City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: May 23, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.H
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Danielle Noble, Acting Director, Community Services Department, Community Recreation
Subject: Award RFP #346 to Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) for Park Ambassador services at Palisades, Reed and Tongva Parks Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2. Award RFP #346 to Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) for Park Ambassador services at Palisades, Reed and Tongva Parks.
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with DTSM, in the amount not to exceed $8,257,945 for five years with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Executive Summary
The City invited proposals from qualified entities interested in providing contractual services for park ambassadors at various City-owned and City-maintained parks. Staff recommends entering into an agreement with Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) to provide park ambassador services at Reed, Tongva and Palisades Park at an annual cost of $1,494,480.
The goal of the City of Santa Monica park ambassador program is to enhance the visitor experience in some of Santa Monica’s most visited parks. Ambassadors are visible, mobile, and responsive hospitality and customer service professionals. They are friendly, personable, approachable, knowledgeable, and trained to handle situations 2 of 6
involving conflict. Ambassadors greet and welcome visitors, advise visitors of park rules and local laws related to appropriate behavior, as well as provide directions and other hospitality services as needed. They are the eyes and ears of the parks – reporting problems to the appropriate authorities, ensuring that parks are safe, inviting places for all. After reviewing proposals submitted to the City, staff recommends contracting with DTSM due to their proposed deployment schedule, staffing and training model, and level of experience providing such services.
Discussion
DTSM Park Ambassador Program
DTSM launched its hospitality and maintenance ambassador program in 2009 following the establishment of the Downtown Santa Monica Property-Based Assessment District (PBAD) in which property owners voted to fund supplemental and enhanced services to benefit the downtown area through a special assessment. Ambassadors are uniformed concierge trained to assist those seeking information about Santa Monica, report maintenance or other public safety issues to the appropriate parties and provide a welcoming presence for all visitors to the area.
The City has invested in a variety of site- specific strategies to help all people feel welcome and safe in public spaces, including City parks. As part of that effort, in late 2016 the City partnered with DTSM to provide park ambassador services in Palisades and Tongva Park, which began on January 1, 2017. In June 2019 Council approved the expansion of ambassador services to Reed Park for a six-month pilot program. The pilot program was deemed successful and ambassador services continue at all three park locations.
Ambassadors have received excellent reviews and ratings from visitors, residents, and businesses for their customer service, responsiveness, and knowledge of businesses, services, and amenities. Tongva Park, Palisades Park, and Reed Park have been impacted by the regional increases in homelessness, greater use by street performers, and reported illegal activity and anti-social behavior. DTSM’s ambassador program 3 of 6
provides hospitality services and restroom monitoring at both Palisades and Tongva parks, and hospitality services, restroom monitoring and outreach/quality of life services at Reed Park. Hospitality ambassadors help maintain a welcoming and safe environment by engaging visitors; offering directions, recommendations, escorts, and other customer service assistance; providing visual and audio observation to public landscape staff; monitoring and reporting anti-social behaviors; and providing minor maintenance assistance when needed. In addition, restroom ambassadors are stationed near the public restrooms in all three parks to discourage anti-social behaviors, conduct intermittent restroom cleanings, and check and stock restroom supplies. Outreach/quality of life ambassadors stationed in Reed Park possess California Guard card and advanced mental health training. These ambassadors focus on social service outreach discourage antisocial behaviors and track public safety incidents in an incident management system.
DTSM contracts with Block by Block for operation of the ambassador program as an extension of the Downtown Ambassador program. Since 2009, Block by Block has provided the management, staffing and support to the Downtown Santa Monica Hospitality and Maintenance Ambassadors. Their management team provides the guidance to frontline personnel every day, thereby allowing DTSM staff to focus on the bigger picture needs of serving the stakeholders of Downtown.
Ambassadors maintain a close working relationship with the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), receive regular training from SMPD, and communicate frequently with SMPD and parks personnel on the behaviors and conditions that they encounter and observe. The ambassadors are trained on the applicable provisions of the Santa Monica Municipal Code pertaining to the use of public space, constantly monitor for criminal behavior, illegal vending, and other illegal activity, advise park users if an infraction is taking place and alert SMPD if they witness any illegal or dangerous activity. Ambassadors may not enforce municipal codes. However, they often work in concert with local service providers and SMPD’s Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) Team to offer service referrals when appropriate and maintain close communication and 4 of 6
coordination with patrol officers and Public Safety Officers who also regularly visit the park.
Staff solicited proposals for ambassador services at Palisades, Reed, Tongva and Memorial parks. Over the past year there has been an increase in complaints about the misuse and vandalism of the outdoor restrooms at Memorial Park. Due to staffing and budget cuts, the Memorial Park gym, fitness room, and indoor restrooms do not open until 12 p.m. during the week. Tennis, pickleball, playground, and field users must use the outdoor restrooms in the morning. Given the positive changes that occurred by adding restroom ambassadors to Palisades, Tongva, and Reed parks, the RFP asked respondents to propose deploying restroom ambassadors within Memorial Park.
However, at this time funding has not been identified for ambassadors at Memorial Park. Therefore, staff is recommending continued services in Palisades, Tongva and Reed only. Should additional funding be identified, ambassador services may be deployed to Memorial Park.
DTSM’s proposed program budget for the first full year is $557,939 for services at Palisades, $378,602 for services at Tongva Park and $557,939 for services at Reed Park, with an annual total program cost of $1,494,480. DTSM would pay staff at or above the City’s living wage standard, with annual escalation of up to 5% to cover increased operational costs such as changes to insurance or wages.
Staff recommends entering a contract with DTSM for five years. A services agreement to contract ambassador services with DTSM is required because the parks are located outside of DTSM’s assessment district boundaries and the services would be paid for entirely by the City. Preparing for a maximum annual increase of 5% to fees, the not to exceed amount for the total five-year contract is $8,257,945.
Board Action
DTSM, Inc. Board of Directors directed staff to enter into an agreement with the City of Santa Monica to provide parks attendant services at their April 11th Board meeting. 5 of 6
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified Firm Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.
Evaluation Criteria Bids evaluated on their experience, references, staffing and deployment schedule and cost.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.180
RFPs Received
Downtown Santa
Monica, Inc.
Alltech Industries
Inc.
RFP Data
Posted On Posted On
Advertised In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
02/13/2023 City's Online
Bidding Site Santa Monica Daily Press 2 03/17/2023
Justification to Award
Based on the evaluation criteria listed above and the criteria in SMMC 2.24.180, staff recommends Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. as the best qualified firm to provide Park Ambassador services based on previous experience working with the City, their ability to deliver quality services, the proposed schedule deployment, their compliance with all City specifications, and fair pricing.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
Attachment A 2023 Signed Oaks Initiative Form
Environmental Review
This contract for ambassador services is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the CEQA Guidelines, which states that CEQA does not apply, where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant 6 of 6
effect on the environment. The ambassador services is an administrative program that provide visitor support services to the City, and would not result in physical effects.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the General Fund to award a Services Agreement with DTSM for park ambassador services. Funding, which is within the maintenance of effort budget amount, will be included in the FY 2023-25 Proposed Biennial Budget.
Agreement Request
FY 2023-24
Budget
Request
Amount
Future Years
Amount Account # Total Contract Amount
$936,541 $4,238,438 01800004.550010 $5,174,979
$557,939 $2,525,027 01800004.550250 (Reed) $3,082,966
$1,494,480 $6,763,465 Total $8,257,945
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Jeanette Gant, Community Recreation Manager Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Oaks Initiative Disclosure Form
B. Written Comments