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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Approval of the Selection of CVL Economics + MIG as the Consultant Team for Preparation of the Community Cultural Equity Plan (CCE Plan), as Recommended by the Cultural Affairs Commission; and (2) Approval of a Related Professional Services Agreement with CVL Economics, in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $173,660, for Preparation of the Community Cultural Equity Plan, including the Public Art Master Plan Component.
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Meeting Date: January 12, 2026
Contact Person/Dept.: Sally Unsworth / City Manager, Office of Economic and Cultural Development
Phone Number: (310) 253-6003
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (01/12/2026)
Department Approval: Odis Jones, City Manager (01/6/2026) _____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve the selection of CVL Economics + MIG as the consultant team for preparation of the Community Cultural Equity Plan (CCE Plan), as recommended by the Cultural Affairs Commission; and (2) approve a related professional services agreement with CVL Economics, in an amount not-to-exceed $173,660, for preparation of the Community Cultural Equity Plan, including the Public Art Master Plan component.
BACKGROUND & DISCUSSION
The Community Cultural Equity Plan (CCE Plan) will serve as Culver City’s primary guiding document for advancing arts, culture, creativity, and cultural equity over the next decade. The Plan is intended to ensure that residents across all neighborhoods and backgrounds have equitable access to cultural opportunities; that diverse artistic and cultural voices are supported and elevated; and that the City’s cultural investments align with community values, long-range planning goals, and fiscal sustainability.
The CCE Plan is designed to align with and support implementation of the City’s recently adopted General Plan 2045 and the Parks Master Plan, both of which emphasize public life, placemaking, access to cultural resources, and creative-economy development. As a required component, the CCE Plan will also include a Public Art Master Plan that evaluates public art opportunities citywide, identifies strategies for equitable investment, and establishes a long-term vision for integrating art into public spaces.
Together, these components will help guide City decision-making related to cultural programming, public art, grantmaking, capital investments, partnerships, and policy development. The planning process will be shaped through extensive and inclusive community engagement conducted over 2025-2026, with the goal of presenting a completed plan to the City Council for adoption in late 2026.
Request for Proposals Process
A Request for Proposals (RFP) for preparation of the Community Cultural Equity Plan was released on August 21, 2025. The RFP was broadly distributed through municipal, arts, cultural planning, creative-economy, and professional networks in order to attract a diverse and highly qualified pool of respondents. Firms were permitted to submit written questions through September 4, 2025, and the City issued two addenda on September 10 and 11, 2025, responding to more than 40 proposer questions.
Proposals were due on September 18, 2025, and the City received 18 complete submissions, a significantly higher response than anticipated. Due to the volume of proposals received, the evaluation timeline was extended by approximately four weeks to allow for a thorough and equitable review process. (Attachment No. 1)
Proposal Review and Evaluation
An interdepartmental evaluation panel composed of representatives from the City Manager’s Office, Cultural Affairs Division, Advanced Planning, Economic Development, and Parks, Recreation and Community Services reviewed and scored all proposals. Proposals were evaluated using the weighted criteria established in the RFP, which included:
• Understanding of project scope and goals
• Relevant experience and past performance
• Community engagement approach
• Team expertise and capacity
• Equity and inclusion framework
• Project management and deliverables
• Budget and overall value
Based on combined scoring and qualitative assessments, four firms were advanced for interviews. These firms were jointly identified by staff and the Cultural Affairs Commission Creative Economy and Cultural Plan Ad Hoc Subcommittee, consisting of Chair Ehsaan Mesghali and Vice Chair Tania Fleischer.
Interviews were conducted in mid-October 2025 and focused on each firm’s proposed methodology, cultural equity framework, public engagement strategies, understanding of Culver City’s creative ecosystem, feasibility of the proposed work plan, and ability to deliver an actionable and community-informed plan.
Following interviews and additional review, two firms emerged as the strongest finalists:
CVL Economics + MIG and Lord Cultural Resources. (Attachment No. 2)
After consideration of proposal materials, interview performance, scoring results, and departmental feedback, the Creative Economy and Cultural Plan Ad Hoc Subcommittee selected CVL Economics + MIG as the firm best positioned to lead this work. On December 16, 2025, the Cultural Affairs Commission reviewed the Subcommittee’s recommendation and voted to recommend CVL Economics + MIG to the City Council.
Cultural Affairs Commission Recommendation
The CAC’s Creative Economy and Cultural Plan Ad Hoc Subcommittee issued the following statement in support of its recommendation:
“The CAC Creative Economy and Cultural Plan Subcommittee has selected CVL Economics + MIG to serve as the consultant team for the development of Culver City’s Community Cultural Equity Plan and Public Art Master Plan. This decision is based on their strong analytical capabilities, their clear understanding of Culver City’s needs, and their demonstrated ability to deliver innovative and forward-looking cultural planning. CVL brings nationally recognized strengths in research, creative-economy analysis, and policy design, while MIG contributes deep experience in public art planning and inclusive community engagement. Together, they offer a robust and future-oriented team capable of delivering an actionable, equity-centered plan that reflects Culver City’s communities and supports long-term cultural development.”
The December 16, 2025, CAC staff report is attached and contains detailed information regarding the RFP process including a summary of the interdepartmental scoring and evaluation criteria. (Attachment No. 3)
Summary of Selected Proposal
CVL Economics + MIG propose a comprehensive, equity-centered approach that integrates rigorous creative-economy analysis with inclusive and multilingual community engagement. Their methodology combines cultural asset mapping, public art strategy development, creative-economy data modeling, and participatory planning processes designed to engage historically underserved communities.
CVL Economics brings specialized expertise in Los Angeles-area economic analysis, creative-sector research, and policy development, while MIG contributes decades of experience in public art planning, community engagement, and implementation-oriented cultural planning. Together, the team demonstrated a strong understanding of Culver City’s cultural landscape and the capacity to deliver a practical, data-informed, and community-driven plan.
The proposed project schedule spans approximately 12 months and is organized into six phases, including project initiation; research and data collection; cultural asset mapping; community engagement; development of the cultural equity and public art frameworks; and preparation of the final Community Cultural Equity Plan. The schedule includes regular coordination with City staff and presentations to both the Cultural Affairs Commission and City Council.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The agreement with CVL Economics will be for an amount not-to-exceed $173,660. The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 includes sufficient funding for agreement in CIP Project No. PZ959 (Community Arts Equity Plan) which can be found in the Capital Improvement Plan Schedule section of the budget book under Cultural Trust Fund (Fund 413) on page 590. No General Fund impact is anticipated.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 26-01-12_ATT_1 Community Cultural Equity Plan RFP
2. 26-01-12_ATT_2 Finalist Proposals from CVL Economics + MIG and Lord Cultural Resources
3. 26-01-12_ATT_3 Cultural Affairs Staff Report of December 16 2025
recommended action
MOTION(S)
That the City Council:
1. Approve the selection of CVL Economics + MIG as the consultant team for preparation of the Community Cultural Equity Plan, as recommended by the Cultural Affairs Commission; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a Professional Services Agreement with CVL Economics, in an amount not-to-exceed $173,660; and
3. Authorize the City Attorney to review and approve the agreement as to form; and
4. Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement on behalf of the City.