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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4627 Contract Number: Vendor: Subject: Department: File Class: Begin Date: End Date: Review Date: Vault Date: Conunents: 4627 CONNECTIONS GROUP (THE) Consultant - Conununications Plan Development Executive LEG 12-1 04/11/2007 09/30/2007 02/15/2009 01/01/2009 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT The Connections Group for Communication Plan Development and Citizen Outreach Effort The City of Bremerton ("City") and The Connections Group ("Consultant"), referred to collectively as the "Parties," enter into the following Agreement for professional services: I. Scope: The Consultant agrees to perform the services more specifically described in the Scope of Work, dated February, 27, 2007, attached hereto as Exhibit A, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Scope of Work may be modified only pursuant to Section VII.G. of this Agreement. If the Scope of Work provides for unspecified additional services such services shall only be performed upon the express written request of the City. Consultant further represents that the services furnished under this Agreement will be performed in accordance with generally accepted professional practices in effect at the time such services are performed. II. Term: The City and the Consultant agree that work will begin on the tasks described in Exhibit A immediately upon execution of this Agreement. The parties agree that the work described in Exhibit A is to be completed as provided for in the work schedule attached hereto as Exhibit B; provided however, that additional time shall be granted by the City for excusable delays or extra work as provided for in section IX (A) ofthis agreement. III. Compensation: In consideration of the services provided pursuant to this Agreement, the City shall pay Consultant in an amount not to exceed fifty thousand ($50,000.00) dollars. Consultant's charges and bills shall conform to the fee schedule attached hereto as Exhibit C and incorporated herein by this reference. The Consultant shall submit regular billing statements detailing work performed and amount charged on each task or portion thereof. The descriptions shall conform to and fall within the categories set out in the Scope of Work and/or Fee Schedule. Upon receipt of a conforming billing statement, the City shall promptly process payment. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, the City reserves the right to prioritize scoped work and accelerate and/or delay work tasks under the time frame set forth in Section II herein. The Consultant's labor rates and billing fees shall be as delineated in Exhibit C. Consultant shall not perform work beyond the Scope of Work, nor shall they be compensated for such work, unless the Scope of Work or amount of compensation is modified pursuant to this Agreement. Consultant shall only be compensated for additional services if requested pursuant to Section I and, if not otherwise provided, such compensation shall be in accordance with Exhibit C. Consultant shall notify the City's Director of Financial ServIces whenever they determine that work has been requested that falls outside of the currently approved Scope of Work. If a billing statement does not conform to this Agreement, the City may withhold payment until the statement is brought into compliance. Such withholding does not relieve Consultant of its obligations under this Agreement. Bremerton/The Connections Group Communication Plan and Citizen Outreach Page 1 ofl0 IV. Relationship of Parties: Consultant represents that it is skilled in the matters addressed in the Scope of Work and is performing independent functions and responsibilities within its field of expertise. Consultant and its personnel are independent Consultants and not employees of the City. Consultant and its personnel have no authority to bind the City or to control the City's employees and other Consultants. None of the benefits provided by the City to its employees, including, but not limited to, compensation, insurance, and unemployment insurance are available from the City to the employees, agents, representatives, or sub-Consultants of the Consultant. Consultant will be solely and entirely responsible for its acts and for the acts of Consultant's agents, employees, representatives and sub-Consultants during the performance of this Agreement. The City may, during the term of this Agreement, engage other independent Consultants to perform the same or similar work. As an independent Consultant, Consultant is responsible for its own management. The City's administration and enforcement of this Agreement shall not be deemed an exercise of managerial control over Consultant or its personnel. As an independent Consultant, Consultant is responsible for payment of all taxes and licensing fees necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement. These taxes and fees include but are not limited to State industrial insurance, Business & Occupation, State professional licensing, and City business licensing. If any taxes or fees due the City have been declared delinquent, the City may withhold the delinquent amount, plus any additional charges arising from the delinquency, from any payments due Consultant. V. Indemnification: Consultant shall defend, indemnify and hold the City, its officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers harmless from any and all claims, injuries, damages, losses or suits, including all legal costs and attorney fees, arising out of or in connection with the performance of this Agreement, except for that portion of the injuries and damages caused by the City's sole negligence. The City's review or acceptance of any of the work when completed shall not be grounds to avoid any of these covenants of indemnification. Should a court of competent jurisdiction determine that this Agreement is subject to RCW 4.24.115, then, in the event of liability for damages arising out of bodily injury to persons or damages to property caused by or resulting from the concurrent negligence of the Consultant and the City, its officers, officials, employees, agents and volunteers, the Consultant's liability hereunder shall be only to the extent of the Consultant's negligence. IT IS FURTHER SPECIFICALLY AND EXPRESSLY UNDERSTOOD THAT THE INDEMNIFICATION PROVIDED HEREIN CONSTITUTES THE CONSULTANT'S WAIVER OF IMMUNITY UNDER INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE, TITLE 51 RCW, SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS INDEMNIFICATION. THE PARTIES FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE MUTUALLY NEGOTIATED THIS WAIVER. The provisions of this section shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement. - - VI. Insurance: The Consultant shall procure and maintain for the duration of the Agreement, insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damage to property which may arise from or in Bremerton/The Connections Group Communication Plan and Citizen Outreach Page 2 of 10 connection with the performance of the work hereunder by the Consultant, its agents, representatives, employees, sub-consultants or sub-Consultants. Before beginning work on the project described in this Agreement, the Consultant shall provide a Certificate of Insurance evidencing: 1. Automobile Liability insurance with limits no less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage; and 2. Commercial General Liability insurance written on an occurrence basis with limits no less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence and general aggregate for personal injury, bodily injury and property damage. Coverage shall include but not be limited to: blanket contractual; products/completed operations/broad form property damage; explosion, collapse and underground (XCD) if applicable; and employer's liability; and 3. Excess Liability insurance with limits not less than 1,000,000 limit per occurrence and aggregate. 4. Professional Liability insurance with limits no less than $1,000,000 limit per occurrence/claim. Any payment of deductible or self insured retention shall be the sole responsibility of the Consultant. All required policies shall be provided on an "occurrence" basis except professional liability insurance (if required), which may be provided on a "claims-made" basis. The City shall be named as an additional insured on the Commercial General Liability insurance policy, as respects work performed by or on .behalf of the Consultant and a copy of an endorsement that is acceptable to the City, which names the City as an additional insured shall be attached to the Certificate of Insurance. The City reserves the right to receive a certified copy of all the required insurance policies and endorsements. The City further reserves the right to reject any unacceptable policies and/or endorsements. The Consultant's Commercial General Liability insurance shall contain a clause stating that coverage shall apply separately to each insured against whom claim is made or suit is brought, except with respects to the limits ofthe insurer's liability. The Consultant's insurance shall be primary insurance as respects the City and the City . shall be given thirty (30) days prior written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, of any cancellation, suspension or material change in coverage. The City also reserves its unqualified right to require at any time and for any reason, proof of coverage in the form of a duplicate of the insurance policy with all endorsements as evidence of coverage. Bremerton/The Connections Group Communication Plan and Citizen Outreach Page 3 of 10 VII. General Conditions: A. Reports and Information: When requested by the City, Consultant shall furnish periodic reports and documents on matters covered by this Agreement. The reports and documents shall be furnished to the City's Director of Financial Services in the time and form requested. Consultant shall maintain accounting records in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to substantiate all billed amounts. B. Ownership and Use of Records and Documents: Original documents, drawings, designs and reports, including those in electronic format, developed under this Agreement are the property of the City. All written information submitted by the City to the Consultant in connection with the services. performed by the Consultant under this Agreement will be safeguarded by the Consultant to at least the same extent as the Consultant safeguards like information relating to its own business. If such information is publicly available or is already in Consultant's possession or known to it, or is rightfully obtained by the Consultant from third parties, Consultant shall bear no responsibility for its disclosure, inadvertent or otherwise. All data, documents and files created by Consultant under this Agreement may be stored at Consultant's office in Seattle, Washington. Consultant shall make such data, documents, and files available to the City upon its request at all reasonable times for the purpose of editing, modifying and updating as necessary until such time as the City is capable of storing such information in the City's offices. Duplicate copies of this information shall be provided to the City upon its request, and at reasonable cost. All documents, including all reports, drawings, specifications, computer software or other items prepared or furnished by Consultant pursuant to this Agreement, are instruments of service with respect to the project and are the property of the City. Any reuse by the City for other than the specific purpose intended will be at City's sole risk. C. Work Performed at Consultant's Risk: Consultant shall take all precautions necessary and shall be responsible for the safety of its employees, agents, and sub-consultants in the performance of the work hereunder and shall utilize all protection necessary for that purpose. All work shall be done at Consultant's own risk, and Consultant shall be responsible for any loss of or damage to materials, tools, or other articles used or held for use in connection with the work. D. Place of Work: The Consultant shall perform the work authorized under this Agreement at its offices in Seattle, Washington. Meetings with the City staff as- described in Exhibit A, Scope of Work, shall take place at the City's offices, or at locations mutually agreed upon by the parties. E. Entire Agreement: This Agreement and its Exhibits constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties, and the Parties acknowledge that there are no other agreements, written or oral, that have not been set forth in the text of this Agreement. F. Severability: Should any part of this Agreement be found void, the balance of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. BremertonlThe Connections Group Communication Plan and Citizen Outreach Page 4 of 10 G. Modification: This Agreement may only be modified by written instrument signed by both Parties. H. Written Notices: All communications regarding this Agreement shall be sent to the parties at the addresses listed below by registered or 1 st class mail, or by personal service, and shall be deemed sufficiently given if sent to the addressee at the address stated in this Agreement or such other address as may be hereafter specified in writing. City Address: City of Bremerton Attention: Mayors Office 345 6th Street, Suite 600 Bremerton, WA 98337 Consultant Address: The Connections Group Attention: Cathy Allen, President 600 Stewart Street, Suite 1300 Seattle, WA 98101-1230 Second Copy sent to: Laura Lyon City of Bremerton Director of Financial Services 345 6th Street, Suite 600 Bremerton, W A 98337 1. Waiver: Failure to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of that provision. Waiver of any right or power arising out of this Agreement shall not be deemed waiver of any other right or power. J. Non-Waiver of Breach: The failure of the City to insist upon strict performance of any of the covenants and agreements contained herein, or to exercise any option herein conferred in one or more instances shall not be construed to be a waiver or relinquishment of said covenants, agreements or options, and the same shall be and remain in full force and effect. K. Compliance with Laws: Consultant shall comply with all applicable Federal, State, and local laws in performing its obligations under this Agreement. L. Choice of Law and Venue: This Agreement shall be interpreted according to the laws of the State of Washington. Any judicial action to resolve disputes arising out of this Agreement shall be brought in Kitsap County Superior Court. M. Attorneys' Fees: In the event of litigation to enforce any of the terms or provisions herein, each party shall pay all its own costs and attorney's fees. . N. Assignment: Any assignment of this agreement by the Contractor without the written consent of the City shall be void. VIII. Nondiscrimination: Consultant shall not discriminate in employment or services to the public on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation, except for employment actions based on bona fide occupational qualification. BremertonlThe Connections Group Communication Plan and Citizen Outreach Page 5 ofl0 IX. Termination: This Agreement shall remain in force until completion and acceptance of the services, terminated by written instrument upon mutual consent, or by the City of Bremerton for convenience. This Agreement may be immediately terminated for cause by a Party if the other Party substantially fails to perform through no fault of the terminating Party, and the non- performing Party does not commence correction of the failure of performance within thirty (30) days of the terminating Party's sending notice to the non-performing Party. Any Notice by Consultant shall include a report showing the status of all items listed in the Scope of Work current through the termination date. A. Excusable Delays: The right of Consultant to proceed shall not be terminated nor shall Consultant be charged with liquidated damages for any delays in the completion of the work due to: 1) any acts of the federal government in controlling, restricting, or requisitioning materials, equipment, tools, or labor by reason of war, national defense, or other national emergency; 2) any acts of the City, its consultants, or other public agencies causing such delay; and 3) causes not reasonably foreseeable by the parties at the time of the execution of the Agreement that are beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the Consultant, including, but not restricted to, acts of God, fires, floods, strikes, or weather of unusual severity. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Consultant must promptly notify the City within ten (10) calendar days in writing of the cause of the delay. If, on the basis of the facts and the terms of this Agreement, the delay is properly excusable, the City shall, in writing, extend the time for completing the work for a period of time commensurate with the period of excusable delay. B. Rights Upon Termination: In the event of termination, the City shall pay for all services performed by the Consultant to the effective date of termination, as described on a final invoice submitted to the City. After termination, the City may take possession of all records and data within the Consultant's possession pertaining to this project which may be used by the City without restriction. Any such use not related to the project which Consultant was contracted to perform shall be without liability or legal exposure to the Consultant. CITY OF B r=='-, \ By: ta."~ ~'LQ..""'to......, its: t'(\o..~o.. Date: '-\ I \0 I 01 C~;:LTANT ad~{Jl ~ By: its: Date: ~I At /' Bremerton/The Connections Group Communication Plan and Citizen Outreach Page 6 of 10 Exhibit A - SCOPE OF WORK 1. Development of a Communications Plan The City of Bremerton needs to be consistent as it deals with growing public issues. Consultant will help to shape the relevant points of emphasis and will develop a communications plan including content development, strategic positioning, and increased coverage. the consultant will also develop the pro's and con's of setting up a communications office including considerations such as selecting a professional to staff it, training, etc. should the City choose that approach. The communications plan will deal with specific segments of the public that need special attention. The City will need to have a specialized communication plan and message for target communities, such as the downtown communities and outlying neighborhoods. Consultant will work with each department to formulate a message, create a plan, and develop story ideas that strengthen the Bremerton message. Consultant will also put special emphasis on developing ideas that would be ideal on local cable TV shows. Deliverables include a communication plan document as well as the development of individual press plans and timelines for City's departments. 2. City Wide Constituency Email Database and E-Newsletter Template Consultant will build a list of approximately 500-1,000 Email addresses in an Email database. These would include constituents and stakeholders who contact the City online, elected officials, retired City employees, other public employees (Kitsap County, Police officers, Firefighters, and Emergency Medical staffers), civic organization memberships (League of Women Voters, Rotaries, etc.), Building this database online will allow the City: · To keep citizens informed of new programs, latest news and general information to help educate a growing public of how they can be helpful in building a better community. · To offer an opportunity for citizens to respond to a number of public engagement issues without having to attend a meeting. Consultant would coordinate with the City's web site operators on how to construct local surveys, polls and multiple response questions on public issues so that these opinions could be tallied into the public record of ongoing issues. · To invite specific publics to regional informal meetings to talk with the City and her staff. Consultant will also produce an e-newsletter template for use by the City. The template will be useful for relaying the City message, developing new stories, and communicating with citizens. This will provide the City with an easy to use tool to provide individualized messages to constituents, community groups, legislators, and any other group interested in the work of the City. It will be an integral tool to allow City departments to communicate with the public, taxpayers and decision makers about the future of Bremerton. 3. Poll Consultant will conduct a 400 person poll of civically-involved Bremerton residents on the status of neighborhood parks, street maintenance, and pedestrian safety. The poll will be approximately 15 Bremerton/The Connections Group Communication Plan and Citizen Outreach Page 7 of 10 minutes. Consultant will be responsible for protocol development, fielding of the poll, compilation, analysis, segmented cross tabulations, power point presentation, and an executive strategy. The purpose of this poll will be to establish a baseline upon which to build a message of what people are thinking, what they want done and what their priorities might be. Often in municipal environments, a small band of well-intended individuals can define or paint a picture of the City that is often one-sided, overblown or even misguided. A poll will give the City a realistic, more pervasive look at. what constituents are thinking about their neighborhood parks, motorized, and non-motorized transportation systems. This poll could be used for the following: . Meetings with Editorial Boards . Community Meetings . Public speaking opportunities by the Mayor and key staff . Testimony to City Council . E-mail excerpts of the poll to citizens interested in the issues . Op~ed pieces for local newspapers . Other individual opportunities to respond to the media 4. Local Focus Groups Consultant will conduct two focus group meetings in 2007. Consultant will be responsible for: . Locating appropriate locations (home, restaurant, school, public meeting facility). . Identifying public participants which might include communities of color, teenagers/college students, small business owners, local clergy, perfect voters, people who work from their homes and others. . Arranging all the logistics for these informal focus groups (lunch, incentives, video-taping, etc). . Finalizing a report on the conclusions. The City has been meeting constituents and conducting regular public meetings. However, there are important publics that are subsets of the greater public that would be enlightening to hear from. The City might consider inviting key members of departmental staff, other elected officials or members of the community (press, local business leaders, etc.) to hear how these groups assess the progress of Bremerton and how they would prioritize their needs especially in the areas of parks and road projects. This kind of focus group, if taped, could also be used for excerpting in official reports, public testimony and speeches. Bremerton/The Connections Group Communication Plan and Citizen Outreach Page 8 of 10 Exhibit B - WORK SCHEDULE Work to be completed in 2007 Phase One (Research: April- May) April . Development of poll questionnaire (by April ih) . Fielding poll (by April 15th) . Analyzing poll (by April 2l5t) May . Development of focus group protocol (by May l5t) . Conducting two focus groups in Bremerton (by May 8th) . Analyzing and completing focus group reports (by May 15th) Phase Two (Message and Target Communications Plan: June) Bremerton Message and Targeting Plan (based on research) (by June l5t) Overall Strategy Meeting with City to Discuss Message Delivery Plan . Special targeted communities strategy . Development of special publics data base . Development story ideas and where the stories might best be told . Cable TV message delivery ideas . Individual press plans for City Departments Phase Three (City Wide Constituency E-mail Base and E-Newsletter: June - July) Inventory and combine all City Department general/interested public lists (by June 15th) . Stakeholders and vendors . . Current and retired City employees . Civic organization memberships . Other government agencies . Others Develop Template for E~Newsletter Phase Four (Message Delivery: June 15 through August 15th) . Meetings with Editorial Boards . Community meetings . Public speaking opportunities by the Mayor and key staff . Testimony to City Council . E-mail excerpts of the poll to citizens interested in the issues . Op-ed pieces for local newspapers . Other individual opportunities to respond to the media Phase Five (Next Steps: August) Develop the pro's and con's of setting up a communications office including such considerations as selecting a professional to staff it, training, etc. BremertonlThe Connections Group . Communication Plan and Citizen Outreach Page 9 of 10 Exhibit C - FEE SCHEDULE 1. Consulting - Development of a Communications Plan and Individual Press Plans Not to Exceed $17,000 Billed hourly at $150/hr 2. City Wide Constituency Email Database and E-Newsletter Template Not to Exceed $5,000 Billed hourly at $150/hr 3. Poll Not to Exceed $18,000 Billed hourly at $150/hr 4. Two Local Focus Groups Not to Exceed $10,000 Billed hourly at $150/hr Total Not to Exceed Amount for this Contract of $50,000. Bremerton/The COlli1ections Group Communication Plan and Citizen Outreach Page 10 of 10