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Redmond to place $120,000 Holland & Knight federal lobbying contract on March 18 consent agenda
Summary
City staff presented a proposed $120,000-per-year contract with Holland & Knight for federal lobbying; councilmembers discussed scope, communication cadence and oversight and agreed to place the contract on the March 18 consent agenda with no objections raised at the March 11 Committee of the Whole meeting.
Redmond City Council committee members heard a presentation March 11 on a proposed federal lobbying contract with Holland & Knight and agreed to place the contract on the council’s March 18 consent agenda.
The city’s chief operating officer presented the contract, saying the firm would help draft a federal agenda and represent Redmond in Washington. The contract is $120,000 per year (a $10,000 monthly fixed fee), and staff said invoices will include a description of work performed. City staff also said the mayor may terminate the contract with a 10-day notice.
The contract’s scope includes outreach to federal legislators and Washington state legislators. The COO said Holland & Knight “is known for the relationships that they have with all sorts of legislators on each side of the political parties,” and councilmembers said that breadth of relationships was a reason to pursue the contract now. The COO said, if the contract is approved on March 18, firm representatives will begin drafting a federal agenda and staff will arrange meetings between the firm and council members.
Councilmembers asked about communication and oversight. The COO said the firm would provide regular email updates and could meet with council at a cadence the council requests; staff said invoices will describe the work completed. Councilmember Stewart described the contract as “gonna be an experiment for the city of Redmond,” and other members said they expected staff to monitor whether the engagement provides value and to report back if concerns arise.
Several councilmembers emphasized that city values should not be compromised in federal advocacy. Staff responded that any concerns about the contract’s performance should be raised to the mayor, who holds contract-termination authority; staff said they will also monitor the contract because it is the city’s first federal lobbying engagement.
Because no councilmember objected at the committee meeting, the chair directed staff to place the Holland & Knight contract on the March 18 consent agenda for a formal council vote. If approved on consent, staff expects the firm to begin drafting Redmond’s federal agenda and to start outreach on the city’s behalf.
Notes: contract amount listed in materials as $120,000 per year; monthly fixed-fee language in the meeting described that as $10,000 per month. The contract includes a 10-day termination provision as described by staff.
