SR 03-26-2019 3D
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: March 26, 2019
Agenda Item: 3.D
1 of 4
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Katie Lichtig, Assistant City Manager, City Manager's Office
Subject: Award of Communications and Outreach Contracts
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP# 122917 to fourteen California-based companies and one Florida-based
company to provide as-needed communications and outreach services available to all
City of Santa Monica departments for assistance on a variety of programs and services;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with each
company, in an amount not to exceed $174,000 for two years, with three additional one -
year renewal option(s), on the same terms and conditions for a total amount not to
exceed $174,000 each over a 5-year period, with future year funding contingent on
Council budget approval.
Summary
Increasing public outreach helps ensure the community knows about and can
participate in City programming, services, and policy decision -making. In an effort to
streamline City outreach efforts and make resources available more broadly to all City
programs, staff recommends establishing 15 city-wide contracts with companies
consisting of creative agencies or individuals. These agreements can be leveraged by
all city departments to help make delivering information more timely, integrated and
efficient, ensuring more of the public know about city information, more consistently and
easily.
Discussion
Departments and divisions throughout the City currently use outside communications
and outreach companies for a variety of services on initiatives, projects and services.
These companies are already used because they provide knowledge, experience, or
skills that exceed staff capacities to successfully execute the City’s work. These
companies assist in areas of strategy, creative development and engagement efforts.
2 of 4
Historically, each work group would acquire these services independently, resulting in
significant staff time devoted to procuring and orienting various companies to the City.
Creating a pool of on-call resources available to all departments will make the delivery
of information more efficient by making pre-qualified companies familiar with existing
City campaigns and branding available citywide .
The selected companies will provide a wide variety of services including strategy
development, community outreach, development and implementation of integrated
communications plans, and specific communications support services including project
management, production and outreach services and specific expertise like
writing/editing, videography, photography, and graphic design to produce a wide range
of digital and print communications related deliverables.
The range of companies provides variety to meet the specific outreach needs for each
department. Departments, and in some cases multiple departments, may select from
the pre-qualified companies based on which best suits their specific needs. Each
company would receive the same on-boarding on use of the City logo, brand voice,
benchmarking and reporting results, among other things. Communications staff will
closely monitor vendor activities, including both expenditures and monitor whether
services offered meet the needs of the departments.
Vendor Selection
Staff conducted a Request for Proposals (RFP) process in 2018 to pre-qualify
companies to provide communications and outreach services. Proposals were
evaluated by staff from multiple departments with different areas of expertise. Total
work completed pursuant to the agreements entered would not exceed $174,000 per
on-call company; the cumulative not to exceed total of the authorized agreements will
be $2,610,000. Staff does not anticipate that all of the companies will reach the
$174,000 threshold. However; as this is the first effort to consolidate these resources,
staff is requesting flexibility to determine which companies and services are most
needed.
RFP Data
RFP Posting
Date
RFP Posted
On
RFP Advertised
In (City Charter &
Municipal Code)
# of Vendors
Downloaded
# of
Submittals
Received
Date Publicly
Opened
12/29/2017 City's Online 12/29/2017 103 27 *N/A*
3 of 4
Bidding Site
Recommended Vendors Selection Criteria
Alas Media Bumpercar Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.072
Collen Mahon Conceptive Evaluation
Criteria
Price, previous
experience, and quality
of product Katz & Associates MBI Media
Olive + Spark PXL Agency
Quantum XPR S. Groner Associates
Sado Foto Salter Mitchell
The Glue TYS Creative
We The Creative
Best Bidder Justification
Fifteen of the 27 proposals were evaluated and recommended as the best bidders to provide
communication and outreach services for City departments. The RFP did not request a project
cost, but instead requested a rate sheet for services that will be in effect for the life of the
agreement. Each of the 15 recommended vendors demonstrated that they have the experience
to deliver a variety of services that will meet the expectations and quality required for completing
communications and outreach for the City of Santa Monica at a competitive price. Services
provided include, but are not limited to: photography, marketing, graphic design, video
marketing, public information and outreach.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff request authority to award an agreement with each of the 15 below listed
companies for communications and outreach services. Funding for current year projects
to be completed under these agreements is available in the FY 2018-19 budget in
various departments. Expenditures would occur only upon concurrence by the Office of
Communications and the work group requesting the service of a company, listed below.
Agreement Request
Vendor FY2018-19 through
FY2020-21 Budget
Various Departments
Account #
Total Not to
Exceed
Contract
Amount
ALAS Media, Inc. Various $174,000
Bumpercar, Inc. Various $174,000
Colleen Mahon dba Orchestr8 Various $174,000
Conceptive, Inc. Various $174,000
Katz and Associates, Inc. Various $174,000
Marketing for Change Co. Various $174,000
4 of 4
McCormick-Busse, Inc. dba MBI Media Various $174,000
Lisa Marie Young dba Olive & Spark
Design Studio
Various $174,000
PXL Bros, LLC. Various $174,000
Quantum Experiential dba Quantum XPR Various $174,000
S. Groner Associates, Inc. Various $174,000
Kristina Sado dba SadoFoto Various $174,000
The Glue, LLC. Various $174,000
TYS Creative, Inc. Various $174,000
We The Creative Various $174,000
Total Not to Exceed $2,610,000
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Beth Rolandson, Administrative Services Officer
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Alas Media Oaks Form
B. Bumpercar, Inc. Oaks Form
C. Colleen Mahon dba Orchestr8 Oaks Form
D. Conceptive, Inc. Oaks Form
E. Katz and Associates, Inc. Oaks Form
F. Kristina Sado dba SadoFoto Oaks Form
G. Marketing for Change Co. Oaks Form
H. McCormick-Busse, Inc. Oaks Form
I. Olive + Spark Design Studio Oaks Form
J. PXL Bros, LLC. Oaks Form
K. Quantum Experiential dba Quantum XPR Oaks Form
L. S. Groner Associates, Inc. Oaks Form
M. The Glue, LLC. Oaks Form
N. TYS Creative, Inc. Oaks Form
O. We The Creative Oaks Form
P. Written Comments
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITI ATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benef its include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
Elizabeth Ruvalcaba Mendez Vice-President
10/12/18
elizabeth@alasmedia.com 818.618.7851
CITY OF SANT A MONIC A OAKS INITI ATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period; 2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any 12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
Bumpercar, Inc.
Andrés Gómez
Eduardo Cortés
Andrés Gómez
Eduardo Cortés
Eduardo Cortés
eduardo@bumpercar-la.com (310) 963-2164
President
11/27/2018
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITI ATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benef its include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1.Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2.Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3.Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4.Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5.Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6.Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7.Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
Matthew Michalowski President and Owner
10/17/2018
matt@pxlagency.com 310-299-7771
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
PXL Bros, LLC
Matthew Michalowski (President and Owner, 100%)
Matthew Michalowski (President and Owner, 100%)
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITI ATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benef its include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITI ATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title:__________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
WE THE CREATIVE
JOVEN OROZCO
JOVEN OROZCO
JOVEN OROZCO PRESIDENT
10/12/18
JOVEN@WETHECREATIVE.COM 877-887-1318
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Tricia Crane <1triciacrane@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, March 24, 2019 6:59 PM
To:councilmtgitems; Ted Winterer; Kevin McKeown Fwd; Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Greg
Morena; Sue Himmelrich; Ana Maria Jara; Clerk Mailbox; Rick Cole; Denise Anderson-
Warren
Subject:NE Neighbors opposes Agenda Item 3-D, Award of Communications and Outreach
Contracts, City Council meeting of 3_26_2019
To: City Council
From: The Board of Northeast Neighbors
Re: 3/26/2019 - Agenda item 3-D (Award of Communications and Outreach Contracts)
Dear City Council,
Members of the Board of Northeast Neighbors object to and ask City Council not to grant the request
from City staff for “various” PR firms to promote the City on an “as needed” basis (Agenda Item 3-D).
The Staff Report describes these 15 contracts as needed to “provide on-call resources available to all
departments.” We consider this proposed expenditure to be excessive and frivolous.
We question the purpose of hiring, for instance, the firm Marketing for Change Co.
(https://marketingforchange.com)
The website for this firm reads: "Our work is about ally acquisition — building the majority you need to
win.”
We ask what is it that the City Staff hopes “to win” by hiring Marketing for Change?
How can the City even consider approving outside PR services from 15 different outside companies
when the public is being told we "can’t afford" a pilot project to place police in unsafe parks?
We wonder why – for the sake of transparency - the item doesn’t call out the fact that $2.610,000 “for
2 years with 3 additional one-year renewal options(s)” adds up to more than $8 million.
Spending on this scale for promotion and propaganda purposes seems to us to be totally out of line
with the budget issues the City faces given pension liabilities.
We ask that Council not approve the funding proposed in Agenda item 3-D or any portion of what is
proposed.
Sincerely,
The Board of Northeast Neighbors
Item 3-D
3/26/19
1 of 11 Item 3-D
3/26/19
2
City Clerk – Please include this letter in the public record for Agenda Item 3-D, City Council meeting
of March 26, 2019
Item 3-D
3/26/19
2 of 11 Item 3-D
3/26/19
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Ann Maggio <annmaggio@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, March 24, 2019 10:06 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Cc:Clerk Mailbox; sameer thanawalla
Subject:Agenda Item 3-D
Dear City Council,
Will you agree to spend our public dollars on "on-call resources available to all departments" ...on a moment's
notice? If so, what are you planning behind closed doors that require such services?
These 15 contracts are absurd, deplete the public trust and offer ZERO transparency. City staff wants you to
spend our $8 million on spin doctors and another million annually on Rick Cole's PR team while telling us the
City is TOO POOR to provide park rangers in our parks. Shameful!
If you vote yes, refund our money. We calculate $258/year for our family of three. We won't pay for
your propaganda contractors like Marketing for Change Co. (https://marketingforchange.com).
Sincerely,
Ann and Sam Thanawalla
Item 3-D
3/26/19
3 of 11 Item 3-D
3/26/19
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Taffy Patton <taffypatton1@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, March 25, 2019 8:40 AM
To:councilmtgitems; Ted Winterer; Kevin McKeown Fwd; Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Greg
Morena; Sue Himmelrich; Ana Maria Jara; Clerk Mailbox; Rick Cole; Denise Anderson-
Warren
Cc:Taffy Patton
Subject:Opposition Item 3-D. Communications/Outreach Contracts. City Council. 3-26-19
To: City Council
From: Residents Coalition
Re: 3/26/19. Agenda item 3‐D. Communications & Outreach Contracts
Dear City Council, City Manager and Staff:
On behalf of the Residents Coalition, I strongly oppose the awarding of any City funding to outside PR firms for
promotion and behavior modification purposes.
Staff recommends one vendor that promises to: apply behavioral science… Because we believe all real change
requires behavior change.
Santa Monica residents are not ill‐bred dogs whose behavior must be modified. We are educated, voting adults
whose perspective is as valid as yours.
The City already has a large, well‐funded communications team busy promoting the current City Council to residents,
the region and Sacramento. It would be self‐serving to award a single year of additional PR services. It would be insulting
to award multi‐year contracts totaling $8+ million for PR services while residents suffer from escalating crime in their
parks and neighborhoods. It would also be fiscally irresponsible to fund additional PR when the City faces critical
pension liabilities.
Please do not fund any portion of Agenda Item 3‐D.
Thank you.
Regards,
Taffy Patton
Chair Residents Coalition
City Clerk: Please include this message in the public record for Agenda Item 3‐D,
City Council Meeting 3/ 26/ 19
Item 3-D
3/26/19
4 of 11 Item 3-D
3/26/19
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Ellen Hannan <elhasm@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, March 26, 2019 12:01 PM
To:councilmtgitems; Clerk Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Councilmember Kevin McKeown;
greg.moreno@smgov.net; Ted Winterer; Terry O’Day; Sue Himmelrich
Subject:Item 3D for 3/26/2019 and other thoughts for agenda
I am concerned by the large amount of money and staff allowed for PR and so called communication to
residents, business and tourist
I would like to thank Greg Moreno for attending our last Mid City Neighbors monthly meeting. No one else on
the Council bothers to attend. Lack of communication by council is noticed in our district.
Our neighbors addressed the issue of the poor quality of the Seascape. There is little needed information
covered in the issues compared to the past years.I passed this concern on to Beth. They have never covered our
local organizations.
More money should be allocated to the Neighborhood groups. We deserve a grant of at least $7000 a year in
Mid City to keep up with the amount that NOMA and FOSP can raise from their wealthy neighbors.
SAFETY is not just CRIME. It is a value. Safety covers health standards for prevention of disease,
auto/bike/scooters and walkers, life guards on the beach etc etc.
Thank you.
Ellen Hannan
1218 9th St
Santa Monica CA 90401
Item 3-D
3/26/19
5 of 11 Item 3-D
3/26/19
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Council Mailbox
Sent:Tuesday, March 26, 2019 12:50 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:FW: Subject: Item 3D. Remove from Consent and vote down
From: Noma Boardmember [mailto:nomaboard@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 5:34 PM
To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>; Gleam Davis <Gleam.Davis@SMGOV.NET>; Ted Winterer
<Ted.Winterer@SMGOV.NET>; Kevin McKeown Fwd <kevin@mckeown.net>; Rick Cole <Rick.Cole@SMGOV.NET>; Sue
Himmelrich <Sue.Himmelrich@SMGOV.NET>; Terry O’Day <Terry.Oday@smgov.net>; Greg Morena
<Greg.Morena@SMGOV.NET>; anamjara@smgov.net
Subject: Subject: Item 3D. Remove from Consent and vote down
Re: Agenda item 3-D (Award of Communications and Outreach Contracts)
Dear City Council,
Members of the Board of North of Montana Neighborhood Association (NOMA) object to and ask City Council
to remove this item from the Consent Calendar and also decline to fund any of the proposed items.
1. The City has recently bulked up its own in-house Communications staff. Now, it seems, this isn’t
enough. It suggests both a large in-house communication department and numerous outside consultants.
We need more inside transparency and fewer outside experts. AT A MINIMUM THE NEW I.N-
HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS STAFF SHOULD REPLACE THE NEED TO HIRE OUTSIDE
COMMUNICATIONS EXPERTS.
2. Remember our new City Manager telling us that he believes SM hires too many outside consultants. He
was right. Unfortunately, the City is CONTINUING THIS APPROACH.
3. The City has warned of potential budget issues in the future. Luxury hotels and other high priced
development are promoted, in part, to help meet growing budgetary needs. Therefore, the financial
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prudence of this Item adding more HIRING A SLEW OF outside experts is highly questionable. The
money could be better used to meet real needs, or not spent.
NOMA supports the arguments made in the letters submitted by Northeast Neighbors, the Pico Neighborhood
Association and the Friends of Sunset Park.
How can the City even consider approving outside PR services from 15 different outside companies when the
public is being told we "can’t afford" a pilot project to place police in unsafe parks?
We wonder why – for the sake of transparency - the item doesn’t call out the fact that $2.610,000 “for 2 years
with 3 additional one-year renewal options(s)” adds up to more than $8 million.
Spending on this scale for promotion and propaganda purposes seems to us to be totally out of line with the
budget issues the City faces given pension liabilities.
We ask that Council to take the item off the Consent Calendar and not approve the funding proposed in Agenda
item 3-D or any portion of what is proposed.
The City spends money on PR firms to sell residents on how happy we are.
The NOMA Board
smnoma.org
NOMAboard@gmail.com
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Vernice Hankins
From:zinajosephs@aol.com
Sent:Tuesday, March 26, 2019 12:52 PM
To:councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Greg Morena; Sue Himmelrich; Ana Maria Jara;
Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Ted Winterer; Terry O’Day
Cc:zinajosephs@aol.com
Subject:FOSP: City Council 3/26/19 agenda item 3-D: OPPOSE
March 25, 2019
To: City Council
From: Board of Directors, Friends of Sunset Park
RE: 3/26/19 agenda item 3-D
The FOSP Board opposes this staff recommendation.
D. Award of Communications and Outreach Contracts
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP# 122917 to fourteen California-based companies and one Florida-
based company to provide as-needed communications and outreach services available to
all City of Santa Monica departments for assistance on a variety of programs and services;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with each company, in an
amount not to exceed $174,000 for two years, with three additional one-year renewal option(s),
on the same terms and conditions for a total amount not to exceed $174,000 each over a 5-year
period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
If we’re reading this correctly, staff is recommending that the city award 14 companies more than $12 million
in contracts over the next 5 years for advice on communication and outreach.
$174,000 x 5 years = $870,000 for each company
$870,000 x 14 companies = $12,180,000
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One particular company, Marketing for Change Co., posts this on its website --
https://marketingforchange.com
“...a full-service creative firm anchored in social psychology and behavioral economics. Because we believe all
real change requires behavior change.”
"To win, you need allies, not arguments. Our advocacy approach focuses first on connection, not convincing,
and works toward building bonds and inspiring action over the long term. If you need to fire up a base, we are
not the right firm. If you need to expand a base or get the unengaged engaged, that's our sweet spot.
We help advocacy efforts segment their outreach to match actions with audiences, then creatively apply
behavioral science and behavioral economics to transform the dynamic around a social good. Our work is
about ally acquisition — building the majority you need to win.”
Do residents want the city to spend $870,000 over the next 5 years for Marketing for Change Co. to change our
behavior, in order to build the majority city officials or city staff needs to “win”?
We think not.
The FOSP Board urges the Council not to approve these spending items because it believes that funds could be
better spent on other things, such as the following:
1) hiring more patrol officers,
2) hiring more firefighter/paramedics,
3) equipping the two new fire trucks and the new ladder truck that are currently unusable,
4) funding mitigations to protect our neighborhood from cut-through traffic, and
5) planning the Great Park that will replace Santa Monica Airport in 2019.
Public safety, not marketing, should be the city’s highest priority.
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Vernice Hankins
From:Council Mailbox
Sent:Tuesday, March 26, 2019 1:00 PM
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:FW: 2/26 Council Agenda 3D - Remove from Consent and Vote Down Expenditure
From: Elizabeth Van Denburgh [mailto:emvandenburgh@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2019 11:24 AM
To: Gleam Davis <Gleam.Davis@SMGOV.NET>; Ted Winterer <Ted.Winterer@SMGOV.NET>; Greg Morena
<Greg.Morena@SMGOV.NET>; Ana Maria Jara <AnaMaria.Jara@SMGOV.NET>; Councilmember Kevin McKeown
<Kevin.McKeown@SMGOV.NET>; Sue Himmelrich <Sue.Himmelrich@SMGOV.NET>; Terry O’Day
<Terry.Oday@smgov.net>; Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>; Clerk Mailbox
<Clerk.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>
Cc: Rick Cole <Rick.Cole@SMGOV.NET>; Debbie Lee <Debbie.Lee@SMGOV.NET>
Subject: 2/26 Council Agenda 3D ‐ Remove from Consent and Vote Down Expenditure
Re: Agenda Item – 3‐D (Award of Communications and Outreach Contracts)
Mayor Davis and Council Members,
Members of the Board of Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) object to and ask City Council
members to remove this item from the Consent Calendar and vote to decline funding of any of the proposed
items. We calculate it to be a total of $2.6 million from our calculation but could be more based on a 5 year
period.
With the addition of six new communications staff when City Manager Rick Cole was approved for his position
the City hired these additional resources to handle the communications’ needs of the City. With this 3D
consent item, the City staff now recommends having a large in‐house communications staff and hiring
additional outside consultants.
The staff report identifies that these 15 companies will be providing “a wide variety of services including
strategy development, community outreach, development and implementation of integrated communications
plans, and specific communications support services including project management, production and outreach
services and specific expertise like writing/editing, videography, photography, and graphic design to produce a
wide range of digital and print communications related deliverables.” These services should be managed and
executed by in‐house staff, specifically strategy development, community outreach, integrated
communication plans and project management. As well, as community outreach is performed we would have
expected to see statistically valid survey services being contracted. The staff description has no reference to
using statistically valid data to support this request of funds.
We find most concerning the staff report comment “However, as this is the first effort to consolidate these
resources, staff is requesting flexibility to determine which companies and services are most needed.” Why
does the highly paid, highly qualified staff not know what they need? This consent item is a fishing
expedition. It is disturbing that staff has not laid out their strategies, integrated communications plans and
project management approaches and then look to local, southern California resources (to limit travel
expenses) to provide technical skills such as writing/editing, videography, photography and graphic
design. We certainly don’t need to hire a Florida company to do that. We may need to hire a third‐party
survey company to provide objective and City‐wide representational data.
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We have continually discussed how the City, with its highly paid, well qualified staff, continues to hire outside
consultants. It now continues to proceed with that approach with these public relations
consultants. Why? Specifically, we noted, as others did as well, that Marketing for Change Co. states on its
website “Our work is about ally acquisition – building the majority you need to win”. What is it the City is
trying to win? Why should we spend money on this when we “can’t afford” to place police in parks to ensure
safety and we need to address our unfunded pension liability. What are the critical reasons to approve this
expenditure? We can certainly tell you why park safety and addressing our unfunded pension liability is.
Sincerely,
Wilmont Board
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REFERENCE:
CONTRACT NO. 10816 (CCS)
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CONTRACT NO. 10829 (CCS)