2014-05-27 Study - Budget Comm Devl

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Collaborative, staff has consulted with the Department of Economic Development, the St. Louis County Partnership and the Regional Chamber of Commerce on who can and cannot receive these funds what we should be looking for in terms of fiber. She stated that this is a project that was presented to the City and will be managed by the City, so no RFP will be utilized. Ms. Riganti stated that the RFP process is only utilized if the project is City- sponsored or sponsored an affiliate of the City. She stated that staff had reduced the amount of the Collaborative’ s request for funding because they believed that the scope of work needed to be redefined to ensure that it met local, as well as regional needs. Mr. Crow asked whether the Collaborative was already in existence and if this project represented something that they have done in the past? Ms. Riganti stated that the Collaborative as an entity did not exist prior to the formation of the partnership for this specific project, as well as similar projects in Wellston and other communities. She stated that the fiber study is relatively new to University City, although it has been in existence in other communities like Chattanooga, which is the approach that the Collaborative will be modeling. Mr. Crow stated that in his opinion, when the City is spending this much money it begs the question of who is the Collaborative and what is their history? He stated that he would have the same questions with respect to the Loop Media Hub project. Ms. Riganti informed Mr. Crow that she would provide him with that information and noted that staff had vetted both entities thoroughly. She stated that there are major partners in the Collaborative who have done similar work in other communities, and that the overall team consists of local and midwestern companies. Mr. Crow stated that in comparison to every thing else that is being funded the request by the Chamber of Commerce for $49,427 seems to lack very much detail. Ms. Riganti stated that she would provide Mr. Crow with additional details on this item. Dr. Carr asked Ms. Riganti if what she had said was that staff had consulted with the State Department of Economic Development (DED) about the Collaborative. Ms. Riganti stated that staff had a conversation with the State as to whom the funds could be allocated to. She further explained that staff had some concerns as to whether or not private entities that stood to benefit from public funds were eligible for participation. The DED had advised them that they were. Dr. Carr asked Ms. Riganti if staff had also advised the State that this was a no-bid contract. Ms. Riganti stated that the DED has no requirement for these funds to be bid out. Dr. Carr stated that she is greatly concerned about the Collaborative because she is aware of who the partners are and believes that some of them are friends with various people. So since this is an audit kind of item she would like to obtain a copy of the information provided to staff from the State setting out the requirements to ensure that everything is covered, especially since it represents a substantial amount of money. Ms. Riganti stated that she would do so. Mr. Sharpe asked Ms. Riganti if any of the individuals performing the fiber optics in the Loop would also be involved on Olive. Ms. Riganti stated that they would not be. Mayor Welsch asked if there were any more questions and hearing none the meeting was adjourned at 6:05 p.m. Joyce Pumm, MRCC/CMC City Clerk