SR-04-24-2012-3GCity Council Meeting: April 24, 2012
Agenda Item: 3 -Cl
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Kathryn Vernez, Deputy City Manager
Subject: Amendment to Agreement 9526 with Santa Monica Community College
District
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a first modification to professional service agreement #9526 in the amount of
$76,620 with Santa Monica Community College District, a California based junior
college, to continue to broadcast regular City Council meetings. This will result in a new
2 -year agreement in the amount of $152,520. This is a sole source contract.
Executive Summary
The City of Santa Monica contracts with the Santa Monica Community College District
to provide live radio broadcasts of regular Santa Monica City Council meetings from 8
p.m. to midnight on public radio station 89.9 FM KCRW. The City wishes to extend its
existing one -year contract an additional year at the current rate of $6,355 /month,
$76,260 /annually, increasing the total contract amount to $152,520. The scope of
services provides for some flexibility when meetings are added or changed. The City
anticipates renegotiating this contract for FY 2013 -14.
Background
For more than 20 years, the City has contracted with the Santa Monica Community
College District to provide live radio broadcasts of regular Santa Monica City Council
meetings from 8 p.m. to midnight on 89.9 FM KCRW. KCRW broadcasts from the Santa
Monica College campus at 1900 Pico Boulevard. The signal covers Santa Monica and
reaches an approximate 150 -mile radius throughout Southern California via repeater
stations KCRI 89.3 Indio /Palm Springs, KCRU 89.1 Oxnard/Ventura, KCRY 89.1
Mohave /Antelope Valley, and nine other low -power translators. KCRW claims a weekly
listenership of 550,000.
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Discussion
KCRW is the incumbent provider of radio broadcast services for the City Council
meetings and the only public radio station of general interest currently located in the city
limits. The current contract includes the broadcast of two regular City Council meetings
on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 8 p.m. to midnight. The scope of
services provides for some flexibility when meeting dates are added or changed, based
on KCRW's availability. The current contract with Santa Monica Community College
District, Professional Services Agreement 9526, expires on June 30, 2012.
Contractor /Consultant Selection
As KCRW is the only major public radio station based in Santa Monica, this has been a
sole source contract. KCRW has agreed to a one -year contract extension at the current
rate. KCRW has been a reliable source for the radio broadcasts of the City Council
meetings, and therefore staff recommends modifying the agreement to extend the
contract term an additional year. The City and KCRW will renegotiate the cost and
scope of this agreement prior to the start of FY 2013 -14.
The City maintains a radio station at KRSM AM 1680 that broadcasts within the Santa
Monica city limits; however, FCC regulations require that this station be used solely for
traffic and transit - related updates. Therefore, it is not possible at this time to offer
broadcasts of City Council meetings on this frequency.
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Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The professional service agreement modification to be awarded to Santa Monica
Community College District is $76,260, for a new professional service agreement total
of $152,520 for a 2 -year period. Funds are included in the FY2011 -13 budget at
account 01207.578671.
Prepared by: Rachel Waugh, Public Information Coordinator
Approved:
Kathryn Vernez
Deputy City Manager
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Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager
Reference Amended
Contract No. 9526 (CCS).