REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Amendment No. 1 with Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. for Legislative Advocacy Services
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara engages in a variety of legislative efforts, including developing an annual legislative platform through its Legislative Advocacy Positions (LAP), advancing the City's goals and policy positions with regional, state, and federal elected officials and agencies, participating in regional and state committees, boards, and commissions, responding to requests for legislative support or comments for bills, ballot measures, and initiatives, identifying budget opportunities and applying for grant funding to support City programs and infrastructure. In the absence of fulltime legislative City staff, consulting services enhances staff's ability to continue to successfully implement the City's legislative program and corresponding LAP Policy. The Council approved $150,000 annually in the City's FY 2019/20 and 2020/21 Biennial Operating Budget for consultant services to support the City's legislative advocacy efforts that are outlined in the LAP Policy.
In Fall 2019, the City conducted a competitive Request for Qualifications process and selected Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. (Townsend) out of seven firms that submitted proposals to provide the City with state and federal legislative advocacy services. As a Top Ten lobbying firm in California specializing in both legislative advocacy and grant funding in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., Townsend has represented over 200 public agencies, including cities, counties, transportation agencies, water and sanitation districts, school districts, community college districts, park and recreation districts, and other special districts, as well as nonprofit organizations. The firm has secured over $1.8 billion in public sector funding for its clients and has had over 100 client-sponsored bills signed into l...
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