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File Number: 23-421 amendments up to 25% of the contract amount for a total not to exceed amount of $150,000. . BACKGROUND In 2016, the City approved the Economic Development Element to the General Plan, which sets the vision, goals, and priorities for San Leandro’s Economic Development Program. Since then, the arena for economic development has changed radically due to the COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce, demographic shifts, changing financial markets, changing office and retail trends, and other factors. In response, staff began planning a comprehensive Economic Development Strategy that will: ·Assess San Leandro’s current market position, strengths and weaknesses, and most compelling opportunities for high-quality job growth and development. ·Organize, focus and prioritize City budget and staff resources. ·Include initiatives to improve access to capital, technical assistance, and economic opportunity to all San Leandro businesses, including groups who historically have been underserved or experienced discrimination. ·Incorporate meaningful community input and involvement. ·Place San Leandro in a leadership position among other Bay Area cities by using the most current best practices in economic development planning and analysis. Analysis The Economic Development Strategy will require in-depth analysis and community engagement. On July 5, 2023, staff issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to identify and select the best professional consultant team for the project. The City received 11 proposals that were reviewed and scored based on the criteria set forth in the RFQ. As a result of this pre-screening process, six experienced consultant teams were invited to proceed to the interview stage.  The RFQ selection process included interviews, careful review of submittals, and scoring by the selection panel. Strategic Economics ranked highest through this process, based on their technical expertise, focus on community engagement, and knowledge of the local and regional economy. Strategic Economics is a nationally recognized urban economics consulting firm, whose areas of work include Economic Development and Retail Strategies, Market and Feasibility Analyses and Transit-Oriented Development. They are familiar with the City of San Leandro and have worked with the City on a variety of projects since 2000, most recently the Economic Development Element of the General Plan and the Bay Fair Transit-Oriented Development Specific Plan. As outlined in the attached Project Scope, the approach that Strategic Economics and staff will take to develop the Economic Development Strategy includes: ·Overall project management and regular communications amongst the project team ·Analysis of current economic conditions, identifying recent changes and emerging trends ·Outreach to a diverse set of small and large businesses through stakeholder interviews Page 2 City of San Leandro Printed on 9/13/2023