TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Rob Houston, City Manager
1. SUBJECT
title
Request for Proposal No. 22-23.06 for grant writing and legislative advocacy services.
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2. SUMMARY
A Request for Proposal to contract with a firm or firms to provide grant writing and legislative advocacy services to the City.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
Approve Request for Proposal No. 22-23.06 for grant writing and legislative advocacy services.
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4. FISCAL IMPACT
None.
5. STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Goal 2: Be a fiscally healthy community
b: Analyze future fiscal needs and potential revenue opportunities.
6. DISCUSSION AND BACKGROUND
Every year, the state and federal governments consider dozens of bills that directly affect the City of Orange. These bills have a range of effects including proscribing local authority, imposing unfunded mandates, providing grant funds to achieve policy goals, and changing regulations. While the City has been successful in receiving regional, state and federal grants in the past, there are numerous grants that the City may be unaware of or that require significant staff time to prepare and manage.
The City has historically tracked legislative activities and responded to grant opportunities internally. In August 2021, the City Council directed staff to join the League of California Cities (League) and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). These two organizations provide extensive resources to track and analyze legislation, advocate on behalf of cities and the region, and alert us to grant opportunities.
In addition to membership in the League and SCAG, most Orange County cities also contract with firms for professional support with legislative advocacy and grant writing. These services augment existing staff resources to ensure that the City effectively communicates its legislative priorities and pursues grant funding. These services generally fall into three categories:
* State Advoca...
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