That the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager to execute a three-year professional services agreement with Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. (TPA) to conduct legislative advocacy and grant writing services for the City.

On March 6, 2023, the City Council adopted the City’s Goals and Objectives for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024.  Each Goal is achieved through the realization of recommended objectives across several broad categories, the fulfillment of which helps the City to realize its central mission of improving the quality of life in the community. Several of the Goals and Objectives emphasize the identification and pursuit of grant funding to augment or replace local funds for municipal purposes, such as the completion of projects listed on the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). 

These City Council adopted goals include the following:

Objective C: Identify and pursue funding opportunities for City capital improvement projects, including City buildings, facilities, infrastructure, and recreations outlets, as well as non-City projects that could be of value to the community, such as local school districts
 

Objective G: Pursue grant funding where and when possible to supplement and/or replace direct City funding

Objective E: Identify and pursue funding opportunities to design and construct recreational trails as part of the OC Loop Bicycle/Pedestrian Trail System
 

Because large scale CIP projects often require significant funding and occur over multiple fiscal years, it can be challenging for the City to achieve Council adopted Goals and Objectives without significant grant funding assistance from federal and state agencies. For example, the City's construction of the two splash pad play zone projects at Brio and Oeste Parks were capital projects that would likely not have been successful had it not been for the receipt of state funding. The opportunity for the City to successfully identify and secure grant funding for major projects can be significantly increased when the City retains specialized consulting support from firms that have direct experience in legislative advocacy and grant writing.
 
Recognizing this need, the City entered into a one-year agreement with Townsend Public Affairs (TPA) in 2021 to provide the City with legislative advocacy support and grant writing services for FY 21/22, and then extended that agreement for an additional one year, to cover FY 22/23. Since its inception in 1998, TPA has built a reputation as a leader in the field of legislative advocacy and grant writing, helping clients to leverage their financial resources as well as build a network of relationships with key stakeholders, policy-makers, and legislators.  TPA has spearheaded more than 100 legislative and regulatory proposals into law, and secured more than $2.6 billion in grants for its clients from federal, state, and other local government agencies, as well as from nonprofit foundations and private companies, in a variety of policy sectors, including transportation, water/sanitation, housing and community development, recreation/natural resources, cultural/historical resources, and public safety. 

Since contracting with TPA in July 2021, the City has realized significant value from their support of City priorities. Successes have included the City of La Habra being allocated $8.5 million in state funding to assist with storm channel repairs, and a $320,000 grant from the Department of Transportation in 2023 for the City's Safe Routes to Schools Plan, totaling more than $9.1 million in funding awarded to the City since the contract began. 

In addition, TPA is currently working on a number of additional grant funding requests for the City, totaling approximately $13.9 million, including:

Furthermore, since January 2023, TPA has supported City’s efforts to secure state and federal funding for the Children’s Museum at La Habra and the Vista Grande Park project.  Working alongside staff, TPA has submitted federal earmark requests for the Children’s Museum to Senators Feinstein and Padilla. Senator Padilla has selected the Children's Museum as one of his top projects to submit to the Appropriations Committee, in the amount of $2 million.  TPA also submitted a state earmark request for Vista Grande Park to the state legislative delegation for consideration in the state budget process, and submitted a federal earmark request for this same project to Congressional representative Linda Sanchez. Congresswoman Sanchez has selected the Vista Grande Park project as one of her top projects that she will be submitting a request for in the federal appropriations process, in the amount of $4 million. 

TPA also serves as an advocate for La Habra and other North Orange County cities, working on behalf of the North Orange County Public Safety Collaborative (Collaborative) to secure state funding for a regional approach to preventing youth violence and to support programs that can help improve the chance for successful reentry of offenders into the community, as well as programs that address homeless outreach and intervention. Working closely with the Collaborative, TPA previously helped secured $32.8 million for this project for the period spanning FY 17/18 through FY 22/23, and was also successful in securing an additional $5 million appropriation through Representative Young Kim and Senator Alex Padilla for Community Project Funding through the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act. 

TPA has also proven to be a valuable resource to staff, providing regular updates and real-time information on matters of legislative interest in both Sacramento and Washington DC, with direct access to elected officials and senior appointed staff in state, federal, and local governments. Earlier in 2023, TPA worked closely with staff at the City, as well as at the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), regarding the City’s Housing Element, as well as the status of Permanent Local Housing Allocation funding the City uses to support homeless housing and services.

Based on TPA's success in securing funding for the City to date, in addition to the effective legislative support that the City has been receiving, staff recommends that the City Council approve a new three-year agreement (Attachment 1) with TPA to continue legislative advocacy and grant funding services. 

The City's current agreement with TPA provides for a discounted annual fee for services of $42,000, which is funded from the General Fund. TPA's standard annual fee for services for municipal clients is $78,000, however, staff was able to negotiate that fee down to $60,000 per year, and was able to secure that same fee level for each of the three years in the proposed agreement. The proposed General Fund budget for FY 23/24 has sufficient funding allocated to pay for this agreement. 

Goal 2 – Management of Public Revenues and Fiscal Assets

Objective C: Identify and pursue funding opportunities for City capital improvement projects, including City buildings, facilities, infrastructure, and recreations outlets, as well as non-City projects that could be of value to the community, such as local school districts
 

Objective G: Pursue grant funding where and when possible to supplement and/or replace direct City funding
 

Goal 3 – Maintenance and Improvement of City Infrastructure

Objective E: Identify and pursue funding opportunities to design and construct recreational trails as part of the OC Loop Bicycle/Pedestrian Trail System