Title
Contract for General Services, Agreement No. AGR18-701 with Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) in the Amount of $727,973.00 not including Applicable Gross Receipts Tax, for the Purpose of Staffing and Operating the Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road for FY18-FY21
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve Contract for General Services, Agreement No. AGR18-701 with the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) in the Amount of $727,973.00, not including Applicable Gross Receipts Tax, for the Purpose of staffing and operating the Los Alamos Nature Center.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approve this Contract for General Services as requested.
Board, Commission or Committee Recommendation
Not applicable
Body
Through a competitive solicitation process, the Pajarito Environmental Education Center has been selected to staff and operate the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road. The term of the contract is for four years and covers County Fiscal Years 2018 through 2021.
PEEC is a local organization, currently operating as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation, that was originally organized by residents of Los Alamos County to promote environmental education opportunities for all ages. The organization began in 2000 as an all-volunteer organization offering programs to Los Alamos school children that combined classroom and field experiences. PEEC has continued to grow, innovate, and generate new programs since their simple beginning. PEEC has staffed and operated the Nature Center since its opening on April 1, 2015. The current PEEC mission is to enrich people's lives by strengthening their connections to our canyons, mesas, mountains, and skies.
PEEC has adequate paid staff and volunteers to keep the Nature Center open for at least 30 hours per week as requested in the RFP. They typically offer 4-6 classes, programs and outings per week for all ages in the Nature Center and in the field. They currently offer three planetarium programs per week to the general pubic on nature and astronomy topics. They serve over 5,000 LAPS students each year in grades pre-K to 12 with nature-related field trips, classroom lessons, free planetarium shows and outings to nearby nature areas, including the national parks.
PEEC programming serves over 30,000 people per year and their visitation rates have increased dramatically since opening the new Nature Center.
Alternatives
Council can decide not to to approve the proposed contract or direct the County Manager to research other options for staffing and operating the Nature Center
Fiscal and Staff Impact/Planned Item
The proposed contract includes a slight increase in annual compensation to cover some additional PEEC staff hours that will be used to build capacity for programming and marketing. This increase was presented to Council during the FY18 Budget Hearings in April 2017.
Attachments
A - AGR18-701 Pajarito Environmental Education Center