| | | | | | | | | City of Independence | | AGENDA ITEM COVER SHEET |
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| | | | | | | | Agenda Title:
Council action is requested to issue a one (1) year contract, with two (2), one-year renewal periods for Lobbying Services with John Bardgett & Associates for Lobbying Services for the City of Independence. |
| | | | | | | | Recommendations:
Staff recommends approval of the contract. |
| | | | | | | | Background:
The City of Independence requires assistance to provide consulting, advising and lobbying services to the City on an as-needed basis, as the City deems appropriate for State Legislative issues. Among the services to be provided are: A) Acting as advocates for and representing City before the State legislature and other state-wide elected officials and/or departments; B) Pursuing the passage and defeat of state legislation; C) Providing information and advice useful in pursuing the passage and defeat of state legislation; D) Providing weekly reports of bills of City interest in formats acceptable to the City prioritized beginning with those bills directly related to the City’s Legislative priorities then followed by a listing, status, information, etc. of bills of general municipal interest; E) Providing weekly reports of the activities the Lobbyist has engaged in to further the Legislative priorities of the City of Independence; F) Providing advice and assistance on special projects that may arise during the year that entails Lobbying or access to State Officials; G) Attend Council meetings to brief City on activities at least three times during the contract year (Before the beginning of the session, at mid-point of session, and at the end of the session) and more often as the City sees fit for such briefings and dialogue are necessary; and H) Monitoring and analyzing legislation filed in the General Assembly that affects City's interests.
The Procurement Division issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Lobbying Services on July 7, 2020. The RFP was published through the Public Purchase e-procurement website, which notified eleven (11) potential respondents; all eleven (11) accessed the RFP. Two firms responded to the proposal: John Bardgett & Associates (Jba) and RJ Scherr & Associates. The evaluation criteria for this proposal was Evidence of experience of proposer & references with similar projects, Knowledge of Independence, Availability and Price. After reviewing the proposals, staff determined that John Bardgett & Associates provided the best proposal.
John Bardgett & Associates has over 40 years of Lobbying experience. Their client resume is very extensive with several corporations and governmental entities within the state of Missouri. JBA currently serves Independence and two larger entities, which merits a higher score in this category. The price for their proposal, $120,000 annually, matches the current fee the City pays. Bardgett & Associates has six staff members (which is larger than an average lobbying firm). JBA is able to prioritize the needs of the City of Independence. Their resources provide them the ability to respond with sufficient staff resources 24/7.
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Fiscal Impact:
The fiscal impact to the City is $120,000.00. Funding is included in the fiscal year 2020/21 adopted budget:
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| | | | | | | | | Department: City Manager | Contact Person: Zach Walker |
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| REVIEWERS: | | Department | Action | | Purchasing Division (Finance Department) | Approved | | City Managers Office | Approved | | Finance Department | Approved | | City Managers Office | Approved | | City Clerk Department | Approved |
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| Council Action: | Council Action: |
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