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Finance committee approves one-year contract with Welch Group for state lobbying; members pressed firm on conflicts
Summary
The committee authorized a noncompetitive, one-year contract with the Welch Group for government affairs and advocacy services, after members questioned how the firm would handle conflicts involving current clients such as the Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin.
The City of Madison Finance Committee on an item listed as Legistar 86,954 voted unanimously to authorize the mayor and city clerk to execute a noncompetitive purchase-of-services contract with the Welch Group for government affairs and strategic advocacy services for one year with two one-year renewal options.
The committee moved forward after extended questioning from alderpeople about potential conflicts of interest. Alder Tim Rivera pressed the firm on how it would handle cases where a Welch Group client’s positions conflicted with the city’s interests, citing past state-level preemption of local landlord-tenant ordinances.
Jim Steinke, a representative of the Welch Group, told the committee he would not continue representing the Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin (ASCW) personally if the firm is retained by the city. "If our relationship moves forward ... I will no longer be representing the Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin," Steinke said. He added the firm would use internal measures to firewall lobbyists from one another on conflicting issues.
Sam, the mayor’s chief of staff, told the committee that all high-level lobbying firms typically maintain client rosters that create at least some tangential conflicts and described internal firewalling as a common practice. He also said the city could hire an additional outside firm or have city officials directly communicate with state lawmakers if a conflict required it.
Alder Rivera said he supported hiring the Welch Group despite his questions. "I wholeheartedly support your recommendation to hire the Welch Group," Rivera said, citing the firm’s effectiveness.
The motion to adopt the contract was moved by President Figueroa Cole and seconded; the committee recorded a unanimous vote in favor.
The contract before the committee is an authorization to execute a noncompetitive purchase of services; committee discussion focused on conflict mitigation and how the firm would notify the city about potential client conflicts. The Welch Group representatives said they would notify the city about prospective clients and would not involve lobbyists with conflicts on specific matters.
The committee did not specify conditions such as required waivers or additional conflict-of-interest language in the recorded motion. The vote authorizes execution of the contract but did not publish an executed contract or public disclosure of any conflict-management agreement as part of the meeting record.
