Safe Community Task Force Facilitator Selection_Urban StrategiesMasterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director
February 10, 2010
Dubuque
bitil
Al- America City
2007
SUBJECT: Safe Community Task Force Recommendation to Contract with Urban
Strategies, Inc. for Facilitation Services
The purpose of this memorandum is to forward to the City Council a recommendation
from the Safe Community Task Force that the City Council contract with Urban
Strategies, Inc., for facilitation services.
Background
On October 29, the City released a request for proposals (RFP) seeking a professional
facilitator for the Safe Community Task Force. The City received proposals from the
following organizations in response: 1) Crimson Leadership Institute; 2) Dynamic
Facilitation, Inc.; 3) Institute of Public Affairs; and 4) KSF Associates, Inc. Staff
reviewed the proposals and recommended to the Safe Community Task Force that
Crimson Leadership Group and Dynamic Facilitation be interviewed. The Safe
Community Task Force appointed a facilitator search subcommittee to participate in the
interview and selection process. The appointed members of the Task Force included
Jonathon Cheatham, Terry Mozena, and Doug Stillings. The members also asked a
subcommittee member, Mary Rae Bragg, to assist.
The search subcommittee interviewed consultants from Crimson Leadership Group and
Dynamic Facilitation in December, and also decided to interview a consultant from KSF
Associates. In addition, they asked that the City send the RFP to several additional
consultants. The City did so on December 21, and received one additional proposal in
response from Powers of Communication on January 4. The search subcommittee
conducted interviews with consultants from KSF and Powers of Communication in
January. The search subcommittee also requested that the City seek a proposal from
Urban Strategies, Inc., and the City submitted the RFP to them on January 15. Urban
Strategies submitted a proposal on January 22, and the subcommittee conducted an
interview the following week.
The search subcommittee submitted the following recommendation to the Safe
Community Task Force:
The facilitator search committee for the Safe Community Task Force is
recommending that the Task Force seek to hire Urban Strategies, Inc., of St.
Louis, Mo., for the position of task force facilitator. It is the committee's feeling
that Urban Strategies, in the form of Senior Vice President Susan Glassman and
Senior Consultant Carlotta Paige, is excellently suited to provide not only
meeting facilitation but consulting expertise in the areas of concern to our
community.
Urban Strategies has extensive experience in developing stronger, safer
communities which were faced with problems exactly mirroring those of
Dubuque. Their experience should significantly assist the task force in its
process, not only in working with the committees and Task Force, but also in
identifying methods that they've seen to be successful in addressing safety
concerns in other cities.
The cost of employing Urban Strategies is estimated to be between $45,000 and
$50,000. We are aware that is more than the amount budgeted by the City
Council for the this position, but the search committee feels the expertise offered
by Urban Strategies is well worth the additional investment in order to assure a
successful outcome for all city residents. If the Task Force agrees, its
recommendation will need to be sent to the City Council for approval of the
higher expenditure.
Should the Task Force prefer to select a facilitator whose cost will not require
council approval, the search committee recommends Jan Powers, of Powers of
Communication, a Dubuque businesswoman with extensive experience in
facilitating various city, business and non - profit groups in their projects. Her
estimated expense would be in the neighborhood of $12,000. We wish to
reinforce that if this is the route we take we are hiring a very competent facilitator,
but we are not getting the experience and knowledge that we would get with the
Urban Strategies group.
The Task Force met on February 1 to review and discuss this recommendation. The
Task Force concurred in the recommendation to contract with Urban Strategies, Inc.
On February 9, staff negotiated a contract with Urban Strategies for their services, a
copy of which is attached to this memo.
Budget Implications
The cost to contract with Urban Strategies would be $35,500 in fees and an estimated
$9,100 in expenses. This can be funded with election savings in the City Clerk's
budget.
Action Requested
The action requested is that you forward to the City Council the recommendation of the
Safe Community Task Force to contract with Urban Strategies, Inc. for facilitation
services.
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Safe Community Task Force Recommendation to Contract with Urban
Strategies, Inc. for Facilitation Services
DATE: February 11, 2010
Dubuque
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AY- AmeficaCity
1 1 1 1 I
2007
Human Rights Director Kelly Larson is recommending that Urban Strategies be retained
as the facilitator for the Safe Community Task Force.
The total costs are $44,600. Funding is available from election savings in the City
Clerk's budget.
concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Kelly Larson, Human Rights Director
Phyllis Russell, Management Intern
Safe Community Task Force
Micfiael C. Van Milligen