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Council delays decision on federal lobbying contract; council wants direct meetings with Kiley & Associates
Summary
Council discussed terminating monthly payments to BECTIS/Vectus DC (about $6,200/month) and a staff recommendation to approve Kiley & Associates for federal advocacy. Members requested direct meetings with the new firm and delayed final approval to allow those briefings.
The Commerce City Council on Tuesday continued consideration of changes to the city’s federal legislative advocacy arrangement, asking staff to arrange direct briefings between council members and a proposed new firm before a final vote.
Staff described an existing arrangement under which the city had continued monthly payments of approximately $6,200 to a firm identified in the report as BECTIS DC (also referenced in discussion as Vectus DC) after a four-month formal agreement ended. Staff recommended terminating that ongoing payment stream and approving a new agreement with Kiley & Associates, an advocacy firm that staff said has secured federal funding for other Southeast Los Angeles cities.
Council members pressed staff to secure more information about Kiley & Associates’ federal connections, success stories and relationships with members of Congress. One councilmember asked whether the new firm has ties to Congressman Robert Garcia (referred to in the discussion as the city’s representative out of Long Beach) and whether the firm had prepared funding requests in advance of a contract.
Staff told the council Kiley & Associates had prepared some funding requests in advance and that the firm is active in several Southeast Los Angeles cities, including Carson and Lynwood, where it helped obtain federal housing funding. Several councilmembers said they preferred to meet the firm and, if desired, meet them during an upcoming association of contract cities event.
Council members agreed to continue the item to allow time for briefings with Kiley & Associates and to receive more detailed, itemized documentation about the firm’s prior funding successes and references. The staff recommendation to terminate payments to the current firm and approve Kiley & Associates was not adopted or rejected at Tuesday’s meeting; the item was continued.
No final contract was executed at the meeting, and staff said they would return with additional information and facilitate council meetings with the proposed firm before the council votes on any contract.
