The Augusta procurement department has opened bids from five companies interested in lobbying the city in Atlanta.
The proposals were opened during a Dec. 2 virtual meeting led by Nancy Williams, Procurement Department contract compliance administrator.
Williams identified the five companies as Georgia Public Affairs, A.R. Long Company, Holland and Knight, Dentons and Robbins Government Relations. All five RFPs provided the documentation required, and all five included a proposed fee, but Williams did not release that information.
All five companies are based in Atlanta or have offices there.
“The packages will be sent to the department for review and evaluation,” explained Williams. Then a recommendation will be made to Geri Sams, director of the procurement department. Williams added, “That recommendation would be forwarded to either the administrator or commission. Only the administrator and commission are allowed to make any awards.”
MORE: Accepting proposals for Augusta lobbyist position
District 6 Commissioner Ben Hasan suggested the city hire a lobbyist to represent it when the General Assembly’s session begin Jan. 10. The commission approved his proposal unanimously at the Nov. 16 commission meeting.
“We’re seeing rapid growth as a community and as a region, and we need to be represented at all levels,” said District 7 Commissioner Sean Frantom. “So, 100% support having someone at the state level to lobby for our best interest for opportunities of funding that maybe we would miss because we’re not at the state level.”
[adrotate banner=”51″]
District 1 Commissioner Jordan Johnson agreed.
“Because absent of having a lobbyist at the state level, we miss out on state funding money that can go towards helping with housing, helping with homelessness, helping with capital projects,” he explained.
Augusta is not the only area city taking this step.
North Augusta council members voted unanimously at their Nov. 15 meeting to hire Steven Fooshe & Associates, a lobbying firm based in Columbia.
Mayor Briton Williams, elected to office earlier this year, said this can be a way to get projects funded in ways beyond the traditional state budget.
“We’ve got number of things, East Martintown Road traffic, that Knobcone Avenue light, the roundabouts to help traffic flow, the 13th Street Bridge and the Greenway,” said Williams. “We need to be looking at ways to help get some of these projects funded. There’s money there. We just have to have someone at the table promoting for us.”
City Administrator Jim Clifford said the lobbyist can be especially helpful protecting North Augusta’s interest in getting additional American Rescue Plan Act money being held at the state level as well as funds from the Savannah River Site settlement money.
South Carolina is getting $525 million in settlement money. The money, originally $600 million until $75 million was paid to the attorneys, stems from the Department of Energy’s failed mixed oxide fuel fabrication that was to be built at SRS along with the weapons grade plutonium that was brought to the state to be converted into fuel pellets for reactor fuel assemblies.
The contract with the Columbia firm will be for one year at a cost of $24,000.
Augusta did not set a dollar figure for the lobbyist it ultimately hires. Johnson said that will be based on the applications they receive and the scope of work the lobbyist will be expected to do.
Augusta’s Request for Proposals information is posted to the city website https://appweb2.augustaga.gov/arcbid/Default.aspx The deadline to apply was 11 a.m. Dec. 2.
[adrotate banner=”55″]
MORE: Opinion: An unlikely candidate for lobbyist that shouldn’t be
Mayor Briton Williams, elected to office earlier this year, said this can be a way to get projects funded in ways beyond the traditional state budget.
“We’ve got number of things, East Martintown Road traffic, that Knobcone Avenue light, the roundabouts to help traffic flow, the 13th Street Bridge and the Greenway,” said Williams. “We need to be looking at ways to help get some of these projects funded. There’s money there. We just have to have someone at the table promoting for us.”
Clifford said the lobbyist can be especially helpful protecting North Augusta’s interest in getting additional American Rescue Plan Act money being held at the state level as well as funds from the Savannah River Site settlement money.
More details on the companies that submitted proposals to Augusta can be found at:
GEORGIA PUBLIC AFFAIRS
2931 Piedmont Rd N.E, Atlanta, GA 30305
DENTONS
https://www.dentons.com/en/global-presence/united-states/atlanta
3900 Crown Rd S.E., Atlanta, GA 30304
HOLLAND AND KNIGHT
https://www.hklaw.com/en/offices/atlanta
1180 West Peachtree Street N.W., Atlanta, GA 30309
ROBBINS GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
500 14th St. N.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30318
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
