Council OKs on‑call marketing and communications pool of 14 firms; staff cites $23M capacity over five years

The City Council approved a staff recommendation to establish a citywide on‑call pool of prequalified marketing and communications firms across five categories: advertising/marketing, graphic design, public relations, public engagement and video production. Staff said the pool would include 14 firms with a three‑year initial term and up to two one‑year renewals, giving an estimated contract capacity of $4.6 million per year and an estimated total of $23 million over the potential five years.

Jeff from the Communications & Engagement team described the goal as reducing duplicative procurement timelines and providing departments quicker access to outside expertise when needed. He said 65 proposals were received across the five categories and that the selection process prioritized local firms where possible. Council members asked how the approach interacts with the budget process, whether it creates a blank check risk, and whether the city can track and report pool usage. Council member Spears requested quarterly reporting on how the capacity is spent; staff said departments must still identify available budgeted funds before using firms and that quarterly financial updates could be provided.

Council members discussed rotation and task‑order procedures: projects will be offered to firms in rotation based on scoring, with the first firm asked for an estimate; if the estimate is unacceptable the department moves to the next firm. Staff said the pool does not appropriate funds and that existing long‑term contracts (for example a separate Ready to Work agreement) will continue on their existing timelines until expiry. After Q&A, council approved the item by voice vote.