Department: Purchasing
Department Head/Elected Official: DeWight Dopslauf
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Supplemental RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Amendment
Project ID (if applicable): 21/0191
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Elmore Public Relations, Inc., KBG Texas Communications
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): 100%
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request by the Office of the Purchasing Agent that the County Judge execute amendments to agreements with Elmore Public Relations, Inc. in the amount of $150,000 and KGB Texas Communications in the amount of $150,000 for community engagement and public outreach services for the 2022 Harris County Bond Program (210191), MWDBE Contracted Goal: 100%.
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Background and Discussion:
In November 2021, Commissioners Court awarded contracts to communications consultants Elmore Public Relations, Inc. and KBG Texas Communications. These firms were selected based on best proposal meeting requirements for support to the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) in delivery of comprehensive engagement and communications services for implementing the Harris County Flood Control Bond Program. The purpose of such efforts is to provide transparent and accessible public information about the Flood Bond Program.
On August 18, 2022, Commissioners Court approved an order to increase Harris County’s bond authority, subject to voter approval on November 8, 2022. As was the case for the Flood Bond Program election in 2018, Court has directed a wide-ranging and accessible public information program in the period leading up to the election.
Staff considered modifications of existing contracts versus soliciting proposals in a new procurement. Review of proposals submitted for the previous HCFCD solicitation, evaluation of the resulting contracts awarded to Elmore Public Relations, Inc. and KGB Texas Communications and consideration of the performance record of these firms indicated the following attributes supporting the recommended action:
• a substantial and advantageous overlap between the community engagement and public outreach services for the Flood Bond Program and pre-election services required to support the 2022 Harris County Bond Program
• flexibility for tailoring the contracted scope and costs to the specific requirements of the 2022 Harris County Bond Program using the adaptable structure of the existing on-call contract format
• sufficient capacity within each firm to assist on a fixed time schedule with many, but not necessarily all, of the required community engagement and public outreach services for the 2022 Harris County Bond Program
Award of an amendment to these two existing HCFCD contracts is recommended, which will enable Harris County’s issuance of work authorizations for services other than those associated with the Flood Bond Program as currently specified in the existing contract language.
Expected Impact:
Community engagement and outreach is a critical component to fully informing Harris County citizens of the needs, opportunities and costs associated with the proposed issuance of bonds to fund County capital projects. Likewise, a robust outreach program that encourages public involvement and input will more fully inform the County and Commissioners Court of the community’s specific needs and priorities in each category proposed for bond issuance: public safety, transportation and parks.
The expenses for this contract will be encumbered and initially paid from the Fund 1070 balance in Department 202 (General Administration). Per guidance from the Office of the County Attorney, Fund 1070 will be reimbursed for the pro rata share of Bond value not related to County road projects. Because all three potential Bond questions were approved by Commissioners Court, this would amount to a 25% non-mobility share. The Office of Management and Budget recommends using Fund 1000 in Department 202 for the non-mobility share.
Alternative Options:
Should the Court elect not to engage the assistance of any communications firms, the community engagement and outreach provided to the public would be limited to a smaller effort completed by County staff. Those employees would be diverted from existing assignments to a greater degree than would be needed with outside consultant assistance available, which may impact current projects and service delivery. The constituents would have less-accessible information and fewer opportunities to participate, but at a lower cash cost to the County.
The Court might direct either an increase or decrease in the amount awarded to one or more recommended firms. In doing so, the changes could result in an increase or decrease in total expenditures. Because the hourly fee rates under these contracts are fixed by contract, this would directly result in increases or decreases in the services delivered.
The recommended award of three contracts is strategic, intending to balance resources with the Court’s stated priorities and outreach objectives. One firm, Hollaway, is the subject of a separate Request for Court Action. Hollaway will be in the lead for the execution of all in-person public meetings plus assisting the County staff in setting communications content objectives, schedules and deliverables across the program as a whole. These two firms would be assigned tasks in areas such as digital media production, document production, web site development, social media communication and press assistance, based on their capacity and expertise in those specialized tasks.
Alignment with Goal(s):
X Justice and Safety
_ Economic Opportunity
_ Housing
_ Public Health
X Transportation
X Flooding
X Environment
X Governance and Customer Service
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
8/18/22 |
22-4934 |
Approval of orders to increase the bond authority available to Harris County. |
Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
|
Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
|
Service Name |
|
|
|
SFY 22 |
FY 23 |
Next 3 FYs |
|
Incremental Expenditures (do NOT write values in thousands or millions) |
|
Labor Expenditures |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Non-Labor Expenditures |
$300,000 |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Incremental Expenditures |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Funding Sources (do NOT write values in thousands or millions) |
|
Existing Budget |
|
1070 - Mobility Fund |
$225,000 |
$ |
$ |
|
1000 - General Fund |
$75,000 |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Current Budget |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Additional Budget Requested |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Additional Budget Requested |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
|
Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
|
Additional Positions Requested |
- |
- |
- |
|
Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
Anticipated Court Date: August 23, 2022
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date):
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: DeWight Dopslauf, County Purchasing Agent; Milton Rahman, County Engineer
Attachments (if applicable): Amended agreements