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TO: |
Board of Trustees |
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THROUGH: |
Jay Fox, Executive Director |
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FROM: |
Annette Royle, Chief of Board Strategy and Governance |
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PRESENTER(S): |
Annette Royle, Chief of Board Strategy and Governance |
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TITLE:

title
Change Order: Federal External Relations - Administration - Modification 3 - Contract Extension (Cardinal Infrastructure, LLC)
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AGENDA ITEM TYPE:
Procurement Contract/Change Order

RECOMMENDATION:
Approve and authorize the execution of Modification 3 and associated disbursements to contract 20-03294 with Cardinal Infrastructure, LLC for Federal External Government Relations services in the amount of $354,000.

BACKGROUND:
Cardinal Infrastructure, LLC was selected through a competitive procurement in 2020 to provide government relations consulting services with federal agencies. The original agreement, as approved by the Board of Trustees on October 28, 2020, provided services from November 1, 2020 - October 31, 2025.
A determination by UTA’s Procurement Officer and the Sole Source Committee have approved the extension of the agreement for two additional years, pending the Board of Trustees final approval.

DISCUSSION:
The Authority utilizes lobbyists to advance UTA’s priorities with government officials. Lobbyists play an important role as partners with UTA to educate elected and administration leaders about concerns, assist with legislation, secure appropriations, schedule meetings, and inform UTA on important government affairs issues. Cardinal Infrastructure, LLC has provided valuable support and representation of UTA’s priorities with federal agencies, particularly the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
The recent change in Presidential administrations has significantly shifted federal transportation strategy. UTA’s existing consultants are integrally involved with our advocacy initiatives with the FTA and our Congressional delegation. The continuity of this work will be critical in pursuing our priorities for the new Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill as well as a Community Investment Grant (CIG) for the FrontRunner 2X Project that is being submitted by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT).
We are requesting approval of this change order to authorize a two-year extension of our agreement with Cardinal Infrastructure, LLC to support this ongoing work. UTA will initiate a new procurement for federal external relations services in 2027.

CONTRACT SUMMARY:
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Contractor Name: |
Cardinal Infrastructure, LLC |
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Contract Number: |
20-03294-03 |
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Base Contract Effective Dates: |
November 1, 2020 - October 31, 2025 |
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Extended Contract Dates: |
October 31, 2027 |
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Existing Contract Value: |
$792,000 |
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Amendment Amount: |
$354,000 |
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New/Total Contract Value: |
$1,146,000 |
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Procurement Method: |
Request for Proposal (Base Contract) |
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Sole Source (Modification 3) |
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Budget Authority: |
2025 Operating Budget |
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ALTERNATIVES:
The Authority could initiate a new procurement and request for proposal which would result in delays in executing UTA’s federal advocacy priorities.

FISCAL IMPACT:
The approved 2025 Operating Budget includes $420,897 for Government Relations Professional Services. All 2025 funds will come from this budget, and future year funding has been requested as follows:
2025 Contract Modification Total: $29,000
2026 Contract Modification Total: $175,000
2027 Contract Modification Total: $150,000

ATTACHMENTS:
• Change Order: Federal Government Relations - Administration - Modification 3