The East Contra Costa Fire Protection District called a Special Meeting of the Board for 6:30 pm Tuesday to discuss the hiring of a consulting firm with a contract not to exceed $125,000 for public outreach and education services.
The Ad-Hoc Committee recommends the District enter into a professional services agreement with TBWB Strategies, a firm located in San Francisco. TBWB Strategies is a strategy and communications consulting firm specializing in public finance ballot measures supporting programs, services and facilities.
The meeting will be held at 6:30 pm at Oakley City Hall located at 3231 Main Street.
Via the Staff Report
RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION
Approve a professional services agreement for public outreach and education services
PREVIOUS ACTION
At the December 2, 2013 Board of Directors meeting, the Board directed staff to prepare and issue a request for proposals (RFP) from outreach firms to assist the District in developing a plan for community outreach surrounding District activities and a potential revenue measure for the June, 2014 ballot.
Staff prepared the RFP and mailed it to 10 potential firms. The notice for the RFP was also advertised on the District’s website.
The deadline for proposals was set for December 30, 2013 at 5 PM and the District received a total of five proposals.
At the January 6 Board of Directors meeting, the Board established an Ad-Hoc Committee of four Directors to review the five proposals; at the Ad-Hoc Committee’s discretion, interview up to five of the proposing firms, and bring back a recommendation to the Board for contract award.
SUBJECT BACKGROUND
Public outreach is intended to educate District residents, property owners and voters as to the purpose of a potential parcel tax, including providing information on the District’s current financial situation and challenges, potential tax structure and amount, and potential uses of tax revenues. Pursuant to State law, District officials and employees may gather information from and educate voters on a potential parcel tax, including but not limited to providing impartial information about a ballot measure and attending community meetings.
As requested by the Board, an Ad-Hoc Committee reviewed all five proposals for outreach services and invited the three top-ranked proposer teams for interviews:
- The Lew Edwards Group
- The Tucker Group
- TBWB Strategies
Following interviews (conducted on January 16), the Ad-Hoc Committee recommends the District enter into a professional services agreement with TBWB Strategies
The proposed scope of work and resulting agreement in an amount not to exceed $125,000 would include:
- Parcel tax rate/structure consulting (approximately $16,500
- Ballot language, outreach strategy, messaging, and informational materials both traditional and digital consulting (approximately $46,00
- Up to three direct mailers, including design, copy, production, and mailing (approximately $62,500)
13 comments
Where can I get a job where I can work 5 months and make $125,000????
Exactly! Then we have to pay for their
Redicilous retirement pkg.?
@Bobby,
Lets not forget that this is onlyf or the consultant, they still have to pay to put the tax on the ballot. The cost could double.
$125k for someone to tell them this tax will not pass? Someone is taking the money and running.
$125,000 for a consultant ? Just for starters …. No wonder these ballot measures go down in flames.
Looks like a complete waste of OUR tax dollars. This is what happens when you assemble a bunch of amateurs on a board that cannot get a read the public or follow a simple directive.
If memory serves me correct, this board was suppose to spend this kind of money transferring responsibilities to an elected board. As in “elected by the people”. Instead they play Russian roulette with a loaded gun on a tax measure that is already showing less support than last time.
They are NOT getting a yes vote from me.
-East County VOTER
Michelle, any consultant they hire WILL tell them it will pass. That is what they are paid to do.
Julio,
Go to their (TBWB) website where they have a timeline for typical campaign. Fire taxes in general are everything but typical. With two failures in CCcounty, they need more time with a campaign-not less.
http://www.tbwb.com/approach
They obviously have this displayed for a “proper” campaign, If this current campaign is pursued, won’t come close to meeting the timeline. Seriously, it looks like they are trying to stuff 10lbs of **** into a 5lb bag.
This is madness, (unless the directors are purposely trying to bury the fire district).
IMHO the measure will fail on its own. This latest direction guarantees it.
Just another nail in the coffin.
B-Wood. It probably WILL fail but the consultant WILL tell them it will PASS. That is why they hire them. To tell them what they want to hear. Antioch has been working with a consultant since the last election to tell them how to get along with each other and how to speak with their constituents. This is a failure also but Harper loves her. Waste of money..
Don’t be so sure the measure will fail. Everybody in Brentwood is asleep at the wheel…we had a chance to stop water rate increase and nobody protested it!!!
How many consultants and studies has Contra Costa had on its fire services? Too many and all with the same resulting information. What another waste of good public dollars.This is another example of amateur moves like my bro stated. No wonder why people will voted no. Bonewood may be right on this. Maybe the directors are purposely trying to bury the district. Wasn’t the last consultant for the last vote educating for only eighty thousand?
Another waste of time and money. The ECCFPD has not addressed a single issue from the last ballot measure. Our publis firefighters are still overpaid and WAY over pensioned. Until they get their Sh*& together we will never give them another dime.
@Lewis, overpaid? Lowest paid fire fighters in the Bay Area. $50k/yr for a high risk occupation isn’t overpaid by objective standards. For the Borenstein drones it might be however.
Still amazes me how many people have 1)taken public safety for granted and 2)don’t have a real grasp on what they pay for it in East County.
The District has a lot of issues, but fire fighter salaries isn’t one of them.
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