Staff Report.Chamber Contract FY 21-22
PREPARED BY: Monica Renn
Economic Vitality Manger
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 06/15/2021
ITEM NO: 7
DATE: June 7, 2021
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Authorize the Town Manager to Execute an Agreement for Services with the
Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce to Manage the Town’s Visitors Information
Center Including a Visit Los Gatos Website, and Assist with Related
Community Vitality Initiatives as Outlined in the Scope of Services in an
Amount Not to Exceed $55,000.
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize the Town Manager to execute an Agreement for Services with the Los Gatos
Chamber of Commerce to manage the Town’s Visitors Information Center including a Visit Los
Gatos website, and assist with related community vitality initiatives as outlined in the Scope of
Services in an amount not to exceed $55,000.
BACKGROUND:
In 2001, an agreement for services with the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce was first
executed to include the operation and management of the Town’s Information Center as well
as coordination of the Town’s annual Leadership Los Gatos program. Annual renewals with
modifications as needed have been approved by the Council every year thereafter.
The contract amount has increased over time. Most notably for FY 2019/20, the amount
increased from a not to exceed amount of $45,000 to a not to exceed amount of $60,000,
allocated as $55,000 for Visitor Information Center Services and $5,000 for the assistance with
the Town’s Leadership Los Gatos program. This FY 2019/20 agreement for services included a
Scope of Services with deliverables and bi-annual reporting required to be submitted by the
Chamber accounting for the services rendered. For the following fiscal year (FY 2020/21), the
Town Council provided $55,000 to the Chamber as a subsidy for managing the Town’s Visitor’s
Information Center and assisting with related community vitality initiatives.
PAGE 2 OF 3
SUBJECT: Chamber of Commerce Agreement for Services
DATE: June 7, 2021
BACKGROUND (continued):
This switch was made to provide the Chamber of Commerce with flexibility during the
pandemic. The Town Council understood that the shopping, dining, and entertainment
environment was drastically different than typical years, thus approved the subsidy so that the
Chamber could remain nimble and serve the community as they saw fit through the various
stages of the pandemic. Additionally, no new Leadership Los Gatos class was established in FY
2020/21, as the prior year’s final sessions were postponed to late fall of 2020 in a virtual model.
On May 4, 2021, the Town Council allocated $55,000 of the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA)
funds to the Chamber of Commerce to assist with emergency destination marketing to provide
a jumpstart to community vitality efforts. When this money was allocated, the Town Council
noted that this annual agreement for services would be forthcoming and that it was necessary
to show a distinction between the services rendered under the funds allocated for the
emergency destination marketing, and the services rendered under the Chamber’s annual
agreement to facilitate the Town’s Visitors Information Center. Town staff will execute separate
agreements for each funding allotment to provide clarity and distinction of service deliverables.
DISCUSSION:
Attachment 1 contains the draft Agreement for Services including Exhibit A, Scope of Services
for the Chamber of Commerce to coordinate and operate the Town’s Visitor’s Information
Center, including a Visit Los Gatos website. With these services, the Chamber will provide
advertisement and broad marketing outreach in the form of Social Media, Google Ad Words,
website boosts, and other marketing efforts that drive traffic to the Visit Los Gatos webpage.
Another key component of the Scope of Services is that the service rendered result in the Visit
Los Gatos webpage becoming a top hit for webpage options when residents, visitors, and other
stakeholders search the web for terms such as: visit Los Gatos, Los Gatos events, things to do in
Los Gatos, Los Gatos restaurants, places to stay in Los Gatos, etc. In addition, the Chamber will
continue to provide in-person Visitor Center services in the heart of downtown.
Through conversations with the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber has relayed that future
Visitor Information Center Services may require an increase in funding. As shoppers, diners,
and other visitor behavior shifts, the need for a strong web and social media presence increases
and the Chamber relies on outside vendors and other industry professionals for assistance with
some of this programming. Due to the availability of the ARPA funds, the Chamber is able to
split the duties this year between the two funding sources and will provide reporting to confirm
the appropriate use of both funding sources. Thus, staff is presenting a single year agreement
so that future years’ needs may be assessed at a later date.
PAGE 3 OF 3
SUBJECT: Chamber of Commerce Agreement for Services
DATE: June 7, 2021
CONCLUSION:
Authorize the Town Manager to execute an Agreement for Services with the Los Gatos
Chamber of Commerce to manage the Town’s Visitors Information Center including a Visit Los
Gatos website, and assist with related community vitality initiatives as outlined in the Scope of
Services in the amount not to exceed $55,000.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The funds for this agreement of service do not exceed $55,000 and have been previously
appropriated by the Town Council in the adopted budget for FY 2021/22.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
Attachments:
1. Chamber of Commerce Agreement for Services for FY 2021/22 including Exhibit A – Scope
of Services