Norwalk awards crisis communications contract to Moreno Group for up to $100,000
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Summary
Council approved a one‑year contract (with a one‑year option) for crisis communications support to the Moreno Group with a monthly retainer of $3,000 and a maximum contract amount of $100,000; council debate centered on whether the work should be brought fully in‑house.
The Norwalk City Council voted unanimously to award a crisis communications services contract to the Moreno Group after staff said the firm best met a revised scope of work requiring 24/7 surge support and bilingual public messaging.
Levy Sung, who presented the item, outlined a competitive process: an RFP published July 1, three proposals received, interviews on Aug. 8, and evaluation of firms for municipal crisis experience and 24/7 surge capacity. Sung said the Moreno Group (principals Moises Moreno and Raul Riesco were present) has supported prior city responses, including communications around homelessness initiatives and other high‑profile incidents.
The contract is for one year with an optional one‑year extension, a monthly retainer not to exceed $3,000 and a maximum contract sum of $100,000 inclusive of billable crisis activities. The scope includes 24/7 surge coverage, bilingual messaging in English and Spanish, defined performance standards (response times, deliverables) and periodic reporting.
Council discussion reflected differing views on whether the city should continue contracting the outside firm while the Communications and Public Affairs Department continues building in‑house capacity. Councilmember Rick Ramirez said the original intent for a consultant was temporary and urged that staff be trained to handle the work internally; Levy Sung and City Manager (Jesus) said the in‑house team is not yet equipped for full 24/7 crisis response and that the one‑year contract allows time to reassess and transition if appropriate.
The council approved the contract by roll call: Councilmembers Ramirez, Valencia and Vice Mayor Jennifer Perez voted Aye; Mayor Tony Ayala voted Aye.
Why it matters: The contract creates a dedicated, on‑call communications capacity intended to ensure rapid, multilingual public information during incidents such as storms, public safety events or large‑scale homelessness operations. The cost ceiling and defined performance metrics are intended to hold the contractor to measurable standards while staff builds internal capacity.