Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: June 25, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager
Submitted by: David Sanchez, Community Development Director Subject: Award of Professional Services Agreement with Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc. for CDBG Entitlement Program Administration
BACKGROUND
Consider awarding a three-year Professional Services Agreement to Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc. for the City’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement program administration in FY 2025/26, FY 2026/27, and FY 2027/28.
DISCUSSION
The City of Camarillo is an entitlement city under the CDBG program of the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As an entitlement city, the City receives an annual CDBG funding allocation directly from HUD.
The City’s FY 2025/26 CDBG allocation is $345,293 for programs that benefit low- and moderate-income persons, aid in the prevention and elimination of slums and blight, or are designed to meet an urgent need to alleviate a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community. This allocation is included in the City’s FY 2025/26 Action Plan (adopted April 23, 2025). Based on prior allocations, the City can anticipate future annual allocations of approximately $345,000 per year.
In addition, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) made available additional funding to HUD to issue grants to local governments to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 (CDBG-CV). The City has remaining CDBG-CV funding of $35,853, and only one remaining Subrecipient, St. Vincent De Paul.
On April 21, 2025, staff published a Request for Proposals (RFP) for CDBG and CDBG- CV Program Administration on the PlanetBids (PB) website. The RFP included a detailed scope of services, the City’s Professional Services Agreement template, and insurance requirements. At the conclusion of the May 28, 2025, deadline to submit proposals, the
Professional Services Agreement - CDBG Administration
June 25, 2025
2 6
1 3
City received a total of four proposals from MNS Engineers, Inc., The Ramsay Group, Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc., and Willdan Engineering.
A scoring panel consisting of three City staff members reviewed and scored the proposals with a possible maximum score of 300 (100 points per panel member) based on 5 categories. The combined scoring totals of the three-member scoring panel are as follows:
Scoring Category MNS
Engineers,
Inc.
The
Ramsay
Group
Veronica Tam
and
Associates,
Inc.
Willdan
Engineering
Qualifications of the Firm
(45 Points Maximum)
37 39 44 42
References
(30 Points Maximum)
28 28 29 28
Staffing
(90 Points Maximum)
60 79 87 84
Schedule
(15 Points Maximum)
10 14 14 14
Scope of Work
(120 Points Maximum)
87 101 110 99
Total
(300 Points Maximum
222 261 284 267
As specified in the RFP, the consultant will oversee the day-to-day program administration, conduct the annual information meetings, review funding applications, prepare documents for public hearings, prepare Annual Action Plans and any necessary amendments, coordinate the execution of funding agreements, utilize the Integrated Disbursement Information System (IDIS) system to set-up activities and enter accomplishments, prepare Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Reports (CAPERs) and any other reporting required by HUD, complete necessary environmental Professional Services Agreement - CDBG Administration
June 25, 2025
2 6
1 3
review, conduct on-site monitoring of subrecipient activities, provide City staff with technical assistance, and additional CDBG-related assistance as needed.
After a careful review of the proposals, staff is recommending the selection of Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc. (VTA), the highest scoring respondent, to perform the consulting services requested by the RFP.
VTA has assisted the City with the CDBG program since 2006, initially assisting with a HUD audit followed by ongoing assistance on as-needed basis. The consultant has also provided CDBG consulting services to eight other jurisdictions in the region within the last five years and employs a project manager with over 20 years of CDBG experience at the municipal level who will be the primary person in charge of delivering the proposed services.
Staff is confident that VTA has the necessary experience and knowledge to successfully oversee all aspects of the program. Therefore, staff recommends VTA for the three-year Professional Services Agreement. Staff also recommends providing the City Manager authorization to extend the agreement for two additional years, provided that the fixed cost for years four and five do not exceed a CPI escalator of 5% annually. Community Development staff will be responsible for managing the agreement.
To help off-set or cover the administrative costs incurred by the City, CDBG program regulations allow a portion of the annual allocations to be used for this purpose. Up to 20 percent of the annual allocations may be used for the City’s costs associated with program administration and fair housing. The City currently spends $9,065 per year on the fair housing contract with the Housing Rights Center, which includes fair housing testing. With this in mind, the available funding for program administration is summarized in the following table.
Program
Year
VTA Proposal for
CDBG and CDBG-CV
Administration
Maximum Available
Funding for CDBG
Administration
Maximum Available
Funding for CDBG-CV
Administration
FY 2025/26 $59,850 $59,993 is available after Fair
Housing Program costs
FY 2026/27 $61,920 Estimated $59,993 (20% of
allocation, minus Fair Housing
Program costs)
$18,190
(Funding Expires November
10, 2026)
FY 2027/28 $63,990 Estimated $59,993 (20% of
allocation, minus Fair Housing
Program costs)
No CDBG-CV funding
TOTAL $185,760 $179,979* $18,190
*Estimate is based on receiving an annual CDBG allocation of $345,293, (the actual allocation for FY 2025/26), for FY 2026/27 and FY 2027/28, and on the annual Fair Housing Program cost of $9,065.
Professional Services Agreement - CDBG Administration
June 25, 2025
2 6
1 3
As shown in the table above, CDBG administrative funding may not be sufficient to cover the consultant costs in FY 2026/27 and FY 2027/28. Staff projects an estimated $1,927 shortfall in CDBG administrative budget in FY 2026/27 and $3,997 in FY 2027/28 that will require General Fund expenditure. This is due to administrative costs increasing in FY 2026/27 and FY 2027/28 while the CDBG allocation is estimated to stay relatively static.
If the City receives a smaller CDBG allocation than projected, the General Fund expenditure will increase proportionally for FY 2026/27 and FY 2027/28. If a larger CDBG allocation is received than expected in FY 2026/27 and FY 2027/28, the General Fund expenditure will decrease. Staff will budget for the projected shortfall in the FY 2026/27 and FY 2027/28 budgets respectively.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for the Veronica Tam and Associates Professional Services Agreement are included in the CDBG Fund, Community Development Department Fiscal Year 2025/26 budget, Account No. 280-4401-444.70-01 and Account No. 280-4405-444.73-51. Staff projects a future estimated $1,927 shortfall in CDBG administrative budget in FY 2026/27 and $3,997 in FY 2027/28 that will require General Fund expenditure.
CEQA DETERMINATIONS
Staff has determined, in accordance with Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, that the Professional Services Agreement with Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc. for the administration of the CDBG Program is not subject to CEQA review because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the administration of the CDBG program may have a significant effect on the environment.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Find that the Professional Services Agreement with Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc. for the administration of the CDBG Program is not subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines pursuit to Section 15061(b)(3), because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the administration of the CDBG program may have a significant effect on the environment.
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute a three-year professional services agreement with Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc. for CDBG and CDBG-CV program administration in the amount of $185,760; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to extend Agreement No. 2025-108 for an additional two years upon mutual agreement between the City and Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc. for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $323,498.
Professional Services Agreement - CDBG Administration
June 25, 2025
2 6
1 3
ATTACHMENTS
1. CC Agreement 2025-108, Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc.
2. CDBG Administration RFP
3. Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc RFP Proposal
REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None