)1 ununitv Vf; p n nt Agency of the CITY OF LOS AN GE LES J ---.-----~_~-L_~-E_(/-O[;-I _M_A_R 3_2_0_11 _ 1200 West 7th Street I Suite 500 Los Angeles I California 90017-2381 4 1, l~u IF 2'13 977 1665 www.crala.org CRA File No. 1342-- Council District: Various Contact Person: David Riccitiello Curt Gibbs (213) 922-7811 Honorable Council of the City of Los Angeles John Ferraro Council Chamber 200 N. Spring Street Room 340, City Hall Los Angeles, CA. 90012 Attention: Sharon Gin, Office of the City Clerk COUNCIL TRANSMITTAL: Transmitted herewith, is a Board Memorandum adopted by the Agency Board on March 3, 2011 City Council review and approval in accordance with the "Community Redevelopment Agency Oversight Ordinance" entitled: VARIOUS ACTIONS RELATED TO: EXPERIENCELA WEB 2.0 ECOSYSTEM AND RELATED SERVICES. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH CIVIC RESOURCE GROUP NOT TO EXCEED $438,100, UTILIZING $337,000 OF.GRANT FUNDING, TO UPGRADE THE EXPERIENCELA.COM WEBSITE TO FULL WEB 2.0 FUNCTIONALITY AND MOBILE DEVICE APPLICATIONS FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF REDEVELOPMENT INFORMATION AND CONTRACT WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION NOT TO EXCEED $10,000 FOR PROJECT ASSISTANCE AND THE TRANSFER OF THE PROJECT UPON COMPLETION OF GRANT-FUNDED PERIOD. ALL REGIONS RECOMMENDATION That City Council approves recommendations on the attached Board Memorandum. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The recommended actions do not constitute a "Project" as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT There is no fiscal impact to the City's General Fund, as a result of this action. Christi
~"~CRA/LA ~~ BUIlding communities cc: Sharon Gin, Office of the City Clerk (Original & 3 Copies on 3-hole punch) Lisa Johnson Smith, Office of the CAO Ivania Sobalvarro, Office of the CLA Steve Ongele, Office of the Mayor Noreen Vincent, City Attorney's Office Ed Reyes, CD1 Paul Krekorian, CD2 Dennis P. Zine, CD3 Tom LaBonge, CD4 Paul Koretz, CDS Tony Cardenas, CDG Richard Alarcon, CDl Bernard Parks, CDS Jan Perry, COg Herb J. Wesson, Jr. CDi0 Bill Rosendahl, CD11 Greig Smith, CD12 Eric Garcetti, C013 Jose Huizar, CD14 Janice Hahn, CD15
THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA MEMORANDUM 4 DATE: TO: FROM: STAFF: MARCH 3, 2011 CRA/LA BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CHRISTiNE ESSEL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER DAVID RICCITIELLO, REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR JAY VIRATA, REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR CURT GIBBS, SENIOR RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Various SUBJECT: EXPERIENCELA WEe 2.0 ECOSYSTEM AND RELATED SERVICES. Professional Services Contract with Civic Resource Group not to exceed $438,100, utilizing $337,000 of grant funding, to upgrade the ExperienceLA.com website to full Web 2.0 functionality and mobile device applications for the dissemination of redevelopment information and Contract with Los Angeles County Arts Commission not to exceed $10,000 for project assistance and the transfer of the Project upon completion of grant-funded period. ALL REGIONS RECOMMENDATION{S} That the CRA/LA Board of Commissioners, subject to City Council approval, authorize the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or designee to: 1. Execute a professional services contract with Civic Resource Group (CRG Contract) for the ExperienceLA Web 2.0 Project for a three-year period not to exceed $438,100 comprised of grant funding of $270,000 of federal Congestion Management Air Quality (CMAQ) funds awarded by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), $67,000 of City of Los Angeles Proposition C 20% Matching Funds (both in Objective CN4000), $65,500 of Bunker Hill (BH4960), $2,500 of City Center (CT9990), and $33,100 of Downtown Cultural Art Funds (BH6130) in Budget Line Item Economic Development; and 2. Extend the CRG Contract for two additional one-year periods for ExperienceLA web hosting, including ExperienceLA WiFi internet entry pages, and hosting CRA/LA public art walking tours, in an amount not to exceed $46,400 per year through Contract Work Orders; and 3. Negotiate and execute a contract with the Los Angeles County Arts Commission (County Arts) in an amount not to exceed $10,000 of Bunker Hill (BH4960) for project management assistance and for achieving project sustainabihty during the grant-funded period, and to assume responsibility (or arrange for another entity to assume full control) of the Project after the end of the grant funded period. SUMMARY ExperienceLA's mission is to the worldwide web, including social media, to promote entertainment, attractions and community events in traditionally underserved parts of Los Angeles. This in turn stimulates economic activity through the attraction and retention of residents and visitors to cultural venues, restaurants, and associated facilities and businesses
EXPERIENCELA WEB 2.0 CuNTRACTS 2 located in these neighborhoods. Activities and amenities promoted include performances, festivals, libraries and parks in neighborhoods as culturally diverse as Bunker Hill, Koreatown, Lehnert Park, North Hollywood, San Pedro and Watts. The recommended actions for ExperienceLA website optimization will substantially assist in the widespread dissemination of information regarding redevelopment activity in these neighborhoods. If the recommendations are approved, CRA/LA will enter into an initial $438,100 three-year contract with Civic Resource Group for implementation of the ExperienceLA Web 2.0 project as defined in the executed Letter of Agreement (LOA) with Metro utilizing Metro CMAQ grant funds in the amount of $270,000 matched with City of Los Angeles Proposition C funds of $67,000, and a CRA/LA match of $33,000. In addition, to the $370,000 required under the LOA, there are $68,100 of other related services for web hosting and management of the era/la public art walking tours, management and maintenance of the web pages for the downtown public WiFi, and the development, programming and management of downtown Los Angeles mobile device applications (to be available from Apple and Android online stores). The second recommended action provides for two one-year extension options issued as era/la work orders in the annual amounts of $46,400 for the continuation of requested services in support of the era/la public art program and for the downtown WiFi. The continuation of these web-based programs require web hosting and on-going maintenance. The third action responds to the request from the CRA/LA Board of Commissioners on January 20, 2011, for CRA/LA staff to identify another entity to assume responsibility for the project after the grant funded period expired. In response, therefore, authorization is requested to negotiate and execute a contract not to exceed $10,000 for County Arts to assist CRA/LA in ExperienceLA project management and to help in achieving sustainability for the Project during the three-year grant funded period, and then to assume responsibility for the Project (or arrange for another non-profit capable entity to become responsible) thereafter. This proposed $10,000 contract with County Arts will also need to be reviewed and approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Attachment A provides a draft of the era/la contract with County Arts that is currently under review by County Counsel. PREVIOUS ACTIONS January 20, 2011 - CRA/LA Board of Commissioners considered and tabled various actions related to a contract with Civic Resource Group for the ExperienceLA Project in an amount not to exceed $648,100, including grant funding of $337,000 to upgrade the ExperienceLA website to full Web 2 0 functionality and for a mobile device version, including mobile applications, and for the production, printing, and distribution of three pocket guidebooks (and mobile applications) for Downtown Los Angeles, Wilshire-Center/Koreatown, and Hollywood, and the CRA/LA Board of Commissioners requested the item to return the CRA/LA Board with changes. December 21, 2006 and July 3, 2007 - CRA/LA Board of Commissioners and City Council, respectively, approved various actions related to the ExperienceLA website and ExperienceLA WiFi, including authorization of the downtown pocket guide and intent to submit to Metro for ExperienceLA Web 2.0 funding. DISCUSSION & BACKGROUND era/la solicited proposals to upgrade the existing Experience LA website (www.experiencela.com) to full Web 2.0 functionality, including mobile and social media integration. The upgrade provides for the creation of a robust mobile device version of the website, including "mobile applications" for Android and Apple devices. The Web 2.0 Ecosystem, as shown in Attachment B, provides for fully interactive transit mapping for
EXPERIENCELA WEB 2.0 COl\! I RACTS 3 destinations, events, and farmers markets, including real time transit information as made available by Metro and Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) with an emphasis on events, facilities and attractions located in all of CRA/LA redevelopment project areas. The ExperienceLA Project originated from the 2001 Metro Call for Projects with a grant award for the purpose of using the Internet to disseminate redevelopment information by promoting cultural tourism within era/la redevelopment project areas in the context of public transit. The project began as a partnership between CRA/LA, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, City of Los Angeles Information Technology Agency, LAX World Airports, LA, Inc. - The Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the University of Southern California, along with the cities of Long Beach and Santa Monica as regional partners. ExperienceLA.com was launched in July 2004 with the opening of the Metro Gold Line to Pasadena. The ExperienceLA event calendar was also incorporated into the official LA Inc. - Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau website "See My LA" prior to the current "Discover Los Angeles" website. The initial launch of ExperienceLA.com pioneered the use of Internet-based destination marketing for Metro, integration of Metro Trip planner in making destination and event declslons, and creating a sense of place around the transit stations and their local communities to encourage walking to explore Los Angeles' cultural destinations. The ExperienceLA project also showed how the ExperienceLA blog could increase traffic to the website, how destinations could be integrated into Google maps, the use of social media, and showed the effectiveness of advertising on Google, Yahoo, and Facebook. The County Arts Commission is a major funding partner of the Project and has financed several additional enhancements to the ExperienceLA website over the last three years resulting in the ExperienceLA project being co-managed by CRA/LA and the County Arts Commission. The recommended contract with the County Arts Commission will formalize the current project management assistance and provide for the County Arts Commission to assume the leadership role in directing the Project as it moves out of the grant funded period. Location ExperienceLA Web 2.0 project is Internet based, covers all of Los Angeles County, with a focus on Metro Rail and Rapid Bus and with an emphasis on CRA/LA Redevelopment Project areas. As a result of Metro grant funding, ExperienceLAcom is being optimized for mobile devices. Contractor Civic Resource Group is a nationally recognized firm located in Downtown Los Angeles, having moved from Santa Monica in 2004 with 8 employees and has now grown to 22 employees. The firm specializes in web-based systems focusing on public sector clients with an emphasis on transportation, tourism, and local government. Civic Resource Group was previously selected through a competitive process to create ExperienceLA.com, and after extensive outreach and a competitive process, has now been selected to perform the next phase of the ExperienceLA project. Selection Process In 2007, CRA/LA received authorization from City Council to submit a grant application for the ExperienceLA Web 2.0 project along with the use of a City of Los Angeles Proposition C 20% match for the 2007 Metro Call for Projects. City Council and the CRA/LA Board of Commissioners also authorized the execution of a Letter of Agreement (LOA) with Metro for the Project. The LOA was executed by CRA/LA and Metro in February 2009 and authorization was received from Caltrans in April 2010 to issue an RFP for the Project.
EXPERIENCELA WEB 2.0 COI'llTRACTS 4 CRA/LA staff pursued a variety of pre-solicitation methods prior to the release of the RFP in an effort to maximize outreach activities and identify qualified software providers to develop, implement, and maintain a web-based economic development system. These activities included the following: o Pre-solicitation notices regarding the CRA/LA's intent to issue the RFP were published in three newspapers in the los Angeles area including the Chinese Daily News, los Angeles Sentinel and La Opinion. Pre-solicitation notices were mailed to 44 firms listed in the CRA/LA's business Directory. e Pre-solicitation notices were mailed to 165 non-profit and minority/professional business organizations to further expand the CRA/LA's outreach. The non-profit and minority business organization provided additional assistance in disseminating the pre-solicitation notices to their members. @ Pre-solicitation notices were also mailed to 225 disadvantage/minority/professional business organizations from California Transportation Authority (CaITrans) to further expand the CRA/LA outreach. iii The RFP was posted on the CRA/LA website and on City of Los Angeles' Business Area Virtual Network website. In July 2010, CRA/LA Contracts Department advertised the ExperienceLA project RFP in local newspapers and on the Internet and posted the RFP on the CRA/LA and City of Los Angeles websites. The following seven firms submitted proposals, and four of the proposal teams were interviewed by a team comprised of staff from CRA/LA and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. ARS Datum Civic Resource Group (interviewed) Laurie S. Cabral Dream Box Creations, Inc. DVELOP Consulting LLC (interviewed) Fuse Ideas (interviewed) Samsung (interviewed) The Civic Resource Group (CRG) team was recommended for selection to perform the website services. CRG is the lead consultant on the CRA/LA Web Portal and Mapping project, which is underway and scheduled for completion by April 2011. CRG has reviewed with CRA/LA staff its work and staifinq plan for the ExperienceLA Web 2.0 Project, other CRA/LA assignments and work CRG is performing for other clients. Based on this review, CRA/LA staff is reasonably assured that CRG can undertake the recommended assignment without compromising the quality of its work and deliverables schedules on other assignments. The RFP also included a scope of services for the development, printing and distribution of three pocket guide books for Downtown, Wilshire-Center/Koreatown, and Hollywood, but due to a decision at the CRA/LA Board of Commissioners January 20, 2011 meeting to expand the scope of this pocket guide books RFP to include all CRA/LA redevelopment project areas, this portion of the project will be rebid to the four firms that were previously interviewed. Project History, Description. and Proiect Context The ExperienceLA Project web portal is managed by CRA/LA in coordination with the Los Angeles County Arts Commission who has invested in the overall project with three separate technology grants over a five year period. As a result of County Arts' investment, the ExperienceLA website has been upgraded several times since its inception in July 2004. The
EXPERIENCELA WEB 2.0 CuNTRACTS 3 destinations, events, and farmers markets, including real time transit information as made available by Metro and Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) with an emphasis on events, facilities and attractions located in all of CRA/LA redevelopment project areas. The ExperienceLA Project originated from the 2001 Metro Call for Projects with a grant award for the purpose of using the Internet to disseminate redevelopment information by promoting cultural tourism within CRA/LA redevelopment project areas in the context of public transit. The project began as a partnership between CRA/LA, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, City of Los Angeles Information Technology Agency, LAX World Airports, LA, Inc. ~ The Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the University of Southern California, along with the cities of Long Beach and Santa Monica as regional partners. ExperienceLA.com was launched in July 2004 with the opening of the Metro Gold Line to Pasadena. The ExperienceLA event calendar was also incorporated into the official LA Inc. - Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau website "See My LA" prior to the current "Discover Los Angeles" website. The initial launch of ExperienceLA.com pioneered the use of Internet-based destination marketing for Metro, integration of Metro Trip planner in making destination and event decisions, and creating a sense of place around the transit stations and their local communities to encourage walking to explore Los Angeles' cultural destinations. The ExperienceLA project also showed how the ExperienceLA blog could increase traffic to the website, how destinations could be integrated into Google maps, the use of social media, and showed the effectiveness of advertising on Google, Yahoo, and Facebook. The County Arts Commission is a major funding partner of the Project and has financed several additional enhancements to the ExperienceLA website over the last three years resulting in the ExperienceLA project being co-managed by CRA/LA and the County Arts Commission. The recommended contract with the County Arts Commission will formalize the current project management assistance and provide for the County Arts Commission to assume the leadership role in directing the Project as it moves out of the grant funded period. Location ExperienceLA Web 2.0 project is Internet based, covers all of Los Angeles County, with a focus on Metro Rail and Rapid Bus and with an emphasis on CRA/LA Redevelopment Project areas. As a result of Metro grant funding, ExperienceLA.com is being optimized for mobile devices. Contractor Civic Resource Group is a nationally recognized firm located in Downtown Los Angeles, having moved from Santa Monica in 2004 with 8 employees and has now grown to 22 employees. The firm specializes in web-based systems focusing on public sector clients with an emphasis on transportation, tourism, and local government. Civic Resource Group was previously selected through a competitive process to create ExperienceLA.com, and after extensive outreach and a competitive process, has now been selected to perform the next phase of the ExperienceLA project. Selection Process In 2007, CRA/LA received authorization from City Council to submit a grant application for the ExperienceLA Web 2.0 project along with the use of a City of Los Angeles Proposition C 20% match for the 2007 Metro Call for Projects. City Council and the era/la Board of Commissioners also authorized the execution of a Letter of Agreement (LOA) with Metro for the Project The LOA was executed by eraila and Metro in February 2009 and authorization was received from Caltrans in April 2010 to issue an RFP for the Project.
EXPERIENCELA WEB 2.0 COh., KACTS 5 initial investment of County Arts was to provide an events calendaring function to the website. later investments provided an opportunity for better integration of content from ExperienceLA into LA Inc. - The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau website. This new infusion of grant funds will complete the fully interactive mapping, provide for a robust wireless mobile device version, and other technology improvements and enhanced web hosting. ExperienceLA.com optimized for mobile devices using public WiFi or 3G networks extends the website functionality to a broader base of users in Los Angeles who are now accessing the Internet via smartphones. Upon completion of the grant funded period, the ExperienceLA ecosystem is expected to evolve from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 for instant recognition by machines and devices for accessing ExperienceLA locations based mobile applications. This CRG Contract also provides funding for the management and web hosting of the CRA/LA public art virtual walking tours at a cost of $2,700 per year for these services. These current CRA/LA Public Art virtual walking tours are available for downloading from!tunes or as mp3 files with links to other art web servers. The initial term of the erg Contract is for three years with an option to extend for two one-year periods as work orders at an annual cost of $46,400 per year for: (1) ExperienceLA web hosting; (2) web management of the public art walking tours, and (3) the entry pages to the downtown public WiFi. These option years provide no funding to Civic Resource Group for maintenance of the ExperienceLA and related social media services, rather CRA/LA recognizes the potential for sponsorship and advertlsinq revenue to achieve sustalnability. Any dollars raised above that figure would also be reinvested back into the Project. With these recommended actions, the ExperienceLA project will continue for the contract term to be a partnership between CRA/LA and the County Arts Commission along with coordination with LA, Inc. - The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau and Metro. The project will operate under the direction of County Arts at the end of the three-year contract period, or be assigned by County Arts to a successor entity like LA, Inc. or a qualified non-profit. During the grant funded contract period, CRA/LA, County Arts, and Civic Resource Group will work towards making the Project financially sustainable for the post-grant funded period. All events that are submitted by the 4,300 registered ExperienceLA cultural partners for inclusion on ExperienceLA.com website are also included in an aggregated event calendar by LA, Inc. on their discoverlosangeles.com website along with events from Ticketmaster and their own event content. The ExperienceLA.com web domain name is owned by LA, Inc. and was a contribution by LA, Inc. to the CRA/LA original Metro funded project in 2003 with subsequent renewals. Community Benefits The purpose of the CRA/LA's role in the pilot phase of the ExperienceLA project is to use the Internet and social media to aid in the dissemination of redevelopment information on a grand scale and promote cultural tourism and public transit within CRA/LA project areas. The ExperienceLA project is an asset now a locally and nationally recognized cultural entity for the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. The ExperienceLA weekly email newsletter is distributed weekly to over 11,000 email addresses and is promoted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, and YouTube. It is a sought out partner in promoting los Angeles and increasing visitors to Los Angeles and has worked closely with Metro, the Department of Cultural Affairs along with the County Arts Commission. The effectiveness of the site has been surveyed and is detailed in Attachment C. As of January, 2011, there were more than 4,300 registered and approved ExperienceLA community partners-focal businesses, arts and cultural organizations, historic venues, parks/recreation areas/libraries, city and county departments and agencies working in the arts and cultural arena, others-that utilize at no cost the digital tools available at
EXPERIENCELA WEB 2.0 COI'lTRACTS 6 ExperienceLA to market events/festivals/special deals/services/etc., sell tickets, collaborate on cost effective regional promotions, attract international as well as local cultural tourists, and other activities. This is one of the largest local databases of its kind. ECONOMIC IMPACT Americans for the Arts report of 2009 that arts and cultural workers account for 1.3% of all workers. The Otis 2009 Report on the Creative Economy estimates that in 2009, Los Angeles firms in the cultural sectors earned $121 billion in revenues, fueling $5.1 billion in state and local taxes. The report also included an economic forecast of the Creative Industries through 2013, with the digital media sector (i.e. incubator projects such as ExperienceLA) expected to grow the fastest, with employment expected to rise by 10% in LA County. This is anticipated to grow by 32% in California over the next 10 years. The nationally recognized ExperienceLA Project has been a pioneering project demonstrating how the Internet could be used to market cultural tourism and public transit to trigger spending and investment in CRA/LA projects and throughout the County of Los Angeles using web 1.0 technology. With funding assistance from the County Arts Commission, ExperienceLA has evolved into a web 2.0 platform, and now with the Metro grant award, there is the opportunity to fully integrate social media and mobile platforms. Since inception of the ExperienceLA Project, there has been an annual online survey to better understand and document how ExperienceLA is getting people out of their cars and onto public transit. This requirement for an annual evaluation will continue under the terms of the Metro grant award, so that increased transit usage can be calculated to determine carbon reductions and other air quality benefits by increased transit usage. Approximately, 25% of those surveyed over the last three years, have indicated that ExperienceLA has encouraged them to try public transit. Approximately 75% of ExperienceLA users have used public transit, and those trips are more likely to be for cultural destinations rather than work related trips. In addition, those taking the survey have indicated that using the information provided by ExperienceLA has resulted in visiting new areas or communities in Los Angeles, increased interest in the arts, and buying tickets or registering for an event. Another major benefit of increased tourism generated by ExperienceLA are the hotel occupancy taxes collected along with the spending activity of such visitors at cultural attractions, restaurants, and shopping areas, and it will be an important marketing tool for the 6,000 expected at the PowWow Tour Operators International Conference returning to Los Angeles. in 2012. ExperienceLA has been a very important economic development tool for CRA/LA, County Arts, LA, Inc., and Metro since 2003, and is expected to grow in importance over the term of the CRA/LA contract with Civic Resource Group. SOURCE OF FUNDS CMAQ (Metro Call Federal Funds programmed through Caltrans), City of Los Angeles Proposition C, Bunker Hill Tax Increment, City Center Tax Increment, and Downtown Cultural Art funds PROGRAM AND BUDGET IMPACT This action is consistent with the amended FY2011 Budget and Work Programs for the Citywide Non-Housing ($337,000), Bunker Hill ($75,500), City Center ($2,500), Downtown Cultural Art Fund ($33,100), CRA/LA receives the Metro awarded $270,000 Caltrans CMAQ funds through a Cooperation Agreement with the City of Los Angeles and the $67,000 City of Los Angeles Proposition C funds through a Cooperation Agreement with LADOT. Both agreements that cover CRA/LA projects from prior Metro Call for Projects reflecting prior City Council approvals
EXPERIENCELA WEB 2.0 CuNTRACTS 5 initial investment of County Arts was to provide an events calendaring function to the website. Later investments provided an opportunity for better integration of content from ExperienceLA into LA Inc. - The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau website. This new infusion of grant funds will complete the fully interactive mapping, provide for a robust wireless mobile device version, and other technology improvements and enhanced web hosting. ExperienceLA.com optimized for mobile devices using public WiFi or 3G networks extends the website functionality to a broader base of users in Los Angeles who are now accessing the Internet via srnartphones. Upon completion of the grant funded period, the ExperienceLA ecosystem is expected to evolve from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 for instant recognition by machines and devices for accessing ExperienceLA locations based mobile applications. This CRG Contract also provides funding for the management and web hosting of the CRA/LA public art virtual walking tours at a cost of $2,700 per year for these services. These current CRA/LA Public Art virtual walking tours are available for downloading from ITunes or as mp3 files with links to other art web servers. The initial term of the CRG Contract is for three years with an option to extend for two one-year periods as work orders at an annual cost of $46,400 per year for: (1) ExperienceLA web hosting; (2) web.management of the public art walking tours, and (3) the entry pages to the downtown public WiFi. These option years provide no funding to Civic Resource Group for maintenance of the ExperienceLA and related social media services, rather CRA/LA recognizes the potential for sponsorship and advertising revenue to achieve sustainability. Any dollars raised above that figure would also be reinvested back into the Project. With these recommended actions, the ExperienceLA project will continue for the contract term to be a partnership between CRA/LA and the County Arts Commission along with coordination with LA, Inc. - The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau and Metro. The project will operate under the direction of County Arts at the end of the three-year contract period, or be assigned by County Arts to a successor entity like LA, Inc. or a qualified non-profit. During the grant funded contract period, era/la, County Arts, and Civic Resource Group will work towards making the Project financially sustainable for the post-grant funded period. All events that are submitted by the 4,300 registered Experiencel.A cultural partners for inclusion on ExperienceLA.com website are also included in an aggregated event calendar by LA, Inc. on their discoverlosangeles.com website along with events from Ticketmaster and their own event content. The ExperienceLA.com web domain name is owned by LA, Inc. and was a contribution by LA, Inc. to the CRA/LA original Metro funded project in 2003 with subsequent renewals. Community Benefits The purpose of the CRA/LA's role in the pilot phase of the ExperienceLA project is to use the Internet and social media to aid in the dissemination of redevelopment information on a grand scale and promote cultural tourism and public transit within CRA/LA project areas. The ExperienceLA project is an asset now a locally and nationally recognized cultural entity for the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. The ExperienceLA weekly email newsletter is distributed weekly to over 11,000 email addresses and is promoted on Facebook,Twitter, Linkedln, and YouTube. It is a sought out partner in promoting Los Angeles and increasing visitors to Los Angeles and has worked closely with Metro, the Department of Cultural Affairs along with the County Arts Commission. The effectiveness of the site has been surveyed and is detailed in Attachment C. As of January, 2011, there were more than 4,300 registered and approved ExperienceLA community partners--iocal businesses, arts and cultural organizations, historic venues, parks/recreation areas/libraries, city and county departments and agencies working in the arts and cultural arena, others=-that utilize at no cost the digital tools available at
EXPERIENCELA WEB 2.0 COI\lTRACTS 7 are pending final approval by City Council for the City of Los Angeles, CRA/LA, and LADOT to execute the respective agreements (as transmitted to City Council on January 6, 2011). Following the approval of this item, $1,688,140 of $6,301,300 will remain in the Bunker Hill Project Area and $2,898,600 of $4,961,100 will remain in the City Center Project Area for the Economic Development budget category. Sufficient funds exist to make any legally-required State ERAF for FY2011. There is no impact on the City's General Fund as a result of this action. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The recommended actions do not constitute a "Project" as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). AUTHORITY GRANTED TO CEO OR DESIGNEE If the Contract is approved, the CRA/LA Chief Executive Officer or designee would be authorized to take such actions as may be necessary to carry out the Contracts, including, but not limited to, executing the Contracts, and taking the following actions related to the CRG Contract: (1) exercising the option to extend the initial three-year term of the contract by up to two additional years for a total not to exceed five years; and (2) approving revisions to the Project Budget, so long as the changes do not increase the total amount of the contract, subject to the provisions of the Oversight Ordinance. Christine Essel Chief Executive Officer By: Calvin E. Hollis Chief Operating Officer There is no conflict of interest known to me which exists with regard to any CRA/LA officer or employee concerning this action. Attachment A: Draft Contract with Los Angeles County Arts Commission Attachment B: ExperienceLAcom Web 2.0 Ecosystem Diagram Attachment C: ExperienceLA.com Economic Impact
era/la ATTACHMENT DRAFT GRANT CONTRACT A FOR SERVICES THIS GRANT CONTRACT FOR SERVICES ("Contract"), is entered into on, 2011, by and between THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, a public body, corporate and politic, organized under the laws of the State of California, with its principal place of business at 1200 W. Seventh Street, 5th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (the "CRA/LA") and the LOS ANGELES COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION, a public body under the auspices of the County of Los Angeles, with its principal place of business at 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 90017 ("LACAC" or "County Arts"). RECITALS WHEREAS, The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("Metro") awarded original grant funding to CRA/LA in 2001 for the establishment of ExperienceLA.com which debuted in July 2003 with the opening of the Gold Line to Pasadena resulting in a partnership between CRA/LA, LACAC, University of Southern California, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, City of Los Angeles Information Technology Department, and LA, Inc. - The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau ("LA Inc."); WHEREAS, LACAC's role has evolved to one of co-manager of the ExperienceLA Project as a result of an initial grant from LACAC to create the ExperienceLA event calendar module, a second grant for the redesign of ExperienceLA.com to better integrate the project with LA Inc.'s Web site, and a third grant to develop ExperienceLA Web 2.0 features and to increase marketing-related activities; WHEREAS, CRA/LA has made financial investments in the ExperienceLA project since closeout of the first Metro grant; WHEREAS, The mission of the ExperienceLA Project is to promote entertainment, attractions and community events in traditionally underserved parts of Los Angeles. This in turn stimulates economic activity through the attraction and retention of residents and visitors to facilities, restaurants and associated businesses located in these neighborhoods; WHEREAS, ExperienceLA.com is a vital tool to help drive economic activity, especially cultural tourism, and aid the development of communities; Page 1 of 8 DRAFT Contract No. 5XXXXX
era/la WHEREAS, Experiencel.A's Web site optimization into multiple digital platforms will substantially assist in the revitalization of these communities; WHEREAS, CRA/LA is in receipt of a Metro 2007 Call for Projects grant ($270,000) matched with City of Los Angeles Proposition C funds ($67,000) to further develop ExperienceLA Web 2.0 technologies through 2013 (the "Project"); WHEREAS, CRA/LA, subject to CRA/LA Board and City Council approval, will enter into a contract with Civic Resource Group (Vendor Contract), in accordance with the executed Letter of Agreement with Metro for the ExperienceLA Web 2.0 Project with a grant funded and required work scope of $370,000; WHEREAS, LACAC plans to continue to actively manage the Project in partnership with CRA/LA and in coordination with LA, Inc. and Metro during the grant period through 2013, including working toward sustainability, and ongoing stewardship after the grant-funded period; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the Provisions of the CRA/LA's Administrative Policy and Procedure AD 101 and the Delegation of Authority approved on October 7,2004 by the CRA/LA Board of Commissioners, and on November 3, 2004 by the Los Angeles City Council (Council File No. 04-2110), the CRA/LA's Chief Executive Officer is authorized to award contracts up to a cumulative amount not to exceed $24,999 during any twelve month period. NOW, THEREFORE, FOR GOOD AND VALUABLE CONSIDERATION, THE RECEIPT AND SUFFICIENCY OF WHICH ARE HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGED, THE PARTIES HERETO DO HEREBY MUTUALLY AGREE AS FOLLOWS: 1. Contract Documents This Contract consists of this Grant Contract for Services and referenced attachments. Each of the foregoing together constitute the entire agreement between CRA/LA and LACAC and supersedes all prior written or oral discussions or agreements concerning the matters discussed therein. 2. Representatives of the Parties and Service of Notices The representatives of the respective parties who are authorized to administer this Contract and to whom formal notices, demands and communications shall be given are as follows: Page 2 of 8 DRAFT Contract No. 5XXXXX
era/la 1. CRA/LA Representatives. The representatives of the CRA/LA shall be, unless otherwise stated in this Contract: a. For Legal Notices and General Contract Administration Matters (e.q., contract modifications, contract language interpretations, etc.): Ms. Flora O'Brien, Contracts & Purchasing Manager - Contracts Unit The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, California 1200 W. yth Street, Suite 200 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Telephone: (213) 977-1833 Email: fobrien@cra.lacity.org Facsimile: (213) 626-0090 Email: fobrien@cra.lacity.org b. For Project management and technical matters, the CRA/LA's Technical Representative shall be: Mr. Curt Gibbs, Senior Resource Development The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, California Officer 448 South Hill Street, 1ih Floor Los Angeles, CA 90013 Email: cgibbs@cra.lacity.org Telephone: (213) 922-7811 Facsimile: (213) 617-8233 2. The representatives of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission shall be: Ms. Laura Zucker, Executive Director Los Angeles County Arts Commission 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Email: Izucker@arts.lacounty.gov Telephone: (213) 202-5858 Facsimile: (213) 625-1765 and Ms. Linda Chiavaroli, Director of Communications 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Page 3 of 8 uraft Contract No. 5XXXXX
era/la Email: Ichiavaroli@arts.lacounty.gov Telephone: (213) 202-5935 Facsimile: (213) 625-1765 For purposes of technical or Project management matters under this contract, the LACAC's Project Manager shall be Ms Linda Chiavaroli or such other persons designated in writing by LACAC. 3. Written Notices. Formal notices, demands, and communications to be given hereunder by either party shall be made in writing and may be effected by personal delivery or delivery by a bona fide mail service and shall be deemed communicated as of the date of receipt (or if rejected, delivery is refused or made impossible due to change of address of which no notice is given, such delivery shall be deemed delivered on the date of such rejection, refusal or attempted delivery). 4. Notification Changes. If the name of the persons designated to receive the notices, demands or communications or the address of such person is changed, written notice shall be given, in accordance with this section, within five (5) working days of said change. 3. Purpose of the Contract The purpose of the contract is to create a formal partnership between LACAC and CRA/LA on management of the ExperienceLA project during the Metro grant-funded period and to prepare for a formal transition of the Project to LACAC or other successor organization such as LA lnc., at the conclusion of the grant-funded period, by the development ofa sustainability plan for the Project. 4. Services to be Performed by LACAC 1. LACAC shall assist era/la on the management of the following tasks specified in the CRA/LA grant-funded vendor contract. For tasks 1-9 below LACAC shall review task in progress (timing to be determined mutually by LACAC and ExperienceLA) and make recommendations, especially with regard to marketing, public relations, partnership and sponsorship possibilities LACAC will also review final versions of tasks 1-9 prior to launch. Tasks Required Under Metro. LOA Task 1 Interactive Mapping Features $ 90,000.00 Task 2 Web 2.0 Technology & Community Networking Task 3 Gold Line and Expo Line Content $ 40,000.00 $ 10,000.00 Page 4 of 8 DRAFT Contract No. 5XXXXX
era/la Task 4 On and Off-line Marketing Task 5 Wireless Mobile Device interface Task 6 Digital Database Platforms Development $ 37,000.00 $ 30,000.00 $ 43,000.00 Task 7 Real-Time Transportation Task 8 Project Management Info. Exploration/Testinq $ 27,000.00 $ 37,000.00 Task 9 Evaluations, Analytics and Reporting Task 10 Web Hosting Year 1-3 TOTAL-NOT -TO EXCEED $ 20,000.00 $ 36,000.00 S 37!:MUUl.O!;! 2. Work with CRA/LA in coordination with LA, Inc. and Metro, and the proposed vendor contractor (Civic Resource Group) for the management of the ExperienceLA Project with the goal of developing a plan to achieve sustainability during the grant-funded period. At the beginning of the grant-funded period, the vendor contractor will present to LACAC and CRA/LA a status report on relationships with current and potential income-generating sources for XLA as well as a projected self-sustaining budget for the post-grant period and how many sponsors, advertisers, etc. it will take to generate that budget. CRA/LA with assistance from LACAC will create a timetable for discussions with Metro and LA, Inc. of these income-generating sources for implementation on ExperienceLA. Each quarter, the vendor contractor for ExperienceLA will produce a progress report on relationships with income-generating sources. LACAC and CRA/LA will review these reports, make suggestions and assist as needed. If it becomes clear that sufficient progress toward sustainability in 2014 is not being made, a new approach to achieve sustainability will be devised jointly by LACAC, CRA/LA, and the ExperienceLA vendor contractor. 3. At the conclusion of the grant-funded period, to assume responsibility for the ExperienceLA Project, or to arrange for another entity such as LA, Inc. or an appropriate and financially capable nonprofit to assume full control of the ExperienceLA Project, and to be entitled to all assets of the ExperienceLA project, with the exception of the domain name, www.experiencela.com. which is owned and controlled by LA, Inc. 4. Not withstanding prior contributions by LACAC, and the possibility of future contributions after the grant funded period by era/la, LACAC shall have no requirement to contribute additional dollars to the ExperienceLA project during the grant funded period or thereafter. Page 5 of 8 DRAFT Contract No, 5XXXXX
era/la 5. Services to be Performed by the era/la 1. The CRA/LA, subject to era/la Board of Commissioners and City Council approval providing for the execution of such grant funded vendor contract (Attachment -->, will manage the vendor contract that achieves the requirements of Metro as set out in Attachment _, Metro-CRA/LA Letter of Agreement (LOA), and will be responsible for all required payments under said vendor contract. 2. CRA/LA shall have the responsibility to comply with the requirements of the LOA and has full responsibility for the LOA and Caltrans reporting requirements during the grant-funded period and until closeout of the grant. 3. As it deems necessary, the era/la shall provide appropriate CRA/LA professional staff assistance and take prompt action to ensure proper and timely performance by the Vendor Contractor. 4. era/la under its sole discretion shall have the option to extend the vendor contract for years 4 and 5 as per the terms of the RFP that provided for the selection of the vendor. 6. Term of Performance 1. LACAC shall commence services upon execution of the vendor contract. As an entity of the County of los Angeles, lacac shall not be required to comply with the CRA/lA's Standard Terms and Conditions, Section 3. Insurance and Section 5, City of los Angeles Business Tax Registration Certificate (Business license). 2. Contract Expiration. a. This Contract shall expire on June 30, 2014, unless otherwise provided by written amendment hereto. 3. Contract Expiration. Nothing stated herein shall require the CRA/LA to extend the time for expiration of this Contract or shall be construed to excuse the Contractor's failure to complete the work in a timely manner 7. Compensation and Method of Payment 1. lacac shall receive an amount not to exceed $10,000 for co-project management-related services. The procedures contained in Method of Payment will be in effect, including the submittal of receipts for any out-of-pocket expenditures of $25.00 and more. Page 6 of 8 DRAFT Contract No. 5XXXXX
era/la Task 4 On and Off-line Marketing $ 37,000.00 Task 5 Wireless Mobile Device Interface s 30,000.00 Task 6 Digital Database Platforms Development $ 43,000.00 Task 7 Real-Time Transportation Info. Exploration/Tesfing $ 27,000.00 Task 8 Project Management $ 37,000.00 Task 9 Evaluations, Analytics and Reporting $ 20,000.00 Task 10 Web Hosting Year 1-3 $ 36,000.00 TOTAL-NOT -TO EXCEED i ~7(MlOO.OO 2. Work with CRA/LA in coordination with LA, Inc. and Metro, and the proposed vendor contractor (Civic Resource Group) for the management of the ExperienceLA Project with the goal of developing a plan to achieve sustainability during the grant-funded period. At the beginning of the grant-funded period, the vendor contractor will present to LACAC and CRA/LA a status report on relationships with current and potential income-generating sources for XLA as well as a projected self-sustaining budget for the post-grant period and how many sponsors, advertisers, etc. it will take to generate that budget. CRA/LA with assistance from LACAC will create a timetable for discussions with Metro and LA, Inc. of these income-generating sources for implementation on ExperienceLA. Each quarter, the vendor contractor for ExperienceLA will produce a progress report on relationships with income-generating sources. LACAC and CRA/LA will review these reports, make suggestions and assist as needed. If it becomes clear that sufficient progress toward sustainability in 2014 is not being made, a new approach to achieve sustainability will be devised jointly by LACAC, CRA/LA, and the ExperienceLA vendor contractor. 3. At the conclusion of the grant-funded period, to assume responsibility for the ExperienceLA Project, or to arrange for another entity such as LA, Inc. or an appropriate and financially capable nonprofit to assume full control of the ExperienceLA Project, and to be entitled to all assets of the ExperienceLA project, with the exception of the domain name, www.experiencela.colil. which is owned and controlled by LA, Inc. 4. Not withstanding prior contributions by LACAC, and the possibility of future contributions after the grant funded period by era/la, LACAC shall have no requirement to contribute additional dollars to the ExperienceLA project during the grant funded period or thereafter. Page 5 of 8 DRAFT Contract No. 5XXXXX
era/la 2. Method of Payment. Contractor shall submit an invoice to the CRA/LA's Accounting Department at accounting@cra.lacity.org containing the following information. CRA/LA shall endeavor to pay invoices within thirty (30) days after receipt of and approval of an invoice: a. The amount due for services performed and the taskts) completed for the billing period pursuant to the terms of the Contract. b. Contract No. XXXXXXX c. Invoice date and billing period d. Name of CRA/LA Technical Representative named in this Contract (Curt Gibbs) e. A description of the services performed and taskis) completed related to the associated charges f. Itemization of expenses (e.g., office/computer equipment, office/computer supplies, etc.), if any g. Contractor's Los Angeles Business Tax Registration Certificate (BTRC): Not applicable h. Dollar amount remaining in the Contract 4. If the invoice received contains incomplete information or disputed items, the CRA/LA will advise the Contractor in writing what specific information is missing or disputed. The era/la may proceed to process payment for items not in dispute within the timeframe set forth above. 8. Terms and Conditions 1. The era/la's Standard Terms and Conditions are attached hereto and are incorporated into this contract with exceptions as provided for in this contract. 9. Indemnification and Insurance 1. Section 895.2 of the Government Code of State of California imposes joint civil liability upon public entities solely by reason of such entities being parties to an agreement, as defined by Government Code section 895. 2. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 895.4 of the California Government Code, each of the parties agrees to indemnify and hold the other harmless from all liability for damage, actual and alleged, to person or property arising out of or resulting from the indemnifying party's acts or omissions in the performance of this Agreement. Page 7 of 8 DRAFT Contract No. 5XXXXX
era/la 3. The era/la and LACAC indemnifies and holds harmless the other Party for any loss, costs, or expenses that may be imposed upon such other Party by virtue of Government Code section 895.2. 4. In the event of third-party loss caused by negiigence, wrongful act or omission by both Parties, each Party shall bear financial responsibility in proportion to its percentage of fault as may be mutually agreed or judicially determined. The provisions of Civil Code Section 2778 regarding interpretation of indemnity agreements are hereby incorporated. [SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOLLOW] Page 8 of 8 DRAFT Contract No. 5XXXXX
era/la 2. Method of Payment. Contractor shall submit an invoice to the era/la's Accounting Department at accounting@cra.lacity.org containing the following information. era/la shall endeavor to pay invoices within thirty (30) days after receipt of and approval of an invoice: a. The amount due for services performed and the task(s) completed for the billing period pursuant to the terms of the Contract. b. Contract No. XXXXXXX c. Invoice date and billing period d. Name of CRA/LA Technical Representative named in this Contract (Curt Gibbs) e. A description of the services performed and task(s) completed related to the associated charges f. Itemization of expenses (e.g., office/computer equipment, office/computer supplies, etc.), if any g. Contractor's Los Angeles Business Tax Registration Certificate (BTRe): Not applicable h. Dollar amount remaining in the Contract 4. If the invoice received contains incomplete information or disputed items, the CRA/LA will advise the Contractor in writing what specific information is missing or disputed. The era/la may proceed to process payment for items not in dispute within the timeframe set forth above. 8. Terms and Conditions 1. The era/la's Standard Terms and Conditions are attached hereto and are incorporated into this contract with exceptions as provided for in this contract 9. Indemnification and Insurance 1. Section 895.2 of the Government Code of State of California imposes joint civil liability upon public entities solely by reason of such entities being parties to an agreement, as defined by Government Code section 895. 2. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 895.4 of the California Government Code, each of the parties agrees to indemnify and hold the other harmless from all liability for damage, actual and alleged] to person or property arising out of or resulting from the indemnifying party's acts or omissions in the performance of this Agreement. Page 7 of 8 DRAFT Contract No. 5XXXXX
era/la IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the CRA/LA and County Arts have executed this Contract as of the dates indicated below. "era/la" THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA APPROVED AS TO FORM: CARMEN A. TRUTANICH, Attorney. City Christine Essel Chief Executive Officer By: ~~~~ _ CRA/LA General Counsel Date: Date: _~~ _ "LACAC" LOS ANGELES COMMISSION COUNTY ARTS By: ~~ Print Name and Title Date: -------~~~~~~~~ A-1 Contract No. 503387
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