TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Sarah Zárate
SUBJECT: See Below DATE: April 7, 2025
Approved
Date:
4/15/25
COUNCIL DISTRICT: Citywide
SUBJECT: Agreement Between the City of San Jose and Holland & Knight, LLC for Federal Legislative Advocacy Services
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or her designee to:
(a) Negotiate and execute an agreement with Holland & Knight, LLC to provide federal legislative advocacy services for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2030, with a maximum compensation amount not to exceed $780,000, subject to the appropriation of funds; and
(b) Exercise up to two one-year options to extend the agreement, with the last option ending on June 30, 2032, to provide ongoing services for an estimated annual cost of $156,000, subject to the appropriation of funds.
SUMMARY AND OUTCOME
City Council’s action will allow the City to have representation at the federal level to provide strategic advocacy on the City’s top legislative, funding, and regulatory priorities.
COUNCIL AGENDA: 4/29/250
FILE: 25-432
ITEM: 2.7
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 7, 2025
Subject: Agreement Between City of San José and Holland & Knight, LLC for Federal Legislative Advocacy Services
BACKGROUND
The City exercised the final one-year contract option with Holland & Knight, LLC for federal legislative advocacy services on July 1, 2024, pursuant to its existing agreement beginning July 1, 2019. This final option term ends June 30, 2025.
On January 6, 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for federal legislative advocacy services. The Administration posted the RFP to Biddingo, the City’s e-procurement system, and closed the solicitation on February 14, 2025. The Administration conducted outreach to advocacy firms representing local jurisdictions and private sector clients to provide information on the RFP and encourage proposals.
In addition to this outreach, Biddingo sent daily notification emails to 5,189 Biddingo users who expressed an interest in lobbying procurements. Eleven firms viewed the procurement, and ten of those firms downloaded the RFP. The City received one qualifying proposal for the RFP solicitation.
ANALYSIS
A three-member RFP evaluation team comprised of the City Manager’s Office and policy-focused City staff developed the scope of work and evaluation criteria in the RFP.
The evaluation criteria were as follows:
Proposal Responsiveness (Pass/Fail): The proposal responds to all requirements in the RFP, including response to questions, all required forms, and references.
Experience of Proposer (30%): The proposer has experience conducting legislative and regulatory advocacy and government relations by working with Congress, the President, federal agencies, and stakeholder groups.
Firm’s Scope of Work and Services (30%): The firm’s scope of work and services align with the categories outlined in the RFP, including legislative and regulatory advocacy, establishing an active presence for the City at the federal level, bill tracking/monitoring services, and federal budget and grant advocacy.
Example of Firm’s Success and Legislative and Regulatory Knowledge (10%): The firm understands policies that impact the City, and has a successful record of accomplishment of advocating for its clients’ priorities.
Customer Satisfaction/Firm Reputation (10%): The firm has a reputation for customer satisfaction.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 7, 2025
Subject: Agreement Between City of San José and Holland & Knight, LLC for Federal Legislative Advocacy Services
Fee Structure/Cost (10%): The proposed fee structure and overall contract cost.
Local Business Enterprise (5%): The firm is a local business.
Small Business Enterprise (5%): The firm is a small business. In accordance with City policy, only local businesses can qualify for the small business enterprise criteria.
The evaluation team met and scored the application based on the evaluation criteria.
Based on the scores, the Administration recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager or her designee to negotiate and execute a contract with Holland & Knight, LLC for federal legislative advocacy services. The evaluation team was impressed by the depth of the firm’s experience with local government, a proven track record on raising the profile of its clients and delivering results, and the existing synergies with the firm’s other clients, including the cities of Cleveland, Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle.
Protests
No firms issued a protest during the 10-day protest period following the Notice of Intended Award.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
The Administration will monitor and evaluate the performance of the federal advocacy services contract. At the end of the contract term, the Administration will conduct an RFP process for federal legislative advocacy services.
COST SUMMARY/IMPLICATIONS
The annual cost for this contract is $156,000 and funding has been included in the City Manager’s Office non-personal/equipment budget in the various funds listed in the Budget Reference Table. If the City Manager exercises the two, one-year options, the estimated cost would remain the same per year, subject to appropriations of funds.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 7, 2025
Subject: Agreement Between City of San José and Holland & Knight, LLC for Federal Legislative Advocacy Services
BUDGET REFERENCE
The table below identifies the fund and appropriations to fund the contract recommended as part of this memorandum.
Fund #
Appn.
# Appn. Name
Total
Appn
Amt. for
Contract
2024-2025
Adopted
Operating
Budget Page
Last Budget
Action (Date,
Ord. No.)
001 0112
City Manager’s
Office Non-
Personal/Equipment
$2,631,484 $90,730 456
02/11/2025
31176
346 0112
City Manager’s
Office Non-
Personal/Equipment
$18,375 $17,800 981
06/18/2024
31102
513 0112
City Manager’s
Office Non-
Personal/Equipment
$18,375 $17,800 1014 06/18/2024
31102
523 0112
City Manager’s
Office Non-
Personal/Equipment
$24,500 $23,740 922 06/18/2024
31102
541 0112
City Manager’s
Office Non-
Personal/Equipment
$6,125 $5,930 1017 06/18/2024
31102
COORDINATION
The Administration coordinated this memorandum with the City Attorney’s Office and the City Manager’s Budget Office.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
This memorandum will be posted on the City’s Council Agenda website for the April 29, 2025 City Council meeting.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION AND INPUT
No commission recommendation or input is associated with this action.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 7, 2025
Subject: Agreement Between City of San José and Holland & Knight, LLC for Federal Legislative Advocacy Services
CEQA
Not a Project, File No. PP17-003, Agreements/Contracts (New or Amended) resulting in no physical changes to the environment.
PUBLIC SUBSIDY REPORTING
This item does not include a public subsidy as defined in section 53083 or 53083.1 of the California Government Code or the City’s Open Government Resolution.
SARAH ZÁRATE
Director, City Manager’s Office of
Administration, Policy, and
Intergovernmental Relations
For questions, please contact Jessica Lowry, Senior Executive Analyst, Open Government Manager, at [email protected].