Consider Tinklenberg Group Proposal for Professional Services Contract Extension

Purpose:
Consider a proposal from the Tinklenberg Group for an extension to an existing professional services contract.  The purpose of this contract is to advance and promote the construction of improvements within the Trunk Highway 10 corridor within the City, more specifically, to seek funding for the upgrading of BNSF impacted interchanges that occur along Highway 10.

Background:
The City has worked with the Tinklenberg Group for most of the past decade, with the most recent contract with the Tinklenberg Group being signed by the City in February 2013.  Since then, the City has approved several contract extensions by amendment, with the last contract amendment expiring at the end of 2014. 

The City's past efforts in working with Mr. Tinklenberg have yielded a successful conclusion to the $35M Armstrong Project, which has been awarded several grant awards, including a $10M federal (TIGER) grant, a $10M state (CIMS) grant, a $8M bonding allocation from the state, and a $10.2M award from the Counties Transit Investment Board (CTIB), which fully funded the project.  Previously, the North Star Rail Station in Ramsey was also a successful effort.

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Attached is a proposal from The Tinklenberg Group entitled BNSF Railroad Initiative, dated January, 2015.  The proposal is intended to address the City's desire to be active during this time of re-organization at the federal, state, and local level.  New elected officials are now taking office and we want to be certain to keep the Ramsey projects in the forefront.  The County has formed a Highway 10 working group and is still organizing the regional approach to the Highway 10 effort, and also the new City Council needs to confirm the strategic direction of the City in the next 30-60 days.  The City has a new legislator (Representative Whalen), and legislative leaders and the Governor have both emphasized transportation as a key issue.  In short, this is a good time to continue to build on the success of the Armstrong Interchange, and to let people know that that was just the start of a much larger project.

The Tinklenberg proposal outlines a number of work plan elements to be performed over the next five months of the legislative session.  However, due to the need to re-group with the parties mentioned above, staff has requested a monthly retainer proposal to continue the legislative efforts on behalf of Ramsey.  It is recommended that the ongoing continuation, or termination of, this contract be based upon the City's strategic planning discussions.  Also, the discussion with the coalition of Highway 10 communities working with Anoka County may also lead to a different approach in the future.

 

Funds would come from the City's Public Improvement Revolving Fund.

Staff recommends approval of the proposed contract extension with the Tinklenberg Group (Amendment #5).  The Tinklenberg Group has played an instrumental role in this process thus far; and has provided exceptional service and results to-date.

The alternative direction the Council may take is NOT to approve the proposed contract.  Staff does not recommend this alternative, and would recommend that the City maintain a sustained effort toward obtaining funds for improvement of the interchanges along Highway 10.

 

Motion to approve the attached consulting services proposal  with the The Tinklenberg Group, for an initial one-month work phase through February 13, 2015, at a total cost of $5,000, in accordance with the attached proposal dated January 2015.