The council voted to award a professional services agreement to support a broadband needs assessment following a contested procurement for community outreach tied to a California Public Utilities Commission grant.

Staff told the City Council the state awarded Huntington Park a $25,000,000 CPUC grant on Nov. 7, 2024 to build middle- and last‑mile broadband infrastructure; the city must complete robust community outreach as part of project delivery. Staff recommended Principia Group as the most responsive bidder after a June reissue of the RFP. Principia’s proposal highlighted extensive bilingual door‑to‑door campaigns and prior local infrastructure outreach. Council members who questioned the choice pointed to a different provider, Southeast Community Development Corporation (Southeast CDC), as a locally rooted alternative and urged emphasis on hiring local canvassers and community-based organizations (CBOs).

RFP history and staff evaluation

Staff recounted the RFP timeline: an April posting produced two initial proposals that city council rejected and directed staff to re-advertise with clarification. The revised RFP (published June 4) generated five proposals by the June 19 extended deadline. Staff said all submissions met the technical requirements and that evaluation prioritized demonstrated experience in community canvassing and public-engagement campaigns. Staff presented written summaries comparing Principia Group, Alliance for a Better Community (ABC), Southeast CDC and other bidders. Principia’s submission included multiple prior campaigns in Southeast Los Angeles and bilingual outreach work; ABC emphasized digital equity training and social-media promotion; Southeast CDC submitted a lower-cost proposal but, in staff’s summary, showed less campaign experience of the specific type requested.

Council debate: process, price and equity

Council members expressed frustration with procedural issues during both solicitation rounds and with price increases between the earlier and later RFP cycles. One council member argued that earlier clerical or system errors by a bidder had caused an unnecessary re-bid and that the delay cost the city tens of thousands of dollars: “That mistake cost us $59,000, $60,000,” the member said. Others insisted the work should both recruit local residents and be administered by organizations that have trust in the community.

“Part of this work needs to live in the hands of community-based organizations,” one council member said, emphasizing local hires and boots-on-the-ground outreach over top-heavy consultant teams.

Final action and next steps

Council voted to award a professional services agreement to Southeast Community Development Corporation (Southeast CDC) for neighborhood canvassing services in support of the broadband needs assessment. Staff had recommended Principia Group; the council’s action directs staff to finalize the agreement with the selected vendor, proceed with community outreach and report back on implementation. Council also directed staff to reissue or pursue an RFP if necessary, ensure the contractor recruits and trains local residents for canvassing jobs, and include a clear deliverables schedule and budget breakdown in the executed agreement.

Why this matters

The canvassing contract is the city’s first step to comply with CPUC grant conditions and to inform how the $25 million in broadband infrastructure will be prioritized. Effective outreach will determine where middle- and last-mile investments go, which neighborhoods receive priority and who is hired to do the outreach.

Votes and formal action

Motion: Award the neighborhood canvassing professional services agreement for broadband needs assessment to Southeast Community Development Corporation and direct staff to finalize contract language and ensure local hiring and deliverables.
Mover: Council member (not specified in transcript)
Second: yes (recorded in minutes)
Outcome: Approved by council vote (final roll-call recorded in meeting minutes).