Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: October 22, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager
Submitted by: Philip Lanzafame, Interim Director of Community Development Subject: Award Professional Services Agreement to S.L. Leonard & Associates, Inc. for the Construction Management, Inspection Services, and Materials Testing for CUP-400, Arneill Road Mixed- Use
BACKGROUND
Beginning August 2024, staff have been working on the previously entitled site with a view to deliver a 100% affordable City-initiated housing project. As of March 2025, the improvement and building plans have been approved and are permit-ready for the Arneill Road Mixed Use Project. Staff pursued and were successful in securing Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF) grant funds to facilitate the construction of the project. On April 9, 2025, the City Council unanimously voted to accept the funding. The grant totaled $7,305,292, out of which $6,346,492 was directly allocated to the construction of the Arneill Road Project, including construction management, inspections services, and materials testing. The remaining balance of the ERF funds is allocated to ongoing encampment resolution activities including hotel vouchers, ongoing case management, ongoing operations and supply needs and temporary recreational vehicle storage. On May 27, 2025, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was released for Construction Management, Inspection Services, and Materials Testing.
DISCUSSION
On July 15, 2025, following the conclusion of the RFP period, a panel from various City departments was assembled to review the five proposals received.
The review panel considered submittals based on their compliance with the RFP, applicant qualifications, references, staffing, cost, schedule, and scope of work. The initial review of the five submittals resulted in the discounting of three of the firms.
Based on the panel's determination, two firms were selected to progress to the interview stage. Although both firms demonstrated experience, staff recommend the approval of a
S.L. Leonard & Associates, Inc. PSA Award
October 22, 2025
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Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with S.L. Leonard and Associates due to their significant amount of experience with multi-family housing projects, including recent affordable housing projects located in Ventura County, long history of success managing municipal projects within Ventura County, the interchangeability between the proposed construction manager and primary inspector, and the deep understanding of the required services.
S.L. Leonard has substantial experience managing construction projects within the City of Camarillo. The firm’s head acted as Senior Project Manager on the construction of the Camarillo Premium Outlets in 1989, and the firm itself managed the 2007 construction of the Camarillo Public Library, Camarillo Ranch Barn adaptive reuse completed in 2009, and the 2017 Camarillo Library Young Adults remodel. Additionally, S.L. Leonard has been involved in the construction of in excess of 8,000 affordable housing units.
Examples of S.L. Leonard’s recent experience with multi-family affordable housing projects in Ventura County includes:
Recent Projects
Project Location Scope Completion
Vista Campanario
Apartments
Camarillo 60-unit affordable housing project 2025
Dolores Huerta Gardens Oxnard 60-unit affordable housing project 2025 Ventura Springs Ventura 122-unit affordable housing project 2025 Chapel Lane Ventura 38-unit affordable housing project 2025 S.L. Leonard’s local project experience and results demonstrate an ability to comprehensively understand project plans and specifications and hold a general contractor accountable in meeting the articulated standards. After interviewing the two firms, on August 27, 2025, staff proceeded to negotiate the PSA details with S.L. Leonard.
After negotiation, the PSA amounts to a total of $1,093,559.70. The figure is consistent with staff's budgetary forecast, which assumed an initial budget of $1,250,000 for construction management services. The PSA will be entirely funded from the already received ERF Grant funds.
FISCAL IMPACT
ERF Grant funds for S.L. Leonard’s services are included in the Capital Improvement Projects Fund, Capital Projects budget, Account No. 410-8510-485.92-01 and Project GR-1001.
S.L. Leonard & Associates, Inc. PSA Award
October 22, 2025
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CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLAN FY 2025/26
This recommendation supports the City Council’s Strategic Plan in the following ways:
Public Safety and Emergency Resilience Objective 1.c: Maintain the City’s partnership with the VC Sheriff’s Department, VC Behavioral Health, and VC Health Care Agency, and expand collaboration with other county, private, and non-profit agencies for assistance, as appropriate, in the City’s response to homelessness and mental health issues.
The PSA is consistent with this objective because the purpose of the agreement is to assist with the creation of affordable housing which will be administered in cooperation with the VC Sheriff’s Department through Project Hope, which also includes a representative from VC Behavioral Health.
Land Use, Transportation, Transit and Community Development Objective 6:
Develop alternate methods to move forward with housing and non-housing projects without traditional redevelopment property tax increment and evaluate financing opportunities for instituting such projects.
The PSA is consistent with this objective because the agreement is to assist with the construction of an ERF grant funded affordable housing project.
Land Use, Transportation and Community Development Objective 10: Encourage the development of appropriate infill housing projects that include affordable housing opportunities to help address the housing crisis in our area with a focus on creating supportive housing solutions for homeless and vulnerable individuals through collaborative, integrated approaches that promote community resilience. The PSA is consistent with this objective because the purpose of the agreement is to assist with the development of a permanent supportive affordable housing project and because the project is an infill project.
CONFORMANCE WITH ADOPTED CITY COUNCIL POLICIES
Economic Development Strategic Plan
Community/stakeholder workshops and a community online survey key weakness/challenges: Lack of sufficient affordable housing. The PSA is consistent with the EDSP because the purpose of the agreement is to assist with the development of affordable housing.
2021-2029 Housing Element
S.L. Leonard & Associates, Inc. PSA Award
October 22, 2025
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Housing Program 17: Develop a Strategic Plan for providing Housing to accommodate the homeless community in Camarillo, based on the Ventura County point-in-time count. The PSA is consistent with this program because the purpose of the agreement is to assist with the development of affordable housing, which will form a part of the City's strategy to address homelessness in our community.
CEQA DETERMINATIONS
Staff has determined, in accordance with Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, that the award of a Professional Services Agreement to S.L. Leonard & Associates, Inc. is not subject to CEQA review because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the contract award may have a significant effect on the environment. In this case, a contract award can be seen with certainty to have no possibility to have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, this item is exempt from CEQA.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Find that the award of a Professional Services Agreement for the Construction Management, Inspection Services, and Materials Testing is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) under the State CEQA Guidelines §§ 15061(b)(3); and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute CC Agreement No. 2025-187 with S.L.
Leonard & Associates Inc. in the amount of $1,093,559.70; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute future amendments, documents, and Change Orders if required, up to the total not to exceed amount.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Agreement No. 2025-187
2. RFP for the Construction Management, Inspection Services, and Materials Testing
3. Proposal from S.L. Leonard & Associates, Inc.
REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None