Town of Capitol Heights 1 Capitol Heights Boulevard Capitol Heights, Maryland 20743 May 7, 2021 Mayor and Town Council: Rhonda A. Akers, Council Member Caroline Brown, Council Member Renita A. Cason, Mayor Pro Tem Latonya G. Chew, Council Member Faith T. Ford, Council Member Elaine Williams, Council Member REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TOWN OF CAPITOL HEIGHTS LOBBYING SERVICES The Town of Capitol Heights, Maryland is requesting proposals for conducting Lobbying Services on behalf of the Town of Capitol Heights. The Town seeks responses from individuals/firms with a proven track record in advocacy/lobbying with the State of Maryland to assist in developing and successfully pursuing the Town’s legislative priorities. The Town of Capitol Heights requires a well-managed and financially sound Consultant with demonstrated skills and technical ability, high levels of customer service, responsiveness, and satisfaction, to fulfill the requirements outlined in this RFP. The primary focus of the Consultant is to assist the Town with improving its efforts to influence legislation, capture revenues available to local government and assist the Town in identifying, applying for and receiving competitive grants, earmarks, and other discretionary funding available to meet municipal objectives. The Town of Capitol Heights also seeks to be apprised of proposed legislative action that could be perceived as a threat to its municipal services or authority. Legislatives threats would be promptly reported to the Town with a recommendation for action. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY Capitol Heights is a Town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, located on the border of both the Northeast & Southeast quadrants of the District of Columbia. The Town of Capitol Heights is officially bounded between Southern Avenue NE/SE to the north, Yost Place, and Eastern Avenue NE to the east, the Watts Branch Stream, Brooke Road, and Capitol Heights Boulevard to the south, and Marlboro Pike to the west. In 1904, Washington, D.C., was growing by leaps and bounds. The overcrowding and the improved public transportation made the idea of living on the outskirts increasingly appealing to people looking for housing. Recognizing the opportunity, Baltimore resident Otway B. Zantzinger acquired 400 hilly acres just beyond the eastern corner of the District of Columbia. He divided the tract into 4,000 lots and began to sell them at prices ranging from $20 to $150 each. He advertised a picturesque view of Washington, D.C., a proposed electric railway, drinking water from crystal-clear springs, nothing down and a dollar a month, no interest, no landlords, and, in the custom and vernacular of the times, "no colored people." Many buyers bought two lots in this haven that was to become Capitol Heights. While awaiting their "proposed electric railway," commuters to the city could walk about a mile (often through mud) to the District Line station at what is now Seat Pleasant and board a rail car into Washington, DC. The absence of paved roads, sidewalks, street lights, and other public services, including the electric railway, began to cast a pall over Zantzinger's vision of bliss. In 1910, the approximately 200 householders voted to incorporate their community as Capitol Heights. Over the next 50 years, the town made strides in improving its infrastructure and services. It established its own fire department and public works department and built facilities to house them and other elements of the government. By the 1970s, when its population had reached about 3,800, the town's central business district had started to decline. In 1980, that long-promised "electric railway" finally arrived. Capitol Heights got its own station on the Washington Metro Blue Line, providing easy access to the entire metropolitan region and national transportation facilities. The land around the station has been declared an Enterprise Zone, which the town is promoting as one of its paths to restoring prosperity. Today, over 90% of the population of Capitol Heights is African American. The Town of Capitol Heights operates under the council-manager form of government. The Acting Town Administrator serves as chief administrative officer and directly reports to the Town Council. The Town has approximately 20.0 FTE (full-time equivalents) who serve in the following areas: 2 Mr. Darrell Miller, Acting Town Administrator Community Relations and Outreach Economic Development Finance Department Human Resources Neighborhood Services Department Police Department Recreational Department Town Clerk (Business License and Permitting) The Town of Capitol Heights’ Council Committee formed the Neighborhood Services Department in 2009 to meet the needs of the community in terms of infrastructure and appearance. Within the Neighborhood Services Department are two subdivisions, Public Works and Property Standards Authority. The Public Works division is responsible for maintaining the landscape and grounds in the right of ways surrounding a business or residential home within the Town of Capitol Heights, as well as, maintaining the Town’s buildings, cleaning the streets and participating in neighborhood projects. Our Property Standards Authority Division conducts exterior residential and business inspections. Capitol Heights is served by its own police department. Chief Mark W. Cummings serves as the Chief of Police. Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD)District 8 Station in Upper Marlboro CDP serves the community as well. Our Police Department strives for excellence in protecting the best interest of the citizens of Capitol Heights. The Property Standards Authority (PSA) division is responsible for administering civil code through education and enforcement to the Town’s homeowners, renters and businesses whom are in violation of general occupancy rules govern by the Town’s Ordinance and the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code. The Town provides municipal services including the Public Works, events for our Senior Citizens, Municipal Finance, Information Technology, Police, Code Enforcement, Economic Development, Grants Administration, Cable and Television Telecommunications, Solar and Environmental Sustainability, Video Production, Trash and Recycling Collection, Youth and Family Services, Park Maintenance, Snow Removal, Emergency Management, 911 and Police Dispatch, Permitting, Historic Properties, Street Lighting, and more. The primary highway serving Capitol Heights is Maryland Route 214. MD 214 extends west to Washington, D.C. (connecting with East Capitol Street) and east to Interstate 95/Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway). Maryland Route 332 also serves Capitol Heights, following an old alignment of MD 214. 3 The Capitol Heights/Seat Pleasant chapter of the Prince George's County Boys and Girls Club, supports the youth with after-school programs and athletic programs, along with mentoring boys and girls. The Capitol Heights Conflict-Mediation Program focuses on resolving differences between youths in the area. Capitol Heights is a part of the Prince George's County Public Schools system. Residential areas of Capitol Heights are zoned to the following schools: Zoned elementary schools for the municipal limits are Capitol Heights, William Hall, and Doswell Brooks. William Hall and Walker Mill middle schools serve sections of the municipality. Central High School and Suitland High School serve sections of the municipality. SCOPE OF SERVICES The Town of Capitol Heights Lobbyist would report directly to the Acting Town Administrator. The Town of Capitol Heights is seeking a qualified consultant to provide Lobbying Services. It is anticipated that specific lobbying tasks and responsibilities will be more specifically defined by the scope of services agreement between the Town and the Consultant. However, the Consultant should have the direct experience necessary to provide services that include, but are not limited to, the following tasks: 1. Monitoring – Consultant shall serve as a reliable and consistent conduit of information to and from the State Legislature; monitor and provide regular reports, both orally and in writing, on current legislation, the state budget process, or any congressional events that may directly or indirectly impact the Town of Capitol Heights. Firm should work closely with the Town Council and Acting Town Administrator to assist in developing the Town’s legislative priorities and identifying current needs. Frequent contact should be made with Members of State Legislature and their staff, as well as state agency staff on matters concerning the development of future legislation and regulations impacting the Town of Capitol Heights. Said contact shall keep policy makers aware of the potential effect of specific legislation and regulations relative to the Town’s interests. 2. Bill Tracking – Consultant shall obtain and monitor all bills, legislative action, etc. As such, copies of all bills and amendments that are determined to have an impact on the legislative and regulatory interests of the agency should be forwarded to the Town of Capitol Heights. 3. Legislative Advocacy – The Town of Capitol Heights’s position on key legislative action shall be transmitted to State Legislature and staff, as well as state agencies and other interest groups (as appropriate). This may be accomplished through personal discussions with delegation members, agency 4 representatives, direct lobbying of legislators, meeting with state agencies and other interest groups represented at the State level,