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April 21, 2026
ITEM TITLE
Contract Award and CIP Appropriation: Approve a Consultant Services Agreement with Carrier Johnson + Culture for the City of Chula Vista Police Department Facilities Master Planning Effort and Amend the Fiscal Year 2025-26 CIP Budget Accordingly
Report Number: 26-0098
Location: No specific geographic location
Department: City Manager & Police
G.C. § 84308 Regulations Apply: No
Environmental Notice: The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines. Therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
Recommended Action
Adopt a resolution: 1) Approving a Consultant Services Agreement with Carrier Johnson + Culture for Police Department facilities master planning services for a not-to-exceed amount of $393,815 and 2) Amending the fiscal year 202 5-26 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget by appropriating funds to the capital improvement project “ Police Substation Feasibility Study ” (SAF0171) from available fund balance of the Public Facilities Development Impact Fee Fund (4/5 Vote Required).
SUMMARY
Constructed in 2004, the City of Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) Headquarters at 315 Fourth Avenue is approximately 150,000 square feet and includes core functions such as dispatch, investigations, administrative offices, evidence storage, a crime laboratory, and a holding facility.
However, more than two decades later, the facility is increasingly insufficient to support the current and projected operational needs of the department due to significant growth in the city, expansion of policing services, and increases in staffing and technological infrastructure.
On November 7, 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking competitive proposals from qualified firms to provide master facilities planning services for the Chula Vista Police Department in order P a g e | 2
to assess the space and program needs of the Department and inform the future capital investment. As a result of the RFP process, staff recommends approving a consultant services agreement with Carrier Johnson + Culture for a not-to-exceed amount of $393,815.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed activity has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and it has been determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines because it will not result in a physical change in the environment. Therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is required.
This determination is predicated on Section 15004 of the State CEQA Guidelines, which provides direction to lead agencies on the appropriate timing for environmental review. The action being taken at this time involve only consideration of approving a consultant services agreement to develop a Master Plan. This action does not constitute approval of a project. Future actions to consider and approve the Master Plan, and if applicable, any associated funding allocations related to development and/or construction activity , may require additional review under the provisions of CEQA by the lead agency.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
Not applicable.
DISCUSSION
Civic Center Master Plan Update & Police Headquarters Master Plan (2001) In July of 2001, the City Council approved the Police Headquarters Master Plan for the construction of the new Police Headquarters (HQ) to be located at 315 Fourth Avenue. This was done as part of the Civic Center Master Plan Update, which remodeled and expanded the existing Civic Center complex.
Consultants worked alongside City staff to develop a facility master plan including a needs analysis, space programming and conceptual design.
At the time, the Police Department (PD) facility was significantly und ersized and in order to support level and quality of service, it was determined necessary to relocate and construct a new HQ.
The new PD HQ would consist of a facility of approximately 135,000 square feet distributed across two to three stories above grad e and a basement. The maximum height of the building would be 50 feet. There would be approximately 430 parking spaces provided in a combination of surface area and parking structure.
The facility would accommodate a maximum of approximately 536 employees. It was anticipated that patrols from the facility would operate with two to four shifts per day, 24 hours a day. Vehicular traffic would consist of police personnel, civilian personnel and visitors. The activities at this site would not include repair of police vehicles and no fuel would be stored on site.
The facility was planned for the Chula Vista population at buildout , which was estimated to be 277,000 by the year 2030.
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Current Status of Police Facility
Constructed in 2004, the PD HQ serves as a modern public safety facility designed to serve the operational needs of the department at that time. The building is approximately 150,000 square feet and includes core functions such as dispatch, investigations, administrative offices, evidence storage, a crime laboratory, and a holding facility.
However, more than two decades later, the facility is increasingly insufficient to support the current and projected operational needs of the department due to significant growth in the city, expansion of p olicing services, and increases in staffing and technological infrastructure.
Since the design of PD HQ, the City of Chula Vista has experienced substantial population and development growth. The police department currently serves a population exceeding 280,000 residents, and long -term projections anticipate the city reaching approximately 350,000 residents at full build-out.
Large-scale developments—including the Chula Vista Bayfront project, Millenia, Otay Ranch expansion, and a planned university site—are expected to significantly increase population density, tourism, traffic, and calls for service. These developments create greater demand for patrol services, investigative resources, and community policing programs.
As service demands increase, the depar tment must expand staffing, specialized units, and operational capabilities, placing pressure on a facility that was designed for a smaller city and a different policing environment. The current facility also presents strategic limitations for the department’s future growth. As the city continues to expand geographically and demographically, the department must maintain adequate staffing levels and operational readiness. However, physical space constraints at the existing HQ limit the department’s ability to expand staffing, modernize infrastructure, and maintain efficient operations.
City Council Referral (March 2025)
The City Council made a referral, initiated by Councilmember Inzunza, directing staff to initiate and facilitate a feasibility study on the potential development of a police substation in eastern Chula Vista. It was requested that study parameters include land planning, service level needs, program definitions , cost estimates, and financing options.
This item is responsive to that referral . The scope of the original referral was expanded in the RFP development process to comprehensively assess the space needs of CVPD.
Bidding Process
On November 7, 2025, the City issued RFP P16-2026 seeking competitive proposals from qualified firms to provide master facilities planning services that would evaluate existing facility conditions, develop a ten (10) year capital improvement plan for CVPD, and a twenty (20) year master facilities plan to be used as a guide for future capital investments and strategic facility decisions.
The selected Consultant would provide a comprehensive master plan that includes the following:
1. Evaluation of existing space of Police Department Headquarters, identifyin g both physical and operations issues of space quality, layout and detail.
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2. An in -depth needs assessment of police services and staffing requirements based on current and buildout service demands.
3. A detailed analysis of current response times and identification of service gaps.
4. Recommendations for building and parking space to meet operational needs.
Optional Services
1. Strategic recommendations for site placement of potential substation in eastern Chula Vista if recommended/warranted.
2. Conceptual design of the proposed substation, including site planning and construction cost estimating, if recommended/warranted.
The City received three (3) sealed bids on December 12, 2025. The base bid totals were as follows:
Ranking Contractor Base Bid Amount
1 Carrier Johnson + Culture $393,815
2 Matrix Consulting $184,890
3- NR Wireless CCTV LLC $-
NR= Non-Responsive
An evaluation team, consisting of Assistant Chief of Police, Director of Development Services, Assistant Director of Public Works, and Police Lieutenant, reviewed the written proposals regarding their qualifications to provide master facilities planning services. After a comprehensive assessment, staff recommended awarding the agreement to Carrier Johnson + Culture in the not-to-exceed amount of $393,815.
Carrier Johnson + Culture was selected due to their extensive local knowledge and trusted experience. Their past work in the city , including the PD HQ, City Hall, and current work on the University and Innovation District, provides a unique perspective and reflects their long-standing partnership with Chula Vista.
Carrier Johnson + Culture Scope of Work
Carrier Johnson + Culture will be responsible for the following six main tasks and an optional scope, if warranted during their initial assessment.
1. Existing Facilities Conditions Evaluation and Needs Assessment a. Assess existing conditions including review of building plans, 1998 Police Facility Master Plan and tour facilities.
b. High-level review of existing building systems.
c. Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment for police services, including demographic analysis, crime trends, calls for service data, and projected growth through buildout. d. Evaluate current service delivery models and identify limitations or areas for enhancement. e. Engage with City staff and relevant stakeholders to gather operational insights and service expectations.
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2. Response Time and Service Gap Analysis
a. Analyze existing response times for police services using GIS mapping, historical call data, and incident types.
b. Identify spatial and temporal service gaps.
c. Provide data visualization to illustrate current service coverage limitations and future challenges.
3. Staffing and Operational Requirements
a. Evaluate current and projected staffing needs based on projected buildout population. b. Recommend staffing levels, oversight structure, and potential operational support units. c. Include considerations for future scalability and flexible staffing models.
4. Projected Conditions and Programming Needs
a. Review industry best practices and emerging trends.
b. Using collected data and growth projections, develop programming needs.
5. Operational Concept Development and Analysis
a. Develop operational concepts to meet future needs.
b. Work with stakeholders to analyze and narrow down the list of operational concepts.
6. Master Facilities Plan
a. Based on the outcome of the above analysis, develop ten (10) year capital improvement schedule with estimated costs.
b. Provide twenty (20) year master facilities plan to be used as a guide for future capital investments and strategic facility decisions.
7. Eastern Substation Feasibility Study, Conceptual Design and Site Planning (if recommended/warranted) a. Analyze the City’s current police facility distribution in relation to population growth, development patterns, and response time data in eastern Chula Vista. b. Assess whether a substation is required to ensure adequate emergency response coverage and operational efficiency for eastern areas.
c. Evaluate the suitability of existing City -owned parcels in eastern Chul a Vista for development of a substation, considering site access, response time improvements, and land use compatibility. d. Engage with police operations staff to determine substation functional requirements. e. Develop a conceptual design package for the propo sed substation, including site plan alternatives, floor plans, renderings, and cost estimates.
f. Recommend optimal timing and phasing for substation development as part of the overall ten (10) and twenty (20) year facilities plan.
DECISION-MAKER CONFLICT
Staff has reviewed the decision contemplated by this action and has determined that it is not site-specific and consequently, the real property holdings of the City Council members do not create a disqualifying real property-related financial conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act (Cal. Gov't Code § 87100, et seq.).
Staff is not independently aware, and has not been informed by any City Council member, of any other fact that may constitute a basis for a decision-maker conflict of interest in this matter.
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CURRENT-YEAR FISCAL IMPACT
If approved, the proposed agreement with Carrier Johnson + Culture would authorize consultant services expenses that shall not exceed $393,815 through the term of the agreement.
The fiscal year 2025 -26 CIP budget previously appropriated $300,000 to the capital improvement project “Police Substation Feasibility Study ” (SAF0171) using the available fund balance of the Public Facilities Development Impact Fee Fund. This item increases the capital improvement project appropriation by $93,815 to $393,815.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
There is no additional fiscal impact anticipated for this agreement. Any future infrastructure needs , and associated funding actions, identified in the development of the master plan will be brought for City Council consideration.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Carrier Johnson + Culture Agreement
Staff Contacts: Dan Peak, Acting Chief of Police
Adrianna Relph, Special Projects & Legislative Manager
Jonathan Alegre, Administrative Services Manager