SR-506-001-03-01 (2)
F:\CMANAGER\STFRPRTS\WalkableWestsideConsultant
Council Meeting: October 24, 2000 Santa Monica, CA
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Recommendation to Authorize City Manager to Negotiate and Execute a
Professional Services Agreement with Deen+Black Public Relations to
Develop and Implement the Walkable Westside Campaign for Pedestrian
and Driver Safety, and Appropriate Project Grant Funds.
Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate
and execute a professional services agreement with Deen+Black Public Relations, in an
amount not to exceed $389,000 in grant funding from the state Office of Traffic Safety
and MTA/Caltrans, to develop and implement the Walkable Westside Campaign for
Pedestrian and Driver Safety, and appropriate project grant funds.
Background
The grant-funded Walkable Westside Campaign is a collaborative project of the four
Westside cities of Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica and West Hollywood. The
campaign?s goal is to reduce the number of auto collisions involving pedestrians on the
Westside by informing the public about safe street crossing and driving habits,
encouraging practice of those safe behaviors, and fostering mutual respect between
pedestrians and drivers. The campaign will further public education efforts already
underway in Santa Monica and extend those efforts throughout the Westside, with an
overarching theme and sub-messages targeted to specific audiences (e.g., tourists,
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shoppers, non-English-speaking residents, school children). The four cities are equal
partners in the project and represented on the coordinating team, with Santa Monica
serving as the lead agency and grant administrator.
Two grants have been awarded for the project. In February 2000, the City Council
adopted resolution #9486 authorizing the City Manager to negotiate a Letter of
Agreement with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
for the receipt of $239,000 in federal grant funds administered by Caltrans for fiscal
years 1999-02 for the Walkable Westside Pedestrian and Driver Safety Campaign. The
grant was awarded as part of MTA?s 1999 Call for Projects.
In March 2000, the City Council adopted resolution #9497 authorizing the City Manager
to execute a grant agreement with the State of California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS)
for receipt of $150,000 in grant funding for fiscal years 2000-2002 for the same purpose.
Discussion
The project agreements with both OTS and MTA/Caltrans call for a
communications/public relations consulting firm to be retained to design and implement
the campaign. In accordance with OTS guidelines and Caltrans Local Procedures
Manual requirements, a Request for Qualifications was issued on July 24, 2000 and
sent to more than 30 firms, posted on city and professional association websites, and
advertised in Our Times. Eight firms responded and their responses were evaluated by
two staff members from each city, representing communications, police, transportation,
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planning, and public works departments. Four firms were invited to participate in
interviews conducted by a panel of four communications professionals (one from each
city) on September 27, 2000. The firms were rated on creativity, experience with similar
projects and with multi-agency projects, local knowledge (i.e., understanding of
Westside issues), and compatibility with the four-city project team. The panel
recommended the firm of Deen+Black Public Relations to design and implement the
Walkable Westside Campaign.
Deen+Black, with offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco,
has a proven track record of success in managing social marketing, public education
and specifically traffic safety campaigns for numerous public and private sector clients,
including the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, the Los Angeles Police Department, City
of Sacramento, Caltrans, California Highway Patrol, California OTS, and Farmers
Insurance. Agencies contacted regarding Deen+Black reported great satisfaction with
the firm?s work product, responsiveness, and results.
Budget/Financial Impact
Budget authority totaling $120,000 (a portion of the MTA grant) is available in account
C20071301. In order to consolidate all funding for this project, the remaining amount of
the MTA Grant ($119,000) and the entire OTS grant ($150,000) should be appropriated
to account number C20071301. All Walkable Westside Pedestrian Safety Campaign
expenditures made by Santa Monica on behalf of the four cities participating in the
project will be reimbursed by OTS or Caltrans (on behalf of the MTA and the Federal
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Transportation Agency), in accordance with project agreements executed with the
funding agencies. Reimbursements totaling $150,000 from OTS will be deposited in
revenue account number 20202.406400 and $239,000 from MTA/Caltrans in revenue
account number 20202.406390 in fiscal years 2000-02. No local cash or in-kind match
is required for the OTS grant; MTA/Caltrans has accepted OTS grant expenditures as
its local cash match from the four cities; and the local in-kind match requirement for the
MTA/Caltrans grant will be met through staff time, municipal cable TV time, bus
advertising space, and the like.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a professional services agreement with Deen+Black Public Relations to
develop and implement the grant-funded Walkable Westside Campaign for Pedestrian
and Driver Safety in an amount not to exceed $389,000, and appropriate project grant
funds.
Prepared by: Judy Rambeau, Assistant to the City Manager,
Community Relations
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