation participated with the following programs:
October 2 – Citrus theme – 34 participants
November 7 – Festival of Lights theme – 10 participants February 6 – Create Your Own Bell – 35 participants
March 6 -Create Your Own Stained Glass – 30 participants April 3 -Create Your Own Painting – 35 participants
May 1 – Create Your Own Macaw – 20 participants
5 Programming – conduct one (1) or more programming events per month including docent education and workshops which are open to the public The Foundation conducted 23 events this year. Some examples of events include:
September 25 - What Is Peace: Exploring the History of Peace Activism A Film and Discussion Series; The Fellowship for Reconciliation – A Centennial Film – 34 attendees October 2 – What Is Peace: Exploring the History of Peace Activism A Film and Discussion Series; Investigation of a Flame: A Documentary Portrait of the Catonsville Nine (A film by Lynne Sachs) – 34 attendees October 2 – First Sunday activities – 34 attendees
November 4 – Exploring the Art of Tiffany Brooks at the Mission Inn – 30 attendees November 7 – First Sunday Activities – 10 attendees
January 9, 2022 – Railroads & Riverside with Steve Lech – 45 attendees February 6 – First Sunday Activities – 35 participants
March 20, 2022 – Rayas Retablo – 50 attendees
April 3, 2022 – First Sunday Activities – 35 participants Historic Preservation & Interpretation:
1 Respond to institutional and individual inquiries related to the history of the Mission Inn The Foundation received and responded to inquiries from: The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, media outlets, City of Riverside, other museums, local organizations, researchers, visitors and others with a connection to the Mission Inn. 2 Assist in the professional care of historic collections related to the National Historic Landmark Mission Inn in cooperation with the Historic Mission Inn The Foundation has one collections staff who oversees and manages Mission Inn collections, in part owned by Foundation, Friends of the Mission Inn and the Historic Mission Inn Corporation. 3 Regularly process donated archive materials so they are properly cared for and accessible to researchers Foundation collections staff review all proposed donations, and if accepted and accessioned, become part of the collection and recorded in the foundation’s Past Perfect database. The Foundation did not receive any major acquisitions this past year. 4 Add to the body of historic knowledge related to the Mission Inn and its founder through research internships, a volunteer history research committee, and a special publication series Special research projects include:
Toward Peace, an exploration of Frank Miller’s involvement and connection with national and international peace movements Volunteer researcher Nancy Follett conducted research into the ownership of the Mission Inn by hotelier Benjamin Swig, and presented her findings in a lecture on March 3, 2022.
Volunteer researcher Michael Bussee conducted research on the Rayas Retablo, the altarpiece in the St. Francis Chapel at Mission Inn, presenting his findings at a lecture on March 20, 2022.
Volunteer researchers Barbara Burns and Nancy Follett are currently researching the provenance of the Villas mural that now hangs in the Galleria at Mission Inn, once a feature in Banks Drug Store on 7th Street. 5 Update & maintain the Collections Inventory
The Foundation’s collections database is continually refined and updated as needed.
Administration:
1 Develop and manage three internship opportunities
The Foundation welcomed two interns from the University of California, Riverside work-study program for academic yearlong employment period. The Foundation took this opportunity in order to offer paid internships, which best offers equal opportunity and minimizes discrimination against low-income candidates who otherwise cannot afford to work for free. 2 Active Participation and Input in Citywide Initiatives as applicable a.
Strengthen Riverside's portfolio of arts, culture, recreation and lifelong learning programs and amenities through expanded community partnerships, shared use opportunities, and fund development.
The Foundation collaborated with Museum of Riverside, Spanish Town Heritage Foundation, UCR Arts, Riverside Public Library, Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties, The Cheech and others on the Invisible/Unheard joint program.
The Foundation collaborated with March Air Field Museum on cross-pollinating admission tickets.
The Foundation actively participates with Cultural Directors Consortium on shared strategies, marketing and programming. b.
Facilitate equitable access to arts, culture and recreational service offerings and facilities.
The Foundation offers free tours to all Title 1 schools, as well as a discounted rate of $3 for students and teachers of all other educational institutions. The Mission Inn Foundation Main Street Gallery continues to offer the public free access to rotating exhibitions.
The Traveling Trunks program, which brings museum education into the classroom, allows schools to access the Foundation’s programs without transportation costs.
The Foundation’s Hands on History program partners with the RUSD ELD and AVID to provide museum access and education to low income and English learner students throughout Riverside. c.
Support the development, literacy, health, and education of children and youth throughout the community.
The Foundation’s Hands on History program partners with the RUSD ELD and AVID to provide museum access and education to low income and English learner students throughout Riverside. The RUSD ELD programs promote English literacy for students, which projects such as live presentations and photo exhibitions with labels written by students.
The Foundation’s First Sunday programs engage youth in hands-on art projects that teach local historical subjects through fun activities. 3 Conduct a satisfaction survey of program participants within the museum visitors, tour customers and programming/activity audiences The Foundation conducted a post-event survey for the Mission Inn Run. Results indicate that 90% of participants plan to return in 2022.
The Foundation conducts ongoing visitor surveys, and results indicate that 85% of participants found tours offered the right amount of detail The proposed Agreement is to continue the support of programs and services offered by the Foundation described in the Scope of Services – Exhibit A.
The COVID-19 Pandemic continued to impact the Foundation in FY 2021/22. In spring 2021, the Foundation was able to re-open tours and its store. However, revenue from events and tours continue to be lower than pre-pandemic levels. The Foundation completed a store redesign and increased inventory that resulted in revenue exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the store. In addition, challenges with COVID-19 case surges over the last year has hindered strategies for both in-person and virtual programming. The Foundation is building back its staffing as revenues permit, with staffing remaining below pre-pandemic levels. Despite pandemic-related impacts, the Foundation continues building and investing in its capacity to serve Riverside residents. The Foundation is also continuing its commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, the City’s Strategic Plan, and collaboration with other historic and museum entities.
Due to the unique nature of the services provided by this non-profit organization, retention of these services are exempt from the competitive procurement process as defined in Purchasing Resolution No. 23812, Section 702(c), which states, “Competitive Procurement through the Informal and Formal Procurement process shall not be required in any of the following circumstances:…(c) When the Procurement can only be obtained from a sole source and the Manager is satisfied that the best price, terms and conditions for the Procurement thereof have been negotiated.” The Purchasing Manager concurs that the recommendation to award the contract complies with Purchasing Resolution No. 23812.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item contributes to Strategic Priority 1 – Arts, Culture and Recreation, and Goal 1.2 – Enhance equitable access to arts, culture and recreational service offerings and facilities.
The item aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – The Foundation is a trusted partner that provides information to many organizations inquiring about the history of the Mission Inn and region. The Foundation continued efforts to market and inform the community of their programs and services, and has been successful in increasing interest.
Equity – The Foundation is committed to ensuring that expanded programs and services are available to all community members. The Foundation’s commitment is evident in the development of new programming that makes resources accessible to all in the community. The Foundation continues to identify specific efforts that diversify local participation, particularly for underserved communities.
Fiscal Responsibility – The agreement amount for the Foundation has not increased for several fiscal years and the Foundation has been successful in offering a variety of art-related services and programs that meet the goals of the city.
Innovation – Due to Covid-19 closures, the Foundation had to shift services and programs to safely provide them virtually. As part of an effort to adapt programming for a virtual experience, the Foundation hosted a variety of programs free to the public and as the Foundation returns to in person programs, many of the virtual programs will continue. The Foundation’s spirit of innovation made the redesign of its store possible which led to increased revenue for the store.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The Foundation was quick to adapt to the needs of the community by establishing programs in a virtual platform and it continues to recognize the need to identify ways to best reach underserved communities, and respond with services and programs in a manner that supports the community’s ability to persevere, adapt, and grow.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of the action is $67,104. Sufficient funds are budgeted and available in the General Fund, Community & Economic Development, Mission Inn Museum account no. 2850000-450081.
Prepared by: Chris Christopoulos, Acting Community & Economic Development Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer
Approved by: Rafael Guzman, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachment: Professional Consultant Services Agreement with the Mission Inn Foundation Mission Inn Foundation Agreement ● Page 10