City Council

The City Council would extend its contract with CapitalEdge Advocacy, Inc., the firm that represents Watsonville's interests in Washington, D.C., for two more years. A yes vote adds $96,000 to the contract, raising the total cap from $96,000 to $192,000, and pushes the end date from June 30, 2026 to June 30, 2028. The firm tracks federal developments and funding opportunities for the City and advises staff on federal programs, policies and resources.

The City Council would hire the firm 4LEAF, Inc. to help the Watsonville Fire Department catch up on and run its fire prevention program, for no more than $174,815. 4LEAF would supply a Fire Inspector, a Fire Protection Engineer, and a Project Manager to do required fire and life safety inspections and reinspections, organize records, build an inspection schedule, and set up tracking and billing of inspection fees. The firm would also help the department design the staffing, processes and technology to run the program itself after the contract ends. A yes vote approves the contract and lets the City Manager sign it.

The Watsonville Public Library wants to keep using Sierra, the software system it uses to catalog materials, check items in and out, manage patron accounts, and run its online catalog. The Council is asked to name Innovative Interfaces Incorporated (a Clarivate company) as a sole source vendor — meaning the work goes to this one company without competitive bidding — and to approve a five-year license, hosting, and software support agreement for no more than $470,349.09. A yes vote authorizes the City Manager to sign the contract, covering February 2027 through February 2032, paid from account 620-7322.

The Watsonville Fire Department has been responding to calls in part of the Pajaro Valley Fire Protection District since 1996, most recently under a contract signed in 2019. Pajaro Valley Fire asked to change what Watsonville provides, and the two sides negotiated a new Emergency Medical Services Contract that replaces the old arrangement. A yes vote approves that contract, which pays the City $800 for each qualifying call and runs from September 22, 2026 through June 30, 2027, and authorizes the City Manager to sign it.

The City Council would formally accept a $275,000 grant from Santa Cruz County's Office of Response, Recovery, and Resilience for the Watsonville City Plaza Revitalization Project, which is described as restoring and modernizing the historic downtown plaza. A yes vote puts the money into the City's Special Grants Fund [0260] and lets the City Manager negotiate and sign the grant agreements and any amendments needed to carry it out. The Council would also find that the environmental review already done for the plaza project is sufficient, since accepting the money does not change the project.