Board approves notice of intent and negotiations with recommended federal lobbying firm

The board approved staff’s recommendation to issue a notice of intent to award and to begin contract negotiations with the evaluation team’s top-scoring proposer for federal lobbying services. The item, listed in response to RAFP‑26‑08, drew questions about bidder counts and performance metrics.

An interim county attorney who served on the scoring committee explained that three firms bid and that the recommended firm was judged to have the strongest local performance record, including claimed success bringing federal resources to local projects. "From my perspective [the recommended firm] had the most local performance," he said, noting the firm’s proposed ability to secure significant federal funding. Commissioners asked staff to provide additional evidence of prior success with the types of federal programs the county seeks and clarified that the board expects a negotiated contract that protects county interests.

The board moved and approved the notice of intent and directed staff to negotiate terms with the recommended proposer.