Sustainable Straegies DC, Ferguson Group Contract Renewal
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Sustainable Strategies/Ferguson Group Contract Renewal
DATE: October 11, 2012
Assistant City Manager Teri Goodmann is recommending that the City continue the
contract with Sustainable Strategies DC and the Ferguson Group through December
2012, to review and provide strategic advice on grant writing as it pertains to alternative
funding sources for City projects and initiatives at a cost of $2,500 per month.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
/1711d144 Ift44/
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Sustainable Strategies/Ferguson Group Contract Renewal
DATE: October 4, 2012
Introduction
The purpose of this memorandum is to request approval to renew the contract with
Sustainable Strategies DC and The Ferguson Group.
Background
In 2009 the City of Dubuque entered into a contract with The Ferguson Group to review
and provide strategic advice on grant writing as it pertains to alternative funding sources
for city projects and initiatives. The cost for this service has remained at $2,500/month
since 2009. Since that time, The Ferguson Group and its partner agency Sustainable
Strategies DC has directly assisted the City of Dubuque is securing approximately $14.5
million in federal funding, including:
• $473,136 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Showcase
Communities program (which our Climate Communities coalition helped to create) to
support the Smarter, Sustainable Dubuque initiative;
• $5.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation's TIGER program for a
Complete Streets project in the Millwork District;
• $8 million from the Federal Transit Administration's State of Good Repair program to
build a new intermodal transportation center; and
• $500,000 through the U.S. Department of Energy's Smart Grid Data Access program
to help citizens reduce their electricity consumption.
In addition, Sustainable Strategies DC/The Ferguson Group has provided input on
other Federal and private foundation grant applications. Since 2009 the city of Dubuque
and its partners have successfully been awarded over $130 million in State and Federal
grant funds.
Discussion
Recently it was discovered that the city's existing contract with The Ferguson Group
expired in December 2012, however the city continues to received services from
Sustainable Strategies DC/The Ferguson Group and has continued to pay the retainer
fee at the existing rate of $2,500/month.
The purpose of this memorandum is to request approval for renewal of a contract for
services with Sustainable Strategies DC/The Ferguson Group through December 31,
2012 and to pay for rendered since June of this year. There are several pending private
and federal funding opportunities that Sustainable Strategies DC/The Ferguson group
has provided support for including:
• A $1 million request to the Economic Development Administration's Disaster Relief
Opportunity program to fund green infrastructure in the Bee Branch Restoration Area;
• A $600,000 request to the Federal Highway Administration's TCSP program to convert
three key streets (9th Street, 11th Street and Elm Street) into Complete Streets; and
• A request to EPA and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to conduct targeted
brownfields assessments in the Millwork District, Bee Branch and South Port areas.
Sustainable Strategies DC/The Ferguson Group is also currently working with the City to
prepare several competitive applications, including:
• A $1-5 million award from the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayors Challenge to support
interactive technology tool and equitable engagement process that allows cities and
citizens to collaborate, cooperate and coordinate during times of emergency; and
• Recognition and a $100,000 Harvard Innovations in Government award to honor the
Smarter Sustainable Dubuque initiative.
Recommendation
I recommend the city continue to retain Sustainable Strategies DC/The Ferguson Group
at a rate of $2500 to provide grant analysis and grant writing assistance to the city of
Dubuque through December of 2012. Funding is available from the source for the
current contract, which is the Management Intern vacancy.