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File Number: 21-369 <br />Over the course of its contract with the City, Townsend Public Affairs and its Northern California <br />Senior Director, Niccolo De Luca, have continued to provide highly effective services to the City <br />on a wide range of legislative matters. <br />Some examples of their support to the City over the past year includes: <br />·Partnering with the City, the Governor’s Office, and Caltrans to secure approval for the <br />placement on State property of portable bathrooms and hand washing stations to assist <br />homeless residents during the pandemic. <br />·Actively supporting the City in its application to the State Parks and Recreation <br />Department for Proposition 68 grant funds, towards the redevelopment of Memorial Park. <br />TPA’s work included assessing competitive applications, interfacing with State staff, <br />drafting and submitting the application in partnership with City staff, and then working on <br />advocacy efforts on the City’s behalf. <br />·Various other legislative efforts relating to pandemic response and relief, homelessness, <br />transportation funding, and housing. <br />·Interfacing with the State Bureau of Cannabis Control on various regulatory matters of <br />importance to the City; and <br />·Providing ongoing legislative updates, summaries of legislation, and interfacing directly <br />with the City’s elected State delegation, and members of the Governor’s administration. <br />Based upon these examples of consistently responsive and high quality service, staff <br />recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute an amendment to the <br />existing consulting services agreement with Townsend Public Affairs, at the same rate of $5,000 <br />per month ($60,000 annually) for state legislative advocacy services. Staff also recommends that <br />the City Council authorize the City Manager to further expand the contract to include the provision <br />of grant writing services at a rate of $3,000 per month ($36,000 annually). Through this additional <br />work, TPA will assist the City in applying for competitive state and federal grant applications to <br />secure new sources of funding for the City. Related work would include attending relevant <br />workshops hosted by the grant funding agency, providing technical support to City staff, drafting <br />grant narratives, securing necessary signatures from City staff and elected officials, assembling <br />and submitting grant applications, facilitating direct interaction with the grant funding agency <br />before and after submission, and providing detailed political strategy to secure support from <br />elected leaders to ensure success. TPA will also follow-up with City staff to provide grant <br />administration when necessary. This additional grant funding support is intended to serve as a <br />pilot program for the upcoming fiscal year. To the extent the program is successful in securing <br />additional grant funds, the City retains the option to consider renewing the service in future fiscal <br />years. Sufficient funds for the proposed contract renewal and expansion extension have already <br />been programmed into the FY 2021-2022 budget. <br /> <br />Fiscal Impacts <br />The proposed agreement with Townsend Public Affairs will not exceed $60,000 for one year of <br />Page 2 City of San Leandro Printed on 6/19/2021 <br />378