City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: January 28, 2025
Agenda Item: 5.C
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Jenny Rogers, Recreation and Arts Director, Recreation and Arts Department Subject: Award Request for Proposal to Community Arts Resources (CARS) to Manage Arts Program at Santa Monica Airport
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that 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 #143 to Community Arts Resources (CARS), a Los Angeles-based company, to manage the arts program at the Santa Monica Airport for the Recreation and Arts Department; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with CARS, in an amount not to exceed $250,000 per year (including a $50,000 contingency) (for one year, with four additional one-year renewal option(s) in the amount of $250,000 on the same terms and conditions) for a total amount not to exceed $1,250,000 over a 5-year period with future funding contingent on Council budget approval.
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Summary
In March 2016, the Council revised the City’s Airport Leasing Policy which included eliminating subleasing City property. A provision was made at the time to continue support of opportunities for arts, education, and culture, including, but not limited to, the Artist Space Program administered in conjunction with Cultural Affairs Division. A thorough process was undertaken to define and release an RFP process, where 18th Street Arts Center was awarded the contract for arts programming at the Airport Art Studios by Council in December of 2018. The contract was for a five-year term and expired on June 27, 2024.
The Recreation and Arts Department initiated a new RFP for arts programming at the Airport Art Studios in July 2024. The process for a new management team was delayed due to city staffing changes and an extended evaluation period. An expert panel reviewed the proposals and determined that Community Arts Resources (CARS) best met the selection criteria for art programming. The panel agreed that the experience of CARS’ leadership running past artist residency programs combined with the organization’s commitment to fostering artist relations and dedication to community engagement demonstrated by CARS will strengthen the Airport’s identity as a cultural campus and enhance its engagement with the local and regional community.
Discussion
The Santa Monica Airport is home to the largest concentration of artists working in Santa Monica, with 50 artist studios spread throughout several airport hangars. These artist studios are viewed as a vital asset to the city to ensure that working artists can continue to have a presence in Santa Monica as the cost of living continues to rise.
There is a long and rich tradition of artists working at the Airport going back to the 1950s, with many notable artists in residence based in studios there over the decades.
Today, the majority of the studios are housed in one main hangar at 3026 Airport Avenue, which was started in 2004. This hangar includes 2,000 square feet of gallery space. The other 18 studios outside of the main 3026 hangar are managed separately by the Public Works Department’s Airport Administration Division in consultation with the Cultural Affairs Division. All of the artist studios are a critical resource for preserving 3 of 7
the presence of working artists in Santa Monica and fostering new generations of artists.
A brief timeline of arts programming at the Airport:
• Pre-2019 Leasing Arrangements:
o Artists in studios in three of the hangars (2900, 3000 and 3050 Airport Avenue) leased directly from the Airport Administration.
o Artists in the studios located in the 3026 Airport Avenue hangar subleased from one of the building’s tenants who provided arts programming for the space. • Policy Change in 2016: The City Council prohibited subleasing, prompting a transition where artists at 3026 Airport Avenue began leasing directly from the Airport Administration.
• 2019 Contract: The City issued an RFP for management of arts programming for the 3026 Airport Avenue hangar. 18th Street Arts Center was selected and the city executed an agreement with them that ran from June 27, 2019, to June 27, 2024. A portion of the rent paid by artists is allocated to a cultural pass-through fee, which offsets the costs of cultural programming and staff.
As part of this contract, the vendor will be expected to oversee facility management of the artist in residency spaces, Airport arts programming including development of cultural programs created in collaboration with both artists onsite and the larger arts community, as well as all airport arts walks and gallery exhibitions. The vendor will have dedicated staff onsite to be a point of contact between studio artists and the city staff at the airport and cultural affairs, supporting ongoing security efforts to foster a safe and welcoming environment. Programming is expected to be year-round, and should enhance a more robust array of arts and culture programs throughout the year, as well as connect onsite artists with galleries, curators, and potential buyers.
Vendor Selection Process
Bidder Recommendation
Best Bidder Community Arts Resources (CARS)
Evaluation Criteria Value add/breadth of service; project team; references; 4 of 7
experience; demonstration of general understanding of the project and goals; cost; any other factor that will further the intent set forth in Section 608 of the City Charter. The City shall have absolute discretion in determining the applicability and weight of the criteria listed above.
The City is not required to select the bid with the lowest price.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.180
Submittals Received
Community Arts
Resources (CARS)
$289,720 MAXIMA Art
Initiative (MAXIMA)
$250,000
Carl Berg $153,800 Bridge Street $250,000
Bid Data
Date Posted Posted On Advertise In
(City Charter &
SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
07/01/2024 City’s Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica
Daily Press
22 08/12/2024
Best Bidder Justification
CARS has over 40 years of experience in arts programming and a long-standing relationship with the City of Santa Monica. Their proposal demonstrates a deep understanding of the Santa Monica Airport Arts Studios and a proven ability to support artist relations, cultural programming and community engagement.
CARS’ history of innovative, community-centered programming and commitment to 5 of 7
fostering artist development make them exceptionally qualified. Their expertise in project management includes a vast dataset of experts who can serve the specific needs of individual artists and projects, including facilities and place-based oversite.
Their approach emphasizes sustainability and inclusivity, ensuring the Airport continues to thrive as a vibrant cultural hub. Their vision includes scalable, earned-income opportunities alongside free programming, fostering long-term viability for the Airport Arts Studios. This proposal reflects a commitment to creating an inclusive, vibrant, and resilient cultural space that benefits artists, tenants, and the broader community. They have included the staff necessary to be onsite and responsive to artists needs.
Protest
On October 16, 2024, City staff posted a pending award notification on the City’s online procurement site, putting all proposers on notice of the ranking of proposals, indicating staff’s recommendation to Council would be to award RFP #143 to CARS. On October 23, 2024, the City’s Director of Finance received a timely protest from MAXIMA Art Initiative (Attachment B).
On November 6, 2024, after review of the protest documentation submitted, and working with Cultural Affairs staff who had facilitated review of the proposals and hired a third party to lead the selection process, the Director of Finance denied the protest (Attachment C) based on lack of evidence and grounds for protest. Per the City’s Purchasing Ordinance, the Finance Director’s decision is the final determination of the protest.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
03/22/16 (weblink) City Council Adoption of policy to prohibit subleasing at the Airport.
02/28/17 (weblink) City Council Agreement with Federal Aviation Administration to close the Airport after December 31, 2028.
12/18/18 (weblink) City Council Authorization to Enter into a Management Agreement for Airport Art Studios with 18th Street Arts Center. 6 of 7
Environmental Review
The award contract with CARS is categorically exempt from 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 effect on the environment.” This contract will provide administration and management of the Airport Art Studios. It can be seen with certainty that the agreement would not result in adverse physical impacts on the environment, and as such, is exempt from CEQA.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding, collected through the lease agreements at the airport, in the Special Revenue Source Fund to award a contract with CARS to manage the Airport Art Studios.
Contract/Agreement/Purchase Order Request
FY 2024-25
Request
Amount
Future Years Amount
Department
Account # Total Contract
Amount
$100,000 $1,150,000 10430002.550240 $1,250,000
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Sofia Klatzker, Cultural Affairs Manager
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Summary of Panel Scores and Comments
B. Govrin MAXIMA Appeal of RFP 143
C. Response to Protest of RFP 143
D. March 22, 2016 Staff Report (Web Link) Standardized leasing policy 7 of 7
E. February 28, 2017 Staff Report (Web Link) Consent decree for closure of SMO F. December 18, 2018 Staff Report (Web Link) Consent decree for agreement with 18th Street Arts Center
G. Levine Act Disclosure Form 2.6.24 - CARS
H. OAKS INITIATIVE FORM - CARS
I. Written Comments