TITLE:
title
SPENDING AUTHORIZATION APPROVAL FOR ON-CALL ENVIRONMENTAL, TECHNICAL AND STAFFING SERVICES LIST
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DEPARTMENT: ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT/PLANNING DIVISION
PRESENTED BY: SILVIA KENNERSON, SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST
CONTACT INFORMATION: SILVIA KENNERSON, SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST, (714) 754-5023
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends the Council:
1. Approve and authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to authorize spending authority with each consulting firm listed below through June 30, 2025, in such final form as approved by the City Attorney for on-call environmental, technical, and staffing services:
• Dudek
• ECORP Consulting, Inc.
• Environmental Science Associates
• FCS International, Inc.
• Galvin Preservation Associates, Inc.
• LSA Associates, Inc.
• Michael Baker International
• PlaceWorks, Inc.
• PSOMAS
• Sagecrest Planning and Environmental
• Stantec Consulting Services
• The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
2. Authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute future amendments and spending authority with the above-listed firms including any potential increases in compensation as long as the amendments are pass-through costs from entitlement application deposit accounts or within the City’s annual budget.
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BACKGROUND:
The City began the consultant “Request for Statement of Qualifications” (RFSQ) process in May 2019. RFSQ 19-02 was released on May 29, 2019, and proposals were due on July 1, 2019. After receiving proposals, the Economic and Development Services Department/Planning Division created a pre-qualified, on-call consultant list for a five-year period in April 2020, expiring on June 30, 2025. This on-call list streamlines the consulting selection process and overall project application timeframe to expedite technical, environmental studies and/or staffing services, and is used by the City to fulfill any demands on future or existing projects for technical review and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) related analysis and/or staffing.
Consultants assist the City of Costa Mesa in the development of and/or peer review of applicant submitted technical documents/studies for parking, traffic/transportation, noise and/or air quality. Consultants may also be responsible for the preparation of materials required as part of the initial environmental review process as well as responses to comments, and attendance at Planning Commission and City Council public hearings as “subject matter experts”. A sample list of the types of projects that consultants are requested to assist the City include:
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Transportation/Traffic |
Air Quality |
Noise |
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Preparation or peer review of traffic study for proposed project Preparation or Peer Review of Parking study Peer review of CEQA /Environmental Assessment |
Peer review of CEQA/Environmental Assessment Preparation or peer review of Greenhouse gas study |
Peer Review of CEQA/Environmental Assessment Reports |
Consultants that were selected to appear on this list demonstrated the firm’s qualifications for technical consulting services. While this on-call list is meant to serve the technical service needs for the City and streamline the contracting process for developer and/or City funded technical documents and staffing, the City reserves the right to circulate separate Requests for Proposals for projects exceeding $100,000. Any firm on the on-call list is not precluded from these individual requests for proposals but will be assessed by the same rubric as all other proposals.
ANALYSIS:
In order to ensure an objective selection process, an evaluation committee was assembled, and all members evaluated proposals independently. Based on the City’s criteria and selection procedures set forth in the RFSQ, the evaluation committee recommended that agreements be awarded to the following firms:
• Dudek
• ECORP Consulting, Inc.
• Environmental Science Associates
• FCS International, Inc.
• Galvin Preservation Associates, Inc.
• LSA Associates, Inc.
• Michael Baker International
• PlaceWorks, Inc.
• PSOMAS
• Sagecrest Planning and Environmental
• Stantec Consulting Services
• The Natelson Dale Group, Inc.
ALTERNATIVES:
An alternative to the recommended City Council action would be to not move forward with the contracts for on-call consulting services. Due to the volume of work and large number of projects currently being managed by the Economic and Development Services Department staff, the City’s ability to provide timely technical, environmental studies and/or staffing services would be compromised, and customers would experience significant delays.
FISCAL REVIEW:
Consultant services for the development of and/or peer review of technical documents/studies for parking, traffic/transportation, noise, air quality and/or staffing are utilized by the Economic and Development Services Department on an as-needed basis. The consultant’s fees are paid for by project applicants as a “pass-through cost” and/or the City from the annual budget. Use of contract services are on an as needed basis and the cost of each service varies by subject and task.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The attached Professional Service Agreement (PSA) template was prepared by the City Attorney’s Office and the staff report has been reviewed and approved as to form.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES:
This item is administrative in nature.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to authorize spending authority with each consulting firm on the Economic and Development Services Department on-call environmental and staffing services list through June 30, 2025, in such final form as approved by the City Attorney so long as such amendments are paid by the applicant as a “pass-through cost” or within the City’s annual budget.