Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Grant Writing Contract topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves Rosewood Consulting as town grant writer after debate over cost and process
Summary
The Town Council voted to hire Rosewood Consulting as the municipal grant writer after a divided discussion over price, procurement transparency and perceived access to decision-makers; the vote was recorded with one no.
The North Smithfield Town Council approved on June 2 the selection of Rosewood Consulting to serve as the town's grant-writer contractor after a contentious discussion about fees, procurement documentation and the firm's access to federal decision-makers.
Administrator presented the procurement process and the committee's recommendation. He told the council the review panel evaluated proposals, interviewed three finalists and recommended Rosewood Consulting. He said staff planned to negotiate the fee after selection. "We brought people on ... Based upon that, we developed some criteria and ranked them. And based on those rankings, we picked 3 firms to do a virtual meeting with. And following that virtual meeting ... the firm being recommended is Rosewood," the administrator said.
Several councilors asked for the RFP and the full proposals to be included in the council packet before a final vote and expressed concern about the recommended fee. The Budget Committee had allocated $60,000 for a grant-writer contract; the administrator's recommendation included a higher figure (the selection discussed a contracted amount of about $75,000 reported in the meeting), prompting questions about appropriations and value.
Supporters said the recommended firm brings immediate knowledge of federal programs and ties to the congressional delegation that can speed decision timelines. The administrator and other supporters cited past wins for municipalities working with the consultant and stressed that the contract would include termination provisions if performance proved unsatisfactory. "When she first came before this council ... she was bright ..." a councilor said in support. The administrator recounted earlier work and said the firm had helped secure major awards in other communities.
Opponents and cautious councilors asked that the council be provided the RFP and complete proposals before finalizing negotiated pricing and recommended closer scrutiny of scope and fee. Despite those requests, a motion to approve Rosewood Consulting carried on roll call: Biragon/Beauregard (yes); Cristoforo (no); O'Hara (yes); Punchak (yes); Alves (yes).
The vote authorizes the administrator to negotiate the contract with Rosewood within the scope of the RFP; the administration said it will return with final contract terms. Councilors requested copies of the RFP and submitted proposals be placed in the public record.
The council also discussed the role staff will play in grant preparation and signaled interest in maintaining local ownership of project details while using the consultant's bandwidth and federal knowledge to pursue funding opportunities.
