SR 07-27-2021 3A
City Council Report
City Council Meeting: July 27, 2021
Agenda Item: 3.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Acting Public Works Director, Public Works, Office of
Sustainability & the Environment
Subject: Award RFP #288 and enter into Agreement with Sustainable Works for
Community Sustainability Engagement Programs
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP #288 to Sustainable Works, a project of Community Partners, for the
development and outreach of Santa Monica’s Community Sustainability
Programs for the Public Works Department; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with
Sustainable Works, a project of Community Partners, for a total amount not to
exceed $740,000 over a five-year period, with future funding contingent on
Council budget approval.
Summary
For more than twenty years, the City of Santa Monica has provided Community
Sustainability Programs to facilitate the implementation of sustainable practices in the
community and to engage diverse stakeholders to advance the goals set forth in the
Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan. In May 2021, the City published a Request for
Proposals (RFP) #288 inviting individuals and consulting firms to propose their services
to develop Community Sustainability Programs. After reviewing the six proposals
received, staff recommends awarding the RFP to Sustainable Works, a project of
Community Partners, in an amount not to exceed $740,000 over a five-year period.
Discussion
In September 1994, City Council adopted the Santa Monica Sustainable City Program
which set long-term internal and citywide goals for sustainability. Updated in 2003, and
again in 2006 and 2012, the Sustainable City Plan (Plan) now addresses nine main goal
areas: (1) Resource Conservation, (2) Environmental and Public Health, (3)
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Transportation, (4) Economic Development, (5) Open Space and Land Use, (6)
Housing, (7) Community Education and Civic Participation, (8) Human Dignity, and (9)
Arts and Culture. The Plan addresses the full spectrum of impacts on our environment,
community, and residents to cultivate a Sustainable City for all.
In May 2021, the City invited proposals from qualified persons or firms interested in
providing these Community Sustainability Programs. The goal is to ensure that both
historic and new programs delivered in Santa Monica are representative of the most
innovative, results-oriented, community engaging programs available. These programs
should facilitate the adoption of sustainable practices in the community and engage
diverse stakeholders to help fulfill the goals set forth in the Council adopted Sustainable
City Plan.
The Community Sustainability Programs consist of projects and services for residents,
students, and businesses that address economic vitality, social equity, and
environmental protection. The consultant would be responsible for managing existing
programs, developing new programs, producing program materials, convening relevant
stakeholder groups, and engaging diverse community members to continue to achieve
the goals established in the Sustainable City Plan. The Office of Sustainability and the
Environment (OSE) has contracted this work for many years. Historically, this was
because residents and businesses were found to be more likely to engage with an
independent nonprofit organization than they were with the City, that they viewed
primarily as a regulatory agency. More recently, OSE’s staff and budget were reduced
by more than 50% and, therefore, the division does not have the resources to perform
these services in house.
The Community Sustainability Programs consultant would be responsible for achieving
the following objectives and goals:
1. Design and implement a free business greening program for a minimum of 20
businesses annually, coordinate the Green Business Certification Program, and
coordinate the Sustainable Quality Awards.
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2. Design and implement a free community sustainability program that includes, but
is not limited to, management of the annual Sustainable Santa Monica Poster
Contest and produce Sustainable Santa Monica film screenings a minimum of four
times per year.
3. Identify and implement innovative community engagement opportunities for
stakeholders to comply with City ordinances and implement sustainable
practices, including coordinating Santa Monica specific events within larger
regional, state, and national community engagement campaigns.
4. Provide technical and policy support to the City of Santa Monica Office of
Sustainability and the Environment.
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified Person/Firm Sustainable Works, a project of Community Partners
Evaluation Criteria
(include all that apply)
Experience, references, work plans/timelines, project team, cost, sample
materials, value add/breadth of service, and quality of work/technical
capabilities.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
RFPs Received (do not list cost/prices; add rows as needed for additional vendors)
Community Climate
Solutions
Looking Glass Media,
LLC
S. Groner Associates,
Inc.
Sustainable Works, a
project of Community
Partners
The Lukes Network, LLC Urban Legend PR
RFP Data
Posted On Posted On
Advertised In
(City Charter &
SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
05/13/2021 City's Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press 49 06/21/2021
Justification to Award
Based on the criteria in SMMC 2.24.190, staff with the Economic Development Division and OSE
reviewed six proposals and recommends Sustainable Works, a project of Community Partners, as the
best qualified person or firm to provide the services based on the team’s demonstrated expertise in civic
engagement, community outreach, event activities, cost, and specific experience implementing
sustainability programs with the Santa Monica community.
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Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the General Fund to award an
agreement with Sustainable Works, a project of Community Partners, for the
development and implementation of cutting edge community sustainability engagement
programs to facilitate the adoption of sustainable practices in the community and to
engage diverse stakeholders to advance the goals set forth in the Santa Monica
Sustainable City Plan. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Contract/Agreement/Purchase Order Request
FY 2021-22 Budget
Request Amount Department/CIP Account # Total Contract
Amount
$148,000 01500003.552010 $740,000
Prepared By: James Velez-Conway, Senior Sustainability Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Community Partners Oaks Initiative Form
B. Written Comments
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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:
Community Partners
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue
interest: N/A
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
Attached
Christina Estime Grants Associate
06-29-2021
grants@communitypartners.org 213-346-3200
3.A.a
Packet Pg. 17 Attachment: Community Partners Oaks Initiative Form (4516 : Award Contract for Sustainability Community Engagement Programs)
2021 BOARD MEMBERS - CONTACT INFORMATION
(For Internal Use Only)
April 21, 2021 2021 Page 1 of 2
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – CHAIR
Perry C. Parks, III
Parks Consulting, Inc.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – TREASURER
Christopher P. Kearley
Executive Director
Real Estate Tax Services
Ernst & Young LLP
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – SECRETARY
Helen B. Kim, JD
Partner
K&L Gates LLP
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – IMMEDIATE
PAST CHAIR
Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro, PhD
DIRECTOR
Bonnie Boswell
Producer
PBS SoCal
DIRECTOR
Andrea Capachietti, PhD
International Humanitarian Aid Consultant
DIRECTOR
Steven J. Cobb
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
California Community Foundation
DIRECTOR
Oscar E. Cruz
Chief Operating Officer
United Way of Greater Los Angeles
DIRECTOR
James P. de Bree, Jr., CPA
DIRECTOR
Victor De la Cruz, JD
Partner
Manatt Phelps Phillips, LLP
DIRECTOR
Charles J. Hamilton, Esq.
Covington & Burling LLP
DIRECTOR
Irwin J. Jaeger
President
New Phoenix Management Company
DIRECTOR
Lisa Cleri Reale
Lisa Cleri Reale & Associates
3.A.a
Packet Pg. 18 Attachment: Community Partners Oaks Initiative Form (4516 : Award Contract for Sustainability Community Engagement Programs)
2021 BOARD MEMBERS - CONTACT INFORMATION
(For Internal Use Only)
April 21, 2021 2021 Page 2 of 2
DIRECTOR
Rigo J. Saborio
President and CEO
St. Barnabas Senior Services
DIRECTOR
Ani Zonneveld
Founder and President
Muslims for Progressive Values
3.A.a
Packet Pg. 19 Attachment: Community Partners Oaks Initiative Form (4516 : Award Contract for Sustainability Community Engagement Programs)
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Elizabeth Van Denburgh <emvandenburgh@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, July 26, 2021 11:24 AM
To:Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Phil Brock; Gleam
Davis; councilmtgitems
Cc:Anuj Gupta; Susan Cline
Subject:City Cnl. Mtg. 7/27/21 - Pull consent item 3A - Agreement with Sustainable Works for Community
Sustainability Engagement Program and replace with focus on supporting the Green Composting
Program
EXTERNAL
Mayor Himmelrich and City Council Members,
Please pull consent item 3A and replace it with new objectives and a new RFP to support the green composting program
required by state law, effective on 1/1/2022. Why? As of 1/1/2022 the city will need to comply with green composting
requirements as outlined by state law as well as gaining additional traction in supporting our city's 95% zero waste
objective. While green carts/bins have been rolled out to single family housing, the city has not had the resources to roll
out a comprehensive program to multi‐housing buildings i.e., apartment buildings and condos. With over 75% of
residents living in multi‐family housing we should use this contract to focus efforts on the green composting program to
aid the city in meeting state law as well as meeting our city's 95% of trash elimination objective. This contract could
provide a "direct line" between outreach and implementation planning to help achieve these objectives. As well, the
green composting program could be used to continue to clarify what goes into blue (recycling) and black (trash)
carts/bins as well as green carts/bins helping to reduce cross contamination across bins.
With the current RFP/contract the Community Sustainability Programs consultant would be responsible for achieving
the following objectives and goals:
1.Design and implement a free business greening program for a minimum of 20 businesses annually, coordinate
the Green Business Certification Program, and coordinate the Sustainable Quality Awards.
2.Design and implement a free community sustainability program that includes, but is not limited to,
management of the annual Sustainable Santa Monica Poster Contest and produce Sustainable Santa Monica film
screenings a minimum of four times per year.
3.Identify and implement innovative community engagement opportunities for stakeholders to comply with City
ordinances and implement sustainable practices, including coordinating Santa Monica specific events within
larger regional, state, and national community engagement campaigns.
4.Provide technical and policy support to the City of Santa Monica Office of Sustainability and the Environment.
I strongly recommend you use this opportunity to redirect funds to DIRECTLY assist a given program that has a direct
impact on us meeting a state law as well as a sustainability objective of 95% trash reduction. Rewrite the above
objectives to be in support of the green composting program and reissuing the contract to obtain new proposals in ‐
place of the proposed contract outlined in item 3A.
Thank‐you for your support of redirecting dollars to a specific city effort that will help achieve the sustainable future we
are all working toward.
Best,
Elizabeth Van Denburgh
Wilmont Chair
Item 3.A 7/27/21
1 of 1 Item 3.A 7/27/21
3.A.b
Packet Pg. 20 Attachment: Written Comments (4516 : Award Contract for Sustainability Community Engagement Programs)