TITLE:
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AWARD OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE MASTER PLAN UPDATE
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DEPARTMENT: PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
PRESENTED BY: BRIAN GRUNER, PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
CONTACT INFORMATION: BRIAN GRUNER, PARKS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR, (714) 754-5009
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff Recommends the City Council:
1. Award a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) to Moore, Iacofano, Goltsman, Inc. (MIG) in an amount not to exceed $132,655 to conduct an Arts and Culture Master Plan Update (Attachment 1).
2. Authorize a ten percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $13,265 for unforeseen costs related to the project.
3. Authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute the PSA and future amendments to this agreement within Council authorized limits.
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BACKGROUND:
On March 16, 2021, the City Council approved the City of Costa Mesa’s first Arts & Culture Master Plan. The Master Plan established a vision to reaffirm Costa Mesa’s identity as a “City of the Arts” and outlined four (4) core priorities: (1) increasing opportunities for the community to experience arts and culture, (2) expanding public art throughout the City, (3) professionalizing and elevating arts and culture within City government, and (4) supporting Costa Mesa’s creative economy.
The Master Plan has since resulted in important initiatives and organizational enhancements, including the addition of the City’s first professional arts staff position in 2022, establishment of the Arts Commission in 2022, expansion of arts programming and grant opportunities, development of public art initiatives, and increased partnerships with regional arts organizations and community stakeholders.
Implementation of the original Plan provided the City with valuable insights into staffing capacity, funding considerations, program demand, public engagement strategies, and operational challenges associated with advancing arts and culture initiatives citywide. This experience has positioned the City to develop a more informed, focused, and actionable updated Master Plan that builds upon the successes of the original document while addressing gaps, emerging opportunities, and lessons learned during implementation.
On August 7, 2025, the Arts Commission reviewed and provided feedback on a draft Scope of Work for an update to the current Arts and Culture Master Plan. Staff incorporated commissioner and public feedback and returned the revised Scope of Work to the Arts Commission on September 4, 2025, at which time the Commission voted to approve the Scope of Work (Attachment 2). The Scope of Work sought the services of an arts consultant to assist City staff with updating the current Arts and Culture Master Plan, including assessing accomplishments and outcomes from the first five years of the plan and recommending strategies and priorities for a new five- to ten-year vision for arts and culture in Costa Mesa. Residents, local artists, and local arts agencies, such OC Arts, were informed of the update through multiple Arts Commission meeting discussions, e-mail correspondence and the Planet Bids solicitation process.
ANALYSIS:
As the City approaches the conclusion of the original five-year implementation period, the Commission and staff have identified the need to evaluate the effectiveness of the initial Master Plan and develop an updated strategic framework that reflects the City’s current priorities, operational realities, and evolving community needs. The first Arts & Culture Master Plan functioned as an important learning and discovery tool for the City, providing valuable insight into which recommendations were achievable, impactful, sustainable, and aligned with community interests, as well as identifying areas that may require refinement, reprioritization, or alternative approaches.
An updated Arts & Culture Master Plan would allow the City to reassess community priorities, evaluate changing cultural trends and demographics, establish measurable and achievable goals for the next planning period, and ensure that City resources continue to be strategically invested in programs and initiatives that provide meaningful community benefit. Additionally, updating the Plan will help ensure alignment with current City Council priorities and reinforce Costa Mesa’s continued identity and reputation as the City of the Arts.
On October 27, 2025, the Finance Department, Purchasing Division, released the Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 26-09 for the Arts and Culture Master Plan Update (Attachment 3). Prospective bidders needed to meet the following key six (6) criteria in the scope of work: (1) Project Initiation, (2) Assessment of Progress, (3) Community and Stakeholder Engagement, (4) Plan Refinement and Strategic Visioning, (5) Staffing Needs and Workload Analysis, and (6) Plan Preparation and Approval.
In response to the RFP, five (5) proposals were received and evaluated based on the company’s ability to respond and satisfactorily define its ability to meet the following criteria: method of approach, qualifications of experience, staffing, and cost.
After a thorough review and analysis of each proposal, a panel comprised of City staff from both the Parks & Community Services Department and the Economic and Development Services Department interviewed the following top four (4) companies:
|
Proposers |
Proposal Scores |
Interview Scores |
Total |
Rank |
|
MIG |
1277.55 |
1425 |
2702.55 |
1st |
|
Designing Local |
1315.00 |
940 |
2255.00 |
2nd |
|
Dyson & Womack |
1147.70 |
995 |
2142.70 |
3rd |
|
Arts OC |
1192.60 |
705 |
1897.60 |
4th |
MIG demonstrated they are well qualified to provide the Arts and Culture Master Plan update based on the firm’s extensive experience in cultural planning, public engagement, creative economy analysis, and implementation strategy development. The proposal demonstrated a comprehensive and data-driven approach that includes technical analysis, multilingual community outreach, benchmarking, funding and governance strategies, and implementation planning. MIG and its subconsultants, Cultural Planning Group and CVL Economics, have successfully completed similar arts and cultural planning projects for municipalities throughout California and nationally, including Redmond, San Diego, Santa Ana, and Ventura County. The proposed consultant team also brings specialized expertise in public art planning, cultural policy, economic impact analysis, and organizational capacity development that aligns with the City’s project goals and scope of work.
The remaining bidders presented various constraints that resulted in lower overall scores compared to MIG. For example, Designing Local is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio and would require a local third-party consultant to complete the work. Arts OC proposal lacked sufficient detail and a cohesive approach to fully demonstrate how project objectives and expectations would be met. Dyson & Womack lacked adequate resources and experience in providing a complete master plan.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council could choose not to award a contract for an Arts and Culture Master Plan update. However, without consultant support, the City would have limited capacity to perform the technical analysis, robust community engagement and stakeholder outreach necessary to comprehensively evaluate existing programs and develop an updated plan with clearly defined priorities, goals, and implementation strategies.
FISCAL REVIEW:
Funding for this agreement, inclusive of the contingency in the amount of $145,920, is available in the FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget in the Non-Departmental in the General Fund (Fund 101) and in the Cultural Arts Master Plan (Fund 130).
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed this agenda report, prepared the PSA, and approves them both as to form.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES:
This item supports the following City Council Goals:
• Strengthen the public’s safety and improve the quality of life
CONCLUSION:
Staff Recommends the City Council: Staff Recommends the City Council:
1. Award a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) to Moore, Iacofano, Goltsman, Inc. (MIG) in an amount not to exceed $132,655 to conduct an Arts and Culture Master Plan Update (Attachment 1).
2. Authorize a ten percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $13,265 for unforeseen costs related to the project.
3. Authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute the PSA and future amendments to this agreement within Council authorized limits.