Town of Yountville
Staff Report
6550 Yount Street
Yountville, CA 94599
Agenda Item #: 11B
Yountville Town Council Staff Report
DATE: August 5, 2025
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Celia King, Administrative Service Director
PREPARED BY: Celia King, Administrative Service Director; Kyle Batista, Financial Analyst
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution Number 25-4381 authorizing the Town Manager to execute a three-year on-call agreement with KNN Public Finance to provide financial advisory services for a total agreement amount not to exceed $100,000.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
The Town of Yountville desires to contract with a professional firm to provide financial advisory services, especially in relation to the Yountville Commons project. The financial advisor’s main tasks will be to provide in-depth analysis of the Town’s fiscal status and a long-term financial plan, present different funding scenarios and options for the Yountville Commons project, and support Town staff with consulting services for future projects and on-going debt compliance tasks.
The Finance Department prepared and issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for financial advisory services on June 20, 2025. The RFP was posted to the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) listserv and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) listserv.
The Town received proposals from eight reputable financial advisor firms by the July 21, 2025, due date. Staff conducted reviews of all the proposals to compare key criteria such as size and experience of the team, approach to funding strategies, location of the base office, and costs of services. Staff scheduled interviews with three of the eight firms to further explore the firm’s qualifications and methods of clearly communicating finance-related information to different types of audiences. The interview panel consisted of Brad Raulston, Town Manager; Celia King, Administrative Services Director; Kyle Batista, Financial Analyst; and Liz Habkirk, Assistant City Manager of the City of Napa. The three firms interviewed on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, were (in alphabetical order):
• Columbia Capital Municipal Advisors
• KNN Public Finance
• NHA Advisors
Based on the review of the proposals submitted and the results of the interviews it is the recommendation of the interview panel that the Town engage the services of KNN Public Finance as its financial advisory firm. The interview panel determined KNN Public Finance to be the best choice for the Town based on the firm's approach to funding strategies, strong ability to clearly communicate finance-related information to different audiences, and appropriate costs for services rendered.
The Cost Data within the proposal outlines both hourly fees for the services of the KNN Public Finance team, as well as estimated costs for a number of different types of funding options. The Fee Summary is shown on page 23 of the proposal which is included as Attachment 2 to this Staff Report.
Staff recommend that the Town Council consider a three-year on-call agreement with KNN Public Finance for a total dollar amount of $100,000. The funding source for these costs will be the Yountville Commons Project (CF-0046) budget within Capital Projects Fund 50.
If the Town Council chooses to approve this Resolution, staff will complete the agreement with KNN Public Finance for the Town Manager to execute.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Exempt per California Environmental Act (CEQA) Guideline, Section 15061(b)(3).
FISCAL IMPACT
Is there a Fiscal Impact? Yes
Is it Currently Budgeted? Yes
Where is it Budgeted? Capital Projects
Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? Mandatory
Is there a Staff Resource Impact? Nominal
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution No 25-4381
2. Exhibit A - KNN Public Finance Proposal