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Astoria council split on arts RFP; asks city manager to seek legal advice before Dec. 2
Summary
Councilors debated whether to proceed with an RFP for an arts program or to award a professional services contract to the person who originally developed the proposal; council asked the city manager to consult the city attorney and return with legal recommendations by the Dec. 2 meeting.
At the Nov. 25 work session Astoria councilors debated whether to keep an open RFP for an arts program or use a direct professional services contract to implement a program some council members said is already developed.
City Manager Spence summarized the RFP issued Nov. 7 and explained that its deliverables are to audit the local artist community, identify barriers and opportunities, inventory available funding and recommend strategic initiatives for a sustainable arts program. Spence said he had framed the RFP to produce a clear work product and had used the adopted council work plan to set baseline objectives.
Several councilors argued the record of prior meetings left an expectation that the city would contract with the individual who drafted the proposal, identified in the discussion as Jessamine West. Councilor Hilton said he believes the prior direction from the budget committee and some council members was to contract directly rather than run a competitive RFP. “I would recommend…consult with the city attorney to make sure that what we are doing is legal,” he said.
Other councilors, including Councilor Adams, urged adherence to transparent competitive processes for new programs and cautioned about perceived conflicts or the appearance of favoritism. Adams called the matter “a very big deal” and argued the council should tie actions to measurable work plan outcomes and avoid setting a precedent without staff recommendations.
Councilor Davis proposed a path forward: have staff check the legality of direct negotiations and, if counsel says direct contracting is permissible, retract the RFP and vote on a professional services contract at the Dec. 2 council meeting. City Manager Spence agreed to consult with the city attorney and return with legal advice by the next full meeting; no formal vote or award was made at the session.
Councilors who favored hiring an individual emphasized measurable deliverables and reporting back to council so performance could be assessed before further funding decisions in the next budget cycle. Several members asked that any professional services agreement include specific metrics and city oversight.
The council ended the item by asking staff to get legal guidance on procurement options and to present recommended next steps at or before the Dec. 2 council meeting.
