DOWNEY - Downey will stick with its current lobbying firm that has advocated for the city in Washington, D.C. for the past decade.City officials said they were happy with Edington, Peel & Associates but put the lobbying contract out to bid because of the length of time since the contract was last evaluated. Edington, Peel & Associates came in with the lowest bid: $3,850 per month. The next lowest bid was $5,000 per month. Edington, Peel & Associates played a key role in helping Downey obtain federal funding for the Columbia Memorial Space Center, said assistant city manager John Oskoui. The city's primary contact in Washington, D.C. will be Jim Dykstra, former aide to Rep. Steve Horn, who was "invaluable" in the process of transferring the NASA property to Downey, Oskoui added. The 23-month contract was unanimously approved by the City Council on Tuesday.

********** Published: July 26, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 15