That the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager to execute a professional services agreement with Cornerstone Communications & Public Relations, Inc., for continued public outreach and the production and distribution of a community newsletter.

Operating from the presumption that an informed community is more likely to be an engaged community, the City Council has long placed an emphasis on public outreach as a means to share information about municipal projects, programs, policies, and priorities. To achieve these policy directives, City staff regularly shares information and solicits feedback from the public through a variety of platforms, including the City website, social media, Channel 3, community surveys, and water bill inserts, as well as by providing information to the public via booths staffed by City employees at community events, the "Mayor's Community Calendar" that is presented at the end of City Council meetings, and periodic presentations by City Council members and staff to community groups and civic organizations. While these and other methods are invaluable, there is no "one size fits all" approach to public outreach. In order to maximize the value of the City's public outreach efforts, staff continues to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of a variety of communication methods. 
 

In support of these efforts, the City retained the services of Cornerstone Communications (Cornerstone) in 2022 for a pilot project to produce and distribute a new printed community newsletter that is mailed to all households and businesses in La Habra. The goal of this newsletter was to share information with the public regarding City projects, programs, events, and policies, as well as highlighting local businesses and community achievements. Cornerstone is a media and public relations firm comprised of award-winning, veteran journalists from major media outlets with a proven track record of facilitating outreach and strategic communication. Cornerstone has a client roster that includes government agencies, non-profit organizations, and businesses throughout Orange County, and has worked with the La Habra Police Department in the past to develop the "Behind the Badge" series that featured news and informational stories specifically addressing the Police Department's staff and activities. 

In June 2022 Cornerstone, with the collaboration and support from City staff, produced the inaugural edition of La Habra Life community newsletter. This 8-page color printed newsletter was distributed to each household in La Habra that received a water bill. The initial "proof of concept" first edition was very well received by the community and, in July 2022, the City Council approved and authorized the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Cornerstone for an enhanced newsletter to be distributed to every household and business in La Habra on a quarterly basis, for a total of four editions (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) per year. Each edition was also made available in an online format that is hosted on the City's website.  Print editions are distributed in English, however a Spanish language version is available on the City's website.
 
Due to the continued positive feedback received by staff regarding the La Habra Life newsletter, it is recommended that the City Council approve a renewal of an agreement with Cornerstone for one year. The proposed cost of the agreement (Attachment 1), which includes content preparation, production design, layout, photography, writing, translating, printing, and mailing/distributing is $174,000, or $43,500 per edition. This cost is 3.5 percent higher than Fiscal Year 2023-2024 due to an increase in printing costs. Staff further recommends that the City Council waive bidding requirements pursuant to La Habra Municipal Code (LHMC) Chapter 4.20.070, Section D due to Cornerstone's familiarity with the La Habra community, and the high quality development, production, and distribution of the La Habra Life newsletter they have provided to the City over the past year. The proposed cost of the agreement is budgeted within the adopted FY 24-25 Administration budget.

The cost of the proposed one-year agreement is $174,000, or $43,500 per edition, and is a General Fund expense. There are sufficient available funds in the adopted FY 24-25 Administration budget to fund this expense.

Objective D: Maintain a strong communication and public relations program by sharing relevant information on City projects, programs, and policies through a variety of platforms, including the “La Habra Life” newsletter publication, the “Life in La Habra” magazine publication, the City website, Channel 3, and social media

Objective E: Build and maintain partnerships and collaborations with other local government agencies, the business community, local non-profit organizations, and the faith-based community