Federal Advocacy and Governmental Relations Services

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (WSAFCA/Agency), a Joint Powers Agency composed of the City of West Sacramento (City) and Reclamation District 900, invites qualified firms or individuals to submit Statement of Qualifications and costs for providing federal advocacy (lobbying) services. WSAFCA seeks a proactive advocate, that will keep in mind WSAFCA’s interests and program, and provide consultation, information, and opportunities on a regular basis. The individual or firm selected will represent WSAFCA’s funding and program interests with Congress and with individual federal departments or officials.

The scope of services will include representation and advocacy on behalf of WSAFCA in its dealings with relevant federal agencies and related interest groups, including but not limited to the: • U.S. House of Representatives • U.S. Senate • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the ASA’s office, FEMA, OMB and other federal agencies and departments as necessary.

This Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFQ) briefly describes the WSAFCA organization, it’s program, federal legislative needs, the services required from WSAFCA’s Federal Legislative Advocate, the minimum information needed to respond to the RFQ, and the selection process.

Each qualified Proposer is to submit a response in conformity with the terms of this Request for Qualifications ("RFQ") by the deadline below ("Proposal"). The Proposer selected by the Agency pursuant to the terms of this RFQ and the City's contracting procedures, if any is selected, is referred to herein as "Contractor."

SYNONYMOUS TERMS

As used throughout this bid and its attachments, the following terms are synonymous:

a. Firm, Consultant, Supplier, Vendor, Contractor, Successful Bidder, Offeror, Respondent

b. Purchase Order, Contract, Agreement

c. Services, Work, Scope, and Project

d. Pricing proposal/sheet, Cost proposal/sheet, Rate table/sheet

The West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (WSAFCA/Agency) was created as a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) in 1994, to investigate the system of levees that protect the City of West Sacramento (City), develop a plan to ensure that the levees that protect the city can provide 200-year flood protection, and seek federal funding to implement the plan.

WSAFCA has been instrumental in advancing flood risk reduction projects in advance of federal funding. WSAFCA successfully completed four early implementation projects (EIP) between 2009 and 2017 using local bond funds secured by a flood property assessment and State funding from Proposition 1E, the Disaster Preparedness and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2006. Beginning in 2007, WSAFCA initiated and invested in a series of levee investigations to position the Agency’s eligibility for State and federal funding. Significant deficiencies related to under seepage, through-seepage, and erosion were found throughout the levee system protecting the levee. The United States Army Corps of Engineers Chief’s Report for the West Sacramento Project was completed in 2015 and the project was authorized in 2016 for $1.2 billion through the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nations Act. The West Sacramento Project received its first congressionally authorized funding in 2019, and in 2022 received a New Start designation. Since the New Start, congress has approved over $150M toward the West Sacramento Levee Improvement Project (WSLIP).

The levee system protecting the City is interrupted at two locations by the Deep Water Ship Channel (DWSC) that services the Yolo-West Sacramento Port. The DWSC creates unique opportunities and challenges for the City and WSAFCA respectively. The West Sacramento Project includes the levees that surround the City as well as 16 miles of the port navigation levee south of the City’s southern border.