Review Proposal From Elwyn Tinklenberg re Legislative Consulting Services

Staff has received a proposal from Elwyn Tinklenberg of The TInklenberg Group for a consulting services for services related to the pursuit of funding for the Trunk Highway 10 and Armstrong Boulevard Interchange (see attached proposal).


Over the last several years, Ramsey has contracted with the Tinklenberg Group for federal assistance on rail and highway transportation projects in the following amounts:
 
2009:  $37,047.03
2010:  $68,947.78
2011:  $23,547.30 

The proposed work elements of the contract include federal, state, and local community efforts associated with securing funding for the Armstrong project.  The contract term is proposed to run to the end of the legislative session.  The proposed fee for the scope of work is $30,000.

The City has the options of not hiring a consultant to do this work, hiring the Tinklenberg Group under this or a modified proposal, or seeking another consultant.

The City could attempt to perform this work with existing staff and Council Members.  This option is not recommended at this time due to limited staff capacity to perform these efforts in a focused faashion.  This is the City's highest transportation priority and this contract would fully support that effort.  Even with the contract, the City will need to contribute significant staff resources, and work with the County staff and consultants, as well as private property intersets to ensure success of these efforts.

Based upon discussion, the contract may be modified to reduce scope of services (and cost) if the Council wishes to see a reduced consultant effort.  The proposed level of effort and scope of service appear to offer a good range.

The City has had an on-going relationship with this consultant and would recommend that hteir services be engaged as proposed.  Alternative consultants would not be as immediately effective nor timely in their approach.   In general, project fee-for-service contracts of this type, are not handled with a Request for Proposal (RFP) process as we would an ongoing professional service (e.g., Atttorney, Accountant).  This, and the fact that these efforts are time sensitive, lead staff to conclude that an RFP process would not be practical at this time.

Staff recommends that the Council approve the consulting propsal from Elwyn Tinklenberg of The TInklenberg Group for services related to the pursuit of funding for the Trunk Highway 10 and Armstrong Boulevard Interchange in an amount not to exceed $30,000.  in an amount not to exceedinnnnnn 

Staff recommends the $30,000 for the Tinklenberg retainer come from the Public Improvement Revolving (PIR) fund.  Funds were recently transferred funds to the PIR Fund when the City was allowed to use the TIF 10 monies to pay project expenses.  The current balance of the PIR Fund is $1.6M, for 2013.  This does not take into account $220,000 budgeted annually to the Gen Fund Budget to help fund street maintence.  This will need to be a part of a future road reconstruction funding discussion. 
    
 

Concensus approval of the consulting propsal from Elwyn Tinklenberg of The TInklenberg Group for services related to the pursuit of funding for the Trunk Highway 10 and Armstrong Boulevard Interchange in an amount not to exceed $30,000.  This item will then be placed on the February 12 consent agenda for formal action.  in an amount not to exceedinnnnnn This item would then be placed on the Consent Agenda for February 12