Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Akerman LLP for Federal Legislative Services for a Term of One Year, with the Possibility to Extend for Two Additional Years, for a Total Three Year Compensation in an Amount Not to Exceed $270,000. (City Manager 2110)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Alameda (City) adopts an annual Legislative Agenda that is sent to the City's Federal and State lobbyists so they can work toward meeting the City Council's established priorities. In addition to the continuation of this work, as the City continues to respond to COVID-19 and protect the health and well-being of our employees and community members, the work being done by our State and Federal lobbyists is critical to ensure the City is allocated the funding and resources it needs.
BACKGROUND
In April 2014, the City first entered into an Agreement with Akerman LLP for federal legislative advocacy. The term of the initial Agreement commenced on April 16, 2014 and continued for three years through April 15, 2017. In 2017, the City Council authorized a first amendment to the agreement for an additional three years. In March 2020, the City Council adopted Alameda's annual Legislative Agenda, which guides the City's State and Federal legislative efforts throughout the year.
Prior to the initial contract with Akerman being approved, staff issued a Request for Proposals for federal legislative advocacy and from the ten proposals submitted, staff recommended Akerman to represent the City for its federal legislative needs.
The Akerman firm has been in existence for over 90 years. It is a full-service national law and policy consulting firm, employing more than 600 lawyers and government affairs professionals and a network for 21 offices located in major U.S. metropolitan areas, including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Akerman offers the stability and depth of resou...
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