City Council Meeting: January 23, 2007

Agenda Item:    1-H 

To:                   Mayor and City Council 

From:              Stephanie Negriff, Director of Transit Services

 

Subject:          Professional Services Agreement with The Ferguson Group, LLC for Washington Representative/Lobbying Services for an amount not to exceed $30,060

 

Recommended Action

Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a professional services agreement with The Ferguson Group, LLC in an amount not to exceed $30,060 for Federal representative and lobbying services as part of the Municipal Transit Operators Coalition.

 

Executive Summary

This report recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with The Ferguson Group, LLC to represent the Big Blue Bus on transit discretionary funding issues in Washington, D.C.  The Big Blue Bus works with six other Los Angeles County municipal transit systems to obtain Section 5309 funds for transit vehicles and facilities. The group, named Municipal Transit Operators Coalition (MTOC) has selected The Ferguson Group, LLC to represent its interests.

 


Discussion

Background

The Ferguson Group has worked extensively and successfully for MTOC, which consists of transit systems operated by the cities of Santa Monica, Commerce, Culver City, Gardena, Montebello, Norwalk and Torrance. As part of last year’s Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), the Big Blue Bus received an earmark of slightly over $3.1 million which was one of the highest in the State of California. The Municipal Transit Operators Coalition received the highest earmark in Los Angeles County in the House version of the FY 2007 Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill.

 

The Ferguson Group has effectively advocated on behalf of the City and MTOC.  Services will be provided to Santa Monica for an amount not to exceed $30,060. The Ferguson group has a separate agreement in an amount not to exceed $70,885 to monitor federal executive proposals, legislation, administrative regulation, Congressional appropriation opportunities and other developments, advising the City when non-transit City policy or program objectives may be affected.  With this agreement, the total contractual authority with the Ferguson Group for all Federal representative and lobbying services will be $100,945.

 

Budget/Financial Impact

Funds of $30,060 are available in account number 41640.555062.162W.

 

Prepared by:

 

David Feinberg, Deputy Director of Transit Services

 

 

Approved:

 

Forwarded to Council:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephanie Negriff

Director of Transit Services

 

P. Lamont Ewell

City Manager