City boosts communications
LANCASTER — The City of Lancaster will spend approximately $570,862 on two vendors of general communications and marketing services to help support the city’s busy Communications Department.
The City Council unanimously approved the professional services agreements with FTI Consulting Inc. and Tripepi Smith Jan. 14 as part of the consent calendar with no prior discussion.
The agreements include a one-year contract not to exceed $300,000 with Washington-based FTI Consulting to focus on press pitching, drafting and distributing press releases and managing strategic campaigns to increase public awareness and media outreach, according to a staff report by Communications Manager Jennifer Seguin.
The three-year agreement with Tripepi Smith is for an amount not to exceed $270,862. The Irvine-based company will primarily focus on website and social media support to enhance the city’s digital presence.
Both vendors have extensive knowledge and prior experience working with the city.
FTI Consulting and Tripepi Smith were two of three qualified companies that responded to a request for proposal the city put out last October. After pricing negotiations and a thorough review and evaluation process, staff determined the two vendors demonstrated the best qualifications and value for the city, the report said.
Lancaster’s Communications Department has five full-time staff members and six part-time staff members. One of the full-time staff members does sponsorships and partnerships. The other members of the team are responsible for all external communications, including social media, campaign concepts and management, the city’s website and press releases. Other duties include media response and coordination, Outlook magazine and the L28 government access channel. Staff members also create ads and provide video, photos and graphics content.
“Our community deserves access to timely, accurate, and transparent information about the work we’re doing to enhance Lancaster,” Mayor R. Rex Parris said in a statement. “While we have an incredible internal communications team, we recognize the value of expanding our capacity through expert support. These new contracts will help us amplify our efforts, ensuring that residents stay informed and engaged as we continue to deliver on our promises for a better Lancaster.”
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