Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: March 25, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager
Submitted by: Carmen Nichols, Assistant City Manager
Subject: Award CC Agreement 2026-23 – Healthy Camarillo Consulting Services
BACKGROUND
The Healthy Camarillo initiative was first introduced during the Fiscal Year 2020/21 Strategic Planning session, when Councilmembers Tony Trembley and Charlotte Craven proposed exploring a community wellness program, initially considering a Blue Zone Project designation. Through early discussions with the Camarillo Health Care District (CHCD) and Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District (PVRPD), it was determined that a formal designation was not financially feasible. The City Council refined the concept at the FY 2021/22 Strategic Planning Session, directing staff to explore "Healthy RC" (Rancho Cucamonga) as a model and adopted the objective to "Explore the establishment of a public/private community wellness initiative ('Healthy Camarillo') focusing on prevalent community health issues." On February 8, 2023, the City Council established the Healthy Camarillo Ad Hoc Committee to guide development of the initiative. Staff engaged with the Ventura County Community Health Improvement Collaborative (VCCHIC) to review the 2022 Ventura County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), which identified mental health and substance use, prevention of chronic conditions, and equitable access to healthcare as the most pressing health priorities for Camarillo residents, with 73% of survey respondents identifying mental health as the most critical community problem.
In 2025, VCCHIC completed an updated CHNA, drawing on more than 6,000 community health survey responses, ten focus groups, and six partner listening sessions. While behavioral health remained a top priority, the 2025 CHNA elevated two new standalone priority areas: Older Adults' Health and Women's Health. Older Adults' Health ranked second in data scoring, with Ventura County older adults showing higher rates of asthma, osteoporosis, cancer, atrial fibrillation, arthritis, and stroke compared to the state, compounded by caregiver stress, social isolation, and barriers to home-based and transportation-assisted care. Women's Health ranked first in data scoring, driven by
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breast cancer incidence and mortality rates exceeding California averages, as well as significant disparities in adolescent female mental health outcomes.
Formalization of the Partnership
Following the Ad Hoc Committee's research and outreach, the City of Camarillo, CHCD, and PVRPD formalized their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in August 2024, committing to collaborate on programming, resource development, marketing, and governance to address these health priorities. The Healthy Camarillo Steering Committee, comprised of representatives from all three partner agencies, serves as the collaborative governance body guiding program development and community engagement. The City Manager's Office provides executive oversight of the initiative, including contractual and fiscal management.
DISCUSSION
Request for Proposals and Consultant Selection
Following adoption of the MOU and agreement among the three partner agencies on a scope of work for consultant services, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Professional Consultant Services for the Healthy Camarillo Initiative in June 2025. The RFP sought a qualified community health consultant to develop a comprehensive strategic framework for the initiative, including stakeholder engagement, program launch planning, staffing and volunteer infrastructure, long-term sustainability planning, governance structure development, marketing and communications, and website development.
The City received nine qualified proposals from consulting firms across the country. A selection committee comprised of City staff and Steering Committee members evaluated all proposals using the following weighted criteria: Scope of Work, Cost, Staffing, Qualifications of the Firm, and References.
Based on the written evaluation, two firms were selected to advance to the interview stage. Interviews were conducted with members of the Steering Committee on September 15, 2025, at City Hall. Following the interviews, the Steering Committee recommended Chapman Consulting, LLC as the most qualified firm for the initiative.
About Chapman Consulting, LLC
Chapman Consulting, LLC is a California-based, woman-owned, mission-driven health policy and strategy consulting firm founded in 2018 and headquartered in Davis, California. The firm specializes in stakeholder engagement, community health strategy, and Medicaid and Medicare policy, with staff based throughout California including team members in the Los Angeles area.
Chapman Consulting brings several notable strengths to the Healthy Camarillo Initiative:
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Directly relevant experience: Chapman has served as the regional facilitator for the California Department of Health Care Services' CalAIM Collaborative Planning and Implementation Initiative since 2023, convening multi-stakeholder groups including city and county staff, Medi-Cal managed care plans, providers, hospitals, and community-based organizations. The firm also led development of the FY 2021–2023 Strategic Plan for the Orange County Health Care Agency, which serves over 3.2 million residents, and supported Kaiser Permanente's Medi-Cal managed care expansion across 32 California counties.
Deep expertise in multi-agency collaboration: Chapman has a demonstrated track record of convening diverse stakeholder groups, facilitating complex governance structures, and driving consensus across government agencies, healthcare providers, and community partners.
Community-centered and inclusive approach: The firm's engagement strategies are grounded in cross-cultural agility and designed to foster inclusive participation, ensuring that all communities have a meaningful role in shaping program priorities.
Strong California policy context: With over seven years of experience working across California, Chapman brings fluency in state budget, regulatory, and funding environments, which will be critical as the initiative develops a diversified, sustainable funding strategy.
Experienced subcontractor in communications: Chapman has partnered with NKE Strategies, a Sacramento-based communications firm with 25 years of experience, to deliver all marketing and communications components of the engagement. NKE Strategies brings a proven portfolio in public health campaigns, brand development, and multilingual community outreach, including work on the California Mortgage Relief Program and the CalAssist Mortgage Fund on behalf of the California Housing Finance Agency.
Chapman will be led by Project Director Athena Chapman, MPP, who brings over 20 years of health policy leadership experience, including prior roles at the California Association of Health Plans, the California Department of Health Care Services, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Scope of Services
Following selection, City staff engaged in negotiations with Chapman Consulting to refine the scope and reduce costs. The Steering Committee reviewed the revised proposal and approved moving forward with contract award recommendation to the City Council. The final scope of work is organized across five tasks to be completed over a 12-month period:
Task 1 – Initial Development Phase: Review of existing health data (including the 2022 and 2025 Ventura County CHNAs), stakeholder interviews, development CC Agreement 2026-23 – Chapman Consulting, LLC
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of a Stakeholder Engagement Framework, facilitation of two community input sessions, development of an Advisory Council framework, a comprehensive brand identity and marketing plan, and a website design and development plan. Task 2 – Program Launch Planning: Development of a strategic program launch plan including a framework for signature events, implementation timelines, budget planning, and an evaluation framework to measure impact. Task 3 – Staffing and Infrastructure Building: A cross-agency staffing analysis, gap assessment, and recommendations for staffing models. Task 4 – Long-Term Development Strategy: Development of an enhanced governance framework and MOU, a partnership development plan, a diversified funding strategy, five-year budget projections, and a comprehensive program evaluation plan.
Task 5 – Ongoing Project Management: Bi-weekly coordination meetings with staff program leads from the City, CHCD, and PVRPD; quarterly Steering Committee meetings; presentations to the City Council, CHCD Board of Directors, and PVRPD Board of Directors at key project milestones; and production of a final Comprehensive Strategic Work Plan.
Building a Sustainable Foundation for Healthy Camarillo The Healthy Camarillo Initiative will establish a lasting, community-wide health infrastructure grounded in the priorities identified in the 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment, Older Adults' Health, Women's Health, and Behavioral Health. Central to achieving this long-term vision will be the development of a diversified, multi-sector funding and partnership strategy that will reduce reliance on any single funding source and strengthen the collective capacity of the City, the Camarillo Health Care District, and the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District to sustain quality health and wellness programming for Camarillo residents.
This work takes on added significance in the current environment, as one partner, the Camarillo Health Care District, faces emerging funding pressures that could affect programs closely aligned with the initiative's priorities, including the Senior Nutrition Program and Family Caregiver Resource Center. Shifts at the county level and broader uncertainty in federal funding streams such as the Older Americans Act underscore the importance of proactive resource development planning. Chapman Consulting's expertise in Medicaid financing, grant development, and external partnership building will be instrumental in helping Healthy Camarillo develop a robust funding foundation that not only supports CHCD's long-term sustainability, but positions the initiative as a whole to deliver meaningful, sustained impact across all three priority health areas.
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FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost of the contract is $186,808.75 plus a 10% contingency applied, for a total not to exceed amount of $205,489.63. Funds for description of expenditure are included in the General Fund, Community and Human Services Division budget, Account No. 101- 4340-446.32-01.
In addition, the Camarillo Health Care District has committed a one-time contribution of $50,000 toward the cost of this contract, reflecting the District's investment in and commitment to the Healthy Camarillo Initiative.
No additional General Fund appropriation is required as a result of this action.
CEQA DETERMINATIONS
City staff has determined, in accordance with Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, that Healthy Camarillo is not subject to CEQA review because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that Healthy Camarillo may have a significant effect on the environment.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute CC Agreement No. 2026-23 with Chapman Consulting, LLC for a one-year term in the amount of $186,808.75 plus 10% contingency for a total not to exceed amount of $205,489.63; and
2. Authorize City Manager to negotiate and execute future agreements or amendments with Chapman Consulting, LLC up to the authorized amount.
ATTACHMENTS
1. CC Agreement No. 2026-23 – Chapman Consulting, LLC
2. Request for Proposals – Healthy Camarillo
REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None