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Council splits on branding RFP after audit prompts questions about procurement and conflicts
Summary
A proposed city branding, merchandising and film-industry RFP and a prior $30,000 audit drew heated debate and allegations of a conflicted process; council voted to form an ad hoc committee to review incoming proposals while rejecting a motion to terminate the RFP. The RFP remains open and final awards must return to full council.
The Huntington Beach City Council spent more than two hours debating a controversial request for proposals (RFP) for creative strategy, merchandising, media communications and a film office after a privately authored audit prompted questions about procurement, conflict of interest and whether the consultant who wrote the audit had an unfair advantage.
Mayor Casey McKeon and several council members argued the work could create ongoing revenue, capture city intellectual property and unify marketing systems. "We own that logo by right of first use now — we should be able to capture that value," the mayor said during deliberations, describing the potential for licensing and…
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