AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY OF SAN MATEO AND
POLITICAL SOLUTIONS, INC.

 

THIS AGREEMENT, entered into this _____ day of _______________ , 20_____, by and between the COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, hereinafter called "County," and Political Solutions, Inc. hereinafter called "Contractor";

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code, Section 31000, County may contract with independent contractors for the furnishing of such services to or for County or any Department thereof;

 

WHEREAS, it is necessary and desirable that Contractor be retained for the purpose of state advocacy (lobbying) services.

 
 

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED BY THE PARTIES HERETO AS FOLLOWS:

   

1.

Exhibits and Attachments

The following exhibits and attachments are included hereto and incorporated by reference herein:

Exhibit A—Services

Exhibit B—Payments and rates

   

2.

Services to be performed by Contractor

In consideration of the payments set forth herein and in Exhibit “B,” Contractor shall perform services for County in accordance with the terms, conditions and specifications set forth herein and in Exhibit “A.”

 

3.

Payments

In consideration of the services provided by Contractor in accordance with all terms, conditions and specifications set forth herein and in Exhibit "A," County shall make payment to Contractor based on the rates and in the manner specified in Exhibit "B." The County reserves the right to withhold payment if the County determines that the quantity or quality of the work performed is unacceptable. In no event shall the County’s total fiscal obligation under this Agreement exceed ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, $150,000.00.

 
 
 

4.

Term and Termination

Subject to compliance with all terms and conditions, the term of this Agreement shall be from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011.

This Agreement may be terminated by Contractor, the Deputy County Manager for Intergovernmental and Public Affairs or his/her designee at any time without a requirement of good cause upon thirty (30) days’ written notice to the other party.

In the event of termination, all finished or unfinished documents, data, studies, maps, photographs, reports, and materials (hereafter referred to as materials) prepared by Contractor under this Agreement shall become the property of the County and shall be promptly delivered to the County. Upon termination, the Contractor may make and retain a copy of such materials. Subject to availability of funding, Contractor shall be entitled to receive payment for work/services provided prior to termination of the Agreement. Such payment shall be that portion of the full payment which is determined by comparing the work/services completed to the work/services required by the Agreement.

 

5.

Availability of Funds

The County may terminate this Agreement or a portion of the services referenced in the Attachments and Exhibits based upon unavailability of Federal, State, or County funds, by providing written notice to Contractor as soon as is reasonably possible after the County learns of said unavailability of outside funding.

   

6.

Relationship of Parties

Contractor agrees and understands that the work/services performed under this Agreement are performed as an independent Contractor and not as an employee of the County and that Contractor acquires none of the rights, privileges, powers, or advantages of County employees.

 

7.

Hold Harmless

Contractor shall indemnify and save harmless County, its officers, agents, employees, and servants from all claims, suits, or actions of every name, kind, and description, brought for, or on account of: (A) injuries to or death of any person, including Contractor, or (B) damage to any property of any kind whatsoever and to whomsoever belonging, (C) any sanctions, penalties, or claims of damages resulting from Contractor’s failure to comply with the requirements set forth in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and all Federal regulations promulgated thereunder, as amended, or (D) any other loss or cost, including but not limited to that caused by the concurrent active or passive negligence of County, its officers, agents, employees, or servants, resulting from the performance of any work required of Contractor or payments made pursuant to this Agreement, provided that this shall not apply to injuries or damage for which County has been found in a court of competent jurisdiction to be solely liable by reason of its own negligence or willful misconduct.

 

The duty of Contractor to indemnify and save harmless as set forth herein, shall include the duty to defend as set forth in Section 2778 of the California Civil Code.

   

8.

Assignability and Subcontracting

Contractor shall not assign this Agreement or any portion thereof to a third party or subcontract with a third party to provide services required by contractor under this Agreement without the prior written consent of County. Any such assignment or subcontract without the County’s prior written consent shall give County the right to automatically and immediately terminate this Agreement.

 

9.

Insurance

The Contractor shall not commence work or be required to commence work under this Agreement unless and until all insurance required under this paragraph has been obtained and such insurance has been approved by Risk Management, and Contractor shall use diligence to obtain such insurance and to obtain such approval. The Contractor shall furnish the County with certificates of insurance evidencing the required coverage, and there shall be a specific contractual liability endorsement extending the Contractor's coverage to include the contractual liability assumed by the Contractor pursuant to this Agreement. These certificates shall specify or be endorsed to provide that thirty (30) days' notice must be given, in writing, to the County of any pending change in the limits of liability or of any cancellation or modification of the policy.

 

(1)

Worker's Compensation and Employer's Liability Insurance The Contractor shall have in effect during the entire life of this Agreement Workers' Compensation and Employer's Liability Insurance providing full statutory coverage. In signing this Agreement, the Contractor certifies, as required by Section 1861 of the California Labor Code, that it is aware of the provisions of Section 3700 of the California Labor Code which requires every employer to be insured against liability for Worker's Compensation or to undertake self-insurance in accordance with the provisions of the Code, and I will comply with such provisions before commencing the performance of the work of this Agreement.

 

(2)

Liability Insurance The Contractor shall take out and maintain during the life of this Agreement such Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability Insurance as shall protect him/her while performing work covered by this Agreement from any and all claims for damages for bodily injury, including accidental death, as well as any and all claims for property damage which may arise from contractors operations under this Agreement, whether such operations be by himself/herself or by any sub-contractor or by anyone directly or indirectly employed by either of them. Such insurance shall be combined single limit bodily injury and property damage for each occurrence and shall be not less than the amount specified below.

   
 

Such insurance shall include:

 

(a)

Comprehensive General Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

$1,000,000

 

(b)

Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

$1,000,000

 

(c)

Professional Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

$1,000,000

       

County and its officers, agents, employees and servants shall be named as additional insured on any such policies of insurance, which shall also contain a provision that the insurance afforded thereby to the County, its officers, agents, employees and servants shall be primary insurance to the full limits of liability of the policy, and that if the County or its officers and employees have other insurance against the loss covered by such a policy, such other insurance shall be excess insurance only.

 

In the event of the breach of any provision of this section, or in the event any notice is received which indicates any required insurance coverage will be diminished or canceled, the County of San Mateo at its option, may, notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, immediately declare a material breach of this Agreement and suspend all further work pursuant to this Agreement.

 

10.

Compliance with laws; payment of Permits/Licenses

All services to be performed by Contractor pursuant to this Agreement shall be performed in accordance with all applicable Federal, State, County, and municipal laws, including, but not limited to, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and all Federal regulations promulgated thereunder, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended and attached hereto and incorporated by reference herein as Attachment “I,” which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicap in programs and activities receiving any Federal or County financial assistance. Such services shall also be performed in accordance with all applicable ordinances and regulations, including, but not limited to, appropriate licensure, certification regulations, provisions pertaining to confidentiality of records, and applicable quality assurance regulations. Further, Contractor certifies that the Contractor and all of its subcontractors will adhere to all applicable provisions of Chapter 4.106 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, which regulates the use of disposable food service ware.

In the event of a conflict between the terms of this agreement and State, Federal, County, or municipal law or regulations, the requirements of the applicable law will take precedence over the requirements set forth in this Agreement.

Contractor will timely and accurately complete, sign, and submit all necessary documentation of compliance.

 

11.

Non-Discrimination and Other Requirements

A.

Section 504 applies only to Contractor who are providing services to members of the public. Contractor shall comply with § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which provides that no otherwise qualified handicapped individual shall, solely by reason of a disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in the performance of this Agreement.

B.

General non-discrimination. No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, religion, ancestry, gender, age (over 40), national origin, medical condition (cancer), physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, marital status, or political affiliation be denied any benefits or subject to discrimination under this Agreement.

C.

Equal employment opportunity. Contractor shall ensure equal employment opportunity based on objective standards of recruitment, classification, selection, promotion, compensation, performance evaluation, and management relations for all employees under this Agreement. Contractor’s equal employment policies shall be made available to County of San Mateo upon request.

D.

Violation of Non-discrimination provisions. Violation of the non-discrimination provisions of this Agreement shall be considered a breach of this Agreement and subject the Contractor to penalties, to be determined by the County Manager, including but not limited to

 

i)

termination of this Agreement;

 

ii)

disqualification of the Contractor from bidding on or being awarded a County contract for a period of up to 3 years;

 

iii)

liquidated damages of $2,500 per violation;

 

iv)

imposition of other appropriate contractual and civil remedies and sanctions, as determined by the County Manager.

     

To effectuate the provisions of this section, the County Manager shall have the authority to examine Contractor’s employment records with respect to compliance with this paragraph and/or to set off all or any portion of the amount described in this paragraph against amounts due to Contractor under the Contract or any other Contract between Contractor and County.

     

Contractor shall report to the County Manager the filing by any person in any court of any complaint of discrimination or the filing by any person of any and all charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Fair Employment and Housing Commission or any other entity charged with the investigation of allegations within 30 days of such filing, provided that within such 30 days such entity has not notified Contractor that such charges are dismissed or otherwise unfounded. Such notification shall include the name of the complainant, a copy of such complaint, and a description of the circumstance. Contractor shall provide County with a copy of their response to the Complaint when filed.

 

E.

Compliance with Equal Benefits Ordinance. With respect to the provision of employee benefits, Contractor shall comply with the County Ordinance which prohibits contractors from discriminating in the provision of employee benefits between an employee with a domestic partner and an employee with a spouse.

F.

The Contractor shall comply fully with the non-discrimination requirements required by 41 CFR 60-741.5(a), which is incorporated herein as if fully set forth.

   

12.

Compliance with Contractor Employee Jury Service Ordinance

Contractor shall comply with the County Ordinance with respect to provision of jury duty pay to employees and have and adhere to a written policy that provides that its employees shall receive from the Contractor, on an annual basis, no less than five days of regular pay for actual jury service in San Mateo County. The policy may provide that employees deposit any fees received for such jury service with the Contractor or that the Contractor deduct from the employees’ regular pay the fees received for jury service.

   

13.

Retention of Records, Right to Monitor and Audit

(a) CONTRACTOR shall maintain all required records for three (3) years after the COUNTY makes final payment and all other pending matters are closed, and shall be subject to the examination and/or audit of the County, a Federal grantor agency, and the State of California.

(b) Reporting and Record Keeping: CONTRACTOR shall comply with all program and fiscal reporting requirements set forth by appropriate Federal, State and local agencies, and as required by the COUNTY.

(c) CONTRACTOR agrees to provide to COUNTY, to any Federal or State department having monitoring or review authority, to COUNTY's authorized representatives, and/or their appropriate audit agencies upon reasonable notice, access to and the right to examine all records and documents necessary to determine compliance with relevant Federal, State, and local statutes, rules and regulations, and this Agreement, and to evaluate the quality, appropriateness and timeliness of services performed.

 

14.

Merger Clause

This Agreement, including the Exhibits attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, constitutes the sole Agreement of the parties hereto and correctly states the rights, duties, and obligations of each party as of this document's date. In the event that any term, condition, provision, requirement or specification set forth in this body of the agreement conflicts with or is inconsistent with any term, condition, provision, requirement or specification in any exhibit and/or attachment to this agreement, the provisions of this body of the agreement shall prevail. Any prior agreement, promises, negotiations, or representations between the parties not expressly stated in this document are not binding. All subsequent modifications shall be in writing and signed by the parties.

   

15.

Controlling Law and Venue

The validity of this Agreement and of its terms or provisions, as well as the rights and duties of the parties hereunder, the interpretation, and performance of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California. Any dispute arising out of this Agreement shall be venued either in the San Mateo County Superior Court or the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

   

16.

Notices

 

Any notice, request, demand, or other communication required or permitted hereunder shall be deemed to be properly given when both (1) transmitted via facsimile to the telephone number listed below and (2) either deposited in the United Sates mail, postage prepaid, or when deposited for overnight delivery with an established overnight courier that provides a tracking number showing confirmation of receipt for transmittal, charges prepaid, addressed to:

    In the case of County, to:

    County Manager’s Office

    Mary McMillan, Deputy County Manager

    400 County Center, 1st floor

    Redwood City, CA 94063

    In the case of Contractor, to:

    Political Solutions, Inc.

    Stacy Dwelley

    1414 K Street, Suite 400

    Sacramento, CA 95814

In the event that the facsimile transmission is not possible, notice shall be given both by United States mail and an overnight courier as outlined above.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto, by their duly authorized representatives, have affixed their hands.

 
 

COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

 
 
 

By:

 

County Manager, San Mateo County

 
 
 

Date:

 

Political Solutions, Inc.

 
 
 
 

Contractor’s Signature

 
 

Date:

 

Long Form Agreement/Non Business Associate v 8/19/08

Exhibit “A”

 

In consideration of the payments set forth in Exhibit “B”, Contractor shall provide the following services for the County of San Mateo:

 

In consultation with the Deputy County Manager for Intergovernmental and Public Affairs and the Board of Supervisors Legislative Committee, the Contractor shall serve as the County’s primary state legislative advocate, and shall perform the services which shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. As the County’s primary state legislative advocate, coordinate all legislative matters with the County Manager’s Office;

2. Work with the County staff and the Board’s Legislative Committee to develop a system of “key contacts” in agencies throughout the County, including periodic training programs on the legislative process;

3. Work with County staff and the Legislative Committee to develop the County’s proactive Legislative Program, which will include legislative and regulatory proposals the County would sponsor, key priorities and general policies. In the developing the Legislative Program, Contractor duties should include a preliminary assessment of the likelihood of success of the proposed proposals, priorities and policies, as well as recommendations for issues not identified by staff;

4. For County-sponsored issues, work with County staff to draft legislation, to develop and implement strategies for passage through the Legislature and for signature by the Governor, and to secure the introduction (including finding needed authors) and passage of such legislative proposals;

5. Continuously monitor, identify, analyze and track state legislation, budget issues, funding opportunities and administrative/regulatory changes to determine the impacts on the County;

6. Attend and monitor all relevant legislative committee hearings and budget negotiations on behalf of the County to determine the impacts on the County and advance the County’s interests;

7. Alert the County and its delegation regarding relevant state legislation, budget issues, funding opportunities and administrative/regulatory changes, the anticipated impacts of those issues on the County and other appropriate information;

8. In a timely manner, provide leadership, advice and legislative assistance in the development, evolution and implementation of County positions regarding State legislative and administrative issues;

9. Provide regular and timely recommendations to County staff on County positions and actions related to state and administrative issues;

10. Advance the County’ interests and positions on legislative and administrative issues through direct contact with:

    State Legislators and staff,

    The Governor and staff,

    State agencies, and

    Appropriate and relevant associations, including but not limited to the California State Association of Counties, the Urban Counties Caucus, County Lobbyists Caucus, and others to develop the legislative support needed to advance the County’s interests;

11. Making direct contact with the Legislature, State Administration, and others shall include, but not limited to:

    Writing letters, talking points and legislative analyses. For example, writing letters on all positions taken for every committee hearing, floor hearings and, if relevant, to the State Administration;

    Testifying at legislative, regulatory and budget hearings on issues that are of interest to the County;

    Meeting and making personal contacts with relevant persons and organizations;

12. Based on the position of the County, negotiate with others for amendments sought by County; actively work against advancement of issues opposed by the County; and aid advancement of those issues supported by the County;

13. In order to identify issues of concern to the County and to advance the County’s interests, maintain strong working relationships with relevant associations and caucuses such as the California State Association of Counties and the Urban Counties Caucus through regular participation in those associations and caucuses;

14. Maintain strong working relationships with members and staff of San Mateo County’s state legislative delegation as well as other Legislators throughout California and the Governor and other administrative staff in conjunction with advancing the County’s legislative and administrative interests;

15. Guide and assist the County in participating directly in the legislative and administrative process including organizing trips to Sacramento by County staff and the Legislative Committee, including scheduling meetings, setting meeting agendas, and drafting meeting materials;

16. In coordination with the County Manager’s Office, ensure that appropriate lines of communication area maintained with the Legislative Committee, the Department of Intergovernmental and Public Affairs, and all appropriate County staff. This shall include regular reports to County staff and the Legislative Committee on issues affecting the County through:

    Monthly written memoranda detailing state legislation, budget issues and administrative/regulatory changes of concern to the County, recommended strategy to advance the County’s interests, the Contractor’s actions taken such as contacts with members offices, expected future action, recommended assignments and timeline for such action and other relevant information;

    An annual end of the session report, summarizing the Contract’s actions on behalf of the County and significant actions by the legislature and the administration including: a) budget actions of importance to the County, b) major legislative activity of consequence to the County, and c) results of County legislative requests:

    Regular conference calls with County staff;

    Unless otherwise requested by the Legislative Committee, monthly participation in the County’s Legislative Committee meetings (typically through conference calls) during which the Contractor’s participation will include a report on information contained in the monthly written memorandum, as well as other issues that may be of interest to the Legislative Committee;

    E-mails, as needed, and

    Meetings in the County when appropriate, at times and places to be specified by the County Manager or the Manager’s designees, to take place no fewer than two during the term of the agreement.

17. Meet all reporting and filing requirements of the Secretary of State regarding lobbying activities;

18. Provide an initial list of current clients and immediately notify the County of any changes to the list of clients.

 

The Deputy County Manager for Intergovernmental Affairs reserves the right to make minor modifications to the above listed services, which services shall be provided at no additional cost to the County.

 

Exhibit “B”

In consideration of the services provided by Contractor as described in Exhibit “A”, County shall pay Contractor based on the following fee schedule:

 

A. In no event shall the total payment to the Contractor under Agreement exceed the maximum contract obligation of ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, $150,000 for the term of the Agreement.

B. The Contractor will be paid $12,500.00 per month for services outlined in Section I or Exhibit A upon receipt and approval of invoices and monthly written memorandum detailed in subsection 16 of Section I of Exhibit A. Invoices may not be submitted prior to the last day of the calendar month in which services were provided.