REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 19, 2020
FROM
SOUA VANG, Interim Economic Development Director, Economic Development
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Agreement with Spaulding Thompson & Associates for Professional Communication and Media Coordination Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 2 to Agreement No. 16-239 with Spaulding Thompson & Associates for professional communication and media coordination services, increasing the contract amount by $84,000, from $336,000 to an amount not-to-exceed $420,000 and extending the term by one year, for the total contract period of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2021.
(Presenter: Soua Vang, Interim Economic Development Director, 387-4460)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Funding of $84,000 will be included in the Economic Development Department’s (EDD) 2020-21 Recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Spaulding Thompson & Associates provides professional communications and media relations services to the Economic Development Department to support the implementation of outreach strategies. These strategies target top executives, industry influencers, tenant representatives, brokers and site selectors. Spaulding-Thompson & Associates also assists the EDA in building successful media relationships in an effort to promote County programs and successes.
On May 24, 2016 (Item No. 72), as the result of a competitive Request for Qualifications
procurement, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Agreement No. 16-239 (Agreement) with Spaulding Thompson & Associates in the not-to-exceed amount of $252,000 ($84,000 per year) to provide professional communications and media relation services for the period of July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2019, with the option to extend the contract for two additional one-year periods.
On June 11, 2019 (Item No. 29), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement with Spaulding Thompson & Associates which exercised the County’s first option to extend the term of the Agreement by one year for a total contract period of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2020, and increase the contract amount by $84,000, from $252,000 to an amount not-to-exceed $336,000.
In March 2020, EDA underwent significant organizational and staffing adjustments and seeks to extend the current Agreement to allow time for the department to reassess overarching goals and objectives under new staffing structure.
The proposed amendment exercises the County’s second option to extend the term of the Agreement by one year for a total contract period of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2021, and increase the contract amount by $84,000, from $336,000 to an amount not-to-exceed $420,000. Approval of the proposed Amendment will allow for continuation of communications and media relation services without interruption while EDA prepares to conduct another competitive procurement related to the provision of professional communications and media relations.
PROCUREMENT
Spaulding Thompson & Associates was awarded the professional communications and media relation services after EDD conducted a competitive Request for Qualifications process. Section A. of the Agreement authorizes up to two one-year extensions of the term of the agreement Therefore, no additional procurement activities are required.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Sophie Akins, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 20, 2020; Purchasing (Michelle Churchill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on April 23, 2020; Finance (Kathleen Gonzalez, Finance Analyst, 387-5412) on April 23, 2020; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer 387-5423) on April 29, 2020.