Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, November 07, 2023
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER APPROVING AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO CONTRACT SERVICES AGREMENT WITH LIGHTHOUSE 4KIDS, INC. (FORMERLY, THE LIGHTHOUSE-HOME FOR MEDICALLY FRAGILE CHILDREN) TO AUTHORIZE A ONE-YEAR EXTENSION FOR CONTINUED PROVISION OF FREE SNACKS AND LUNCH DURING THE SUMMER AND FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AT THE CITY'S PARKS (CITY COUNCIL)
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I. SUMMARY
On October 20, 2020, City Council awarded an Agreement for Contract Services, for an initial three-year term with two one-year extensions, to The Lighthouse-Home for Medically Fragile Children to provide snacks and lunch during the summer and for afternoon programs at the City’s parks (Exhibit No. 2; the “Agreement”). The initial term of the Agreement was for the period of December 3, 2020, through December 2, 2023.
In the time since commencement of the Agreement, the vendor has done an outstanding job providing this service. Moreover, The Lighthouse was an excellent partner during the Covid-19 Pandemic where, under a separate service contract, it offered over 76,000 meals for the Grab-and-Go program. In both cases, The Lighthouse provided these services at no cost, as the vendor receives its funding through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service.
Staff is seeking City Council approval of Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement in order to exercise the City’s first of two one-year options to extend the term of the Agreement and to correct the name of the vendor as used in the Agreement to Lighthouse 4Kids, Inc., dba the Lighthouse (Exhibit No. 1). This action will extend the term of the Agreement for the period of December 3, 2023, through December 2, 2024, enabling the vendor to continue providing the services during this extension period without any interruption in services.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. APPROVE the proposed Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement (Exhibit No. 1; “Amendment No. 1”); and
2. AUTHORIZE the Mayor to execute Amendment No. 1, following approval as to form by the City Attorney.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
On April 21, 2009, the City of Carson entered into an agreement with Lighthouse to provide free snacks and lunch to children participating in Kids Club and Summer Day Camp program at the City’s parks. At the time that the contract was executed, a sunset date was not included in the agreement; therefore, the development of a new contact was required. A five-year agreement was prepared and presented to City Council on December 3, 2019. The City Council declined to approve the contract at that time, and instead directed staff to release an RFP for this service and authorized a one-year agreement in the interim.
On September 3, 2020, an RFP was released inviting interested firms to submit a proposal to provide meal and snack services during the summer and for the City’s afterschool programs - Kids Club, Summer Day Camp, and 3-in-1 Enrichment. Specifically, vendors would be required to provide 950 lunches on 49 serving days, 600 snacks on 49 days, and 675 suppers on 184 days. A total of five (5) proposals were submitted by the RFP’s closing date, September 24, 2020, at the following per year pricing:
• The Lighthouse-Home for Medically Fragile Children - $0
• Tender Loving Care Catering- $545,777.50
• Choura Venue Services- $1,083,300
• Girlshood- $1,584,417
• Challenging Minds- $1,748,540
After careful review and evaluation of the bids, The Lighthouse-Home for Medically Fragile Children was identified as the lowest and most responsible bidder, and was awarded the Agreement.
The Lighthouse was established in 2006, and provides an array of programs and services to support medically fragile, low income, and at-risk youth. The organization receives its funding from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, which enables Lighthouse to provide this service at no cost. During a typical summer, Lighthouse has served over 32,000 snacks and more than 28,000 lunches to program participants. The snacks and meals are distributed at various sites, including parks and recreation centers. As this service is provided at no cost, the City has been permitted to keep program fees low and affordable for the most economically challenged Carson youth.
In the fourteen years that the City has worked with this organization, Lighthouse continues to be an excellent partner. The non-profit has a vast amount of experience, is knowledgeable of City procedures, is very familiar with City locations and programs, and accepts many additional responsibilities, including administration of required reports and staff training. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Carson partnered with The Lighthouse through a separate service contract to provide over 76,000 free meals for the Grab-and-Go program.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the proposed Amendment No. 1, which would authorize the extension and correct the vendor’s name as used in the Agreement to The Lighthouse 4Kids, Inc., dba the Lighthouse. The recommended action will allow The Lighthouse to continue providing snacks and meals to the City’s summer and afterschool programs for another year at no cost.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund with this contract, as this service is offered free of charge to participants of the selected programs.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. (Proposed) Amendment No. 1 (pgs. 4-9)
2. (Existing) Agreement (pgs. 10-44)
Prepared by: Gloria Marroquin, Recreation Program Manager, and Michael Whittiker, Director of Community Services/Recreation/Park Maintenance