Sharon Friedrichsen, Director of Budget and Contracts, the City Council & FREE SPEECH, MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY, 02.01.18

ABSTRACT: Regarding the CITY COUNCIL Staff Report May 1, 2018, Consider Continuing, Modifying, or Eliminating Home Mail Delivery Service Provided by the City, a resident contacted the author of the Staff Report, Sharon Friedrichsen, Director of Budget and Contracts (APPROVED BY: Chip Rerig, City Administrator) with queries on May 18 and 19, 2018. The body of the communication is reproduced. Additionally, the Staff Report, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT Peninsula Messenger Service On-site Mail Delivery Service (October 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018) and HOME MAIL DELIVERY REQUEST LIST (March 2018) document copies are embedded. Neither Sharon Friedrichsen, Director of Budget and Contracts, nor any member of the city council responded to the communication, antidotal evidence of the contention of Nikki Moore, general counsel, California News Publishers Association, namely, “They don’t feel they have a duty as a governing agency to get back to you,” as reported in MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY.

Sharon Friedrichsen, Director of Budget and Contracts:

RE: CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
CITY COUNCIL
Staff Report
May 1, 2018
ORDERS OF BUSINESS
SUBJECT: Consider Continuing, Modifying, or Eliminating Home Mail Delivery Service Provided by the City.

Please address the following queries:

I. From the BACKGROUND/SUMMARY of your Staff Report, please provide the source document for the statement “During FY 2000-2001, the Council decided to contract with a courier service to provide home mail delivery to residents “who are physically unable or who for some other reason cannot obtain their mail on a regular basis from the post office located in Carmel-by-the-Sea”.” (please provide source document as an attachment in your response)

II. RE: Peninsula Messenger Service's contract, entered into in September 2015, provided for charges to the City based on a rate of $33.00 per home delivery address per month during the initial year (FY 2015-2016). The rate applicable to years two and three of the contract (FY 2016-2017 and FY 2017-2018) increased to $35.00 per home delivery address per month. For a number of years preceding the contract, the participation rate had remained fairly stable at approximately 125 residents. Thus for the nine months of service rendered in FY 2015- 2016, the total cost was projected at $37,125 per year and was assumed to be $52,500 per year for the two full subsequent fiscal years (for a total contract amount of $142,125). Since mid-2016, the number of participants has increased by nearly 13% to 141 residents as of April 2018.

Compensation. CITY shall pay CONSULTANT in an amount not to exceed $142,125.00, which said sum shall include all costs, as presented in the proposal dated August 6, 2015 (Exhibit "A"), and in accordance with this Contract. The cost breakdown is as follows:
a) October 1, 2015- June 30, 2016: $33.00 per client; assumes 125 clients a month for nine months for a total of $37, 125.00;
b) July 1, 2016- June 30, 2017: $35.00 per client; assumes 125 clients a month for twelve months for a total of $52,500;
c) July 1, 2017- June 30, 2018: $35.00 per client; assumes 125 clients a month for twelve months for a total of $52,500;

SOURCE: CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT
Peninsula Messenger Service
On-site Mail Delivery Service
September 14, 2015

COMMENT: Your Staff Report states “per home delivery address,” whereas the Professional Services Agreement states “per client.” Moreover, your Staff Report states “141 residents as of April 2018,” whereas the HOME MAIL DELIVERY REQUEST LIST (March 2018) has 141 home delivery addresses and 153 residents, excluding Carmel Police, City Hall and Fire Ambulance.

Explain the discrepancies between your Staff Report and the PSA and HOME MAIL DELIVERY REQUEST LIST (March 2018). Additionally, this LIST is not up-to-date as there are deceased persons on the LIST.

III. RE: Exhibit B CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ON-SITE MAIL DELIVERY SERVICES RFP#15-16-01: ON-SITE MAIL DELIVERY SERVICES
1. INTRODUCTION
The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea is seeking to enter into a three (3) year service agreement for on-site mail delivery services within the city limits of Carmel-by-the-Sea. As such, the City is soliciting, through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, firms interested in providing said service. The selected firm will be expected to deliver mail to a variety of recipients including residents and City staff in a timely, consistent, courteous and customer focused manner, in accordance with US Postal Service standards.

QUESTION: “Variety of recipients” appears not to discriminate between “physically unable” and physically able?  Do you agree?

IV. RE: FY 2018-2019 POLICY DIRECTION
Options 1-4
Given the stated “expense” concern of the HOME MAIL DELIVERY SERVICE, why not eliminate the entire expenditure with another Option, USPS home mail delivery to all residents who want it by assigning home addresses and allowing mail boxes in the public right-of-way?

V. Is the USPS obligated to deliver mail to handicapped persons at their residences? And are there currently any handicapped Carmel-by-the-Sea residents receiving mail via USPS at their residences?

VI. If “physically unable” was the standard for courier mail delivery service, then how is it that City Hall, Carmel Police and Fire Ambulance qualified for courier mail delivery service?

Thank you for your responses. Ms. Paterson

NOTE:  Peninsula Messenger Service LLC is compensated "per home address," according to Stephanie Morse, Peninsula Messenger LLC

Home Mail Delivery Service 05-01-18 by L. A. Paterson on Scribd

CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
CITY COUNCIL
Staff Report
May 1, 2018
ORDERS OF BUSINESS
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Sharon Friedrichsen, Director of Budget and Contracts
APPROVED BY: Chip Rerig, City Administrator
SUBJECT: Consider Continuing, Modifying, or Eliminating Home Mail Delivery Service Provided by the City.

CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT
Peninsula Messenger Service
On-site Mail Delivery Service
October 1, 2016 – June 30, 2018

HOME MAIL DELIVERY REQUEST LIST (March 2018)

REFERENCE:
FREE SPEECH, The Buzz 02.01.18, Feb 1, 2018, MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY