REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Oliver Chi, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Travis K. Hopkins, Assistant City Manager
Subject:
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Approve and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute Professional Service Contracts with Dakota Communications and Barrios & Associates, LLC, for On-Call Public Affairs Services
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Statement of Issue:
The City recently completed an RFQ process to retain the services of on-call public affairs services. Based on the results of the assessment, staff is requesting authorization to execute two on-call professional service contracts with Dakota Communications and Barrios & Associates, LLC. The specialists may provide various services, such as developing content for the City's media platforms, including print, website, social media, and community cable television channels, along with other projects as needed. The term for each contract is one year, with an option to renew annually for two successive years.
Financial Impact:
There is no additional financial appropriation requested at this time. If the on-call contracts are approved, services would be engaged on an as-needed basis, subject to annual City Council budget appropriation authority. Any work performed will be funded through both the General Fund and the Surf City “3” Cable Channel Fund.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
A) Approve and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute “Professional Services Contract Between the City of Huntington Beach and Dakota Communications”; and
B) Approve and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute “Professional Services Contract Between the City of Huntington Beach and Barrios & Associates LLC.”
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve the recommended action and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
Staff is seeking approval of on-call contracts with two public affairs specialist firms, Dakota Communications and Barrios & Associates, to provide community outreach and public affairs services. These services would be provided on an “as-needed” basis to supplement the City’s efforts to distribute information to residents and the media, generate multimedia content, and assist with various special outreach projects.
Staff issued a Request for Qualifications and received responses from 15 firms. Following an in-depth evaluation, staff interviewed the top three firms and identified Barrios and FSB Public Affairs as most qualified.
Of note, since the assessment process was completed, the team from FSB Public Affairs that submitted the response to the RFQ left that firm to join a different public affairs company known as Dakota Communications. The same team has affirmed that their proposal and technical capacities will remain intact at Dakota Communications, and that they will be able to provide the City with the same quality of work that was guaranteed in their prior RFQ response. The Dakota Communications team has also offered to lower their rates by 15 percent when compared with the initial proposal response. Of note, staff has worked closely with the team in the past, and believe that they have the capacity to complete the scope of work through Dakota Communications, which is an established public affairs firm that has been in operation for over 23 years.
Both Barrios and Dakota are uniquely qualified to provide services to the City, due to their extensive resources, staffing, and experience working with other agencies and corporations. As such, staff recommends awarding on-call contracts to both firms. Pursuant to the proposed agreements, work will only be performed on an as-needed basis. The term of the agreements is for one year, with the option to renew annually for two successive years.
Environmental Status:
Not applicable.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Non-Applicable - Administrative Item
Attachment(s):
1. Professional Services Contract Between the City of Huntington Beach and Dakota Communications for On-Call Public Affairs Services
2. Professional Services Contract Between the City of Huntington Beach and Barrios & Associates, LLC, for On-Call Public Affairs Services