CITY OF GROVER BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. 7
Placement: Consent
Meeting Date: June 22, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Todd Bartolome, Senior Engineer
SUBJECT: Approved List of Qualified Consultants for Engineering Design Services
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the list of qualified consultants for Engineering Design Services related to upcoming Capital Improvement Projects
BACKGROUND
The Public Works Department often relies on consultants as a staff resource for priority projects identified by the City Council. This is especially true with major capital projects where consultants typically provide civil engineering design, grant administration, materials testing and construction management services. Other services provided by consultants include geotechnical engineering, landscape architecture, project management, surveying, plan checking, and environmental clearance.
When typically procuring professional services, the department follows the Request for Proposals (RFP) process as outlined in the State Government Code. This process is typically followed to procure professional services on a project. Per the Government Code the City is required to advertise for proposals in a local publication, review the proposals received and rank the firms based on qualifications. The highest-ranking firm is then selected, and the City enters into price negotiations with that firm. If unsuccessful in negotiating a fair contract price, the City begins negotiations with the second-place firm and so on until a contract can be awarded. This process requires a great deal of staff time and resources while significantly impacting project schedules and staff’s ability to complete multiple projects.
In 2021, Council approved lists for qualified consultants for engineering and design services with the intent to update this list every 3-5 years (2021 Staff Report). The list was extended in 2024 (2024 Staff Report). Staff is now seeking to update this list for professional engineering design services and specifically is recommending the creation of separate lists for water, wastewater, and stormwater design projects, and a list for street and roadway design projects.
The Public Works Department published a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on April 9, 2026, to gather Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from firms interested in providing professional services in each of the three categories identified above. This process, as well as the consultant proposal review and selection process, adheres to the Public Works Professional Service On-Call List Procedure which establishes guidelines for staff to advertise on-call contracts, select qualified Staff Report: Approved Lists for Engineering Design Services Consultant Page 2 June 22, 2026
firms, and equitably rotate work among selected firms. Once Council establishes these lists of approved consultants, staff can seek cost and scope proposals for design services from consultants on the approved lists. Being included on the list does not guarantee that a consultant will receive any assignments as the volume of work assigned to an approved consultant is dependent on the consultant’s qualifications and availability as they relate to a specific project.
The RFQ closed on May 7, 2026, and SOQs were received from 15 total firms which represented a strong response to the RFQ process. 12 firms proposed for water, wastewater, and stormwater design services while 13 firms proposed for street and roadway design services. A panel of City staff evaluated the proposals independently and then met to discuss the proposals and rank them.
The SOQs were ranked based on the advertised criteria, as per Government Code Section 4526 which states:
“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, selection by a state or local agency head for professional services of private architectural, landscape architectural, engineering, environmental, land surveying, or construction project management firms shall be on the basis of demonstrated competence and on the professional qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance of the services required.
Staff’s recommendations are based on criteria that seek to identify the following items:
• Capacity of the team to perform the work
• Qualifications and experience of the employees identified • Past experience with projects of similar size and scope • Capability to meet milestone and budget requirements
• Technical expertise and demonstrated ability to efficiently deliver projects with an understanding of Constructability.
• Experience with City Specifications, Standards and Drawings • Any specialized project needs, such as experience with specific techniques for delivery of the City’s street projects.
While all consultants who submitted SOQs had varying levels of qualifications, staff recommends limiting the list to the firms identified in the tables on the following page. This recommendation provides for redundancy in available service, increases the likelihood that all selected consultants will complete some level of work for the City, and assures that chosen consultants are well qualified to complete the work without additional assistance from City staff. While staff recommends limiting the list to seven approved consultants, the streets and roadways on-call list is recommended to be larger than the others due to the large volume of work that the City anticipates in this category over the next several years.
Staff Report: Approved Lists for Engineering Design Services Consultant Page 3 June 22, 2026
The following tables indicate staff’s recommendations for the list of qualified consultants along with related notes for all three design service areas:
Table 1 Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Design Services Firm Name Notes
Adurra (MKN) Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications Wallace Group Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications Cannon Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications 4Creeks Extensive experience and qualifications demonstrated AKA Engr Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications BKF Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications WSC Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications Firms not selected: Wildan Engr, DPSI, NCE, iWALK, CLAD, L6 Engineering.
Table 2 Street and Roadway Design Services
Firm Name Notes
Wallace Group Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications Cannon Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications RICK Engr Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications PEI Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications 4Creeks Extensive experience and qualifications demonstrated AKA Engr Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications BKF Currently performs well for the City; extensive experience & qualifications Firms not selected: Wildan Engr, WSC, DPSI, NCE, iWALK, CLAD, L6 Engineering.
Staff would note that consultants not recommended for each list are not precluded from working with the City. The City reserves the right to bypass these lists for specific projects that are deemed more appropriate for a traditional RFP consultant selection process. This is typically the case for highly unique or specialized projects. Firms that did not make the list due to limited experience or resources identified can be provided opportunities on smaller projects which would allow them to gain experience and skills necessary to be included on future lists.
Once Council approves this list of qualified consultants, the consultant selected to perform work under contract with the City using the City’s Consultant Services Agreement will agree to provide services based on hourly rates identified in their SOQ. The City will negotiate separate scopes and fee estimates for each project. This methodology reduces time and staff resources necessary to procure consulting services since the consultant’s qualifications have already been determined, all the terms and conditions of the contract are mutually approved, and the consultant’s insurance information is on record.
Staff Report: Approved Lists for Engineering Design Services Consultant Page 4 June 22, 2026
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no funding impacts to this staff report.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Approve the recommended lists of qualified engineering design consultants related to upcoming Capital Improvement Projects; or
2. Do not approve recommended lists and provide additional directions to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Approved List of Qualified Design Consultants
Multi-Year Goals
☐ Public Safety and Community Services ☐ Economic Development and Housing ☒ Community Infrastructure ☐ Financial and Organization Sustainability Council Priorities
☒ Water & Wastewater Infrastructure ☐ Community Engagement ☒ Street Improvements and Maintenance
Attachment 1
CITY OF GROVER BEACH
APPROVED LIST OF QUALIFIED CONSULTANTS
FOR
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR
WATER, WASTEWATER, AND STORMWATER DESIGN,
AND STREET AND ROADWAY DESIGN
WATER, WASTEWATER, AND STORMWATER DESIGN:
ADURRA (MKN)
354 PACIFIC STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
WALLACE
612 CLARION COURT
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
CANNON
1050 SOUTHWOOD DRIVE
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
AKA ENGINEERING
PO BOX 3470
SHELL BEACH, CA 93448
WSC
805 AEROVISTA PLACE
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
4CREEKS
1880 SANTA BARBARA, STE 320
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
BKF
285 SOUTH STREET, SUITE A
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
STREET AND ROADWAY DESIGN:
CANNON
1050 SOUTHWOOD DRIVE
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
WALLACE
612 CLARION COURT
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
RICK
1160 MARSH STREET, SUITE 150
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
BKF
285 SOUTH STREET, SUITE A
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
PEI
3485 SACRAMENTO DR, STE A
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
4CREEKS
1880 SANTA BARBARA, STE 320
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401
AKA
PO BOX 3470
SHELL BEACH, CA 93448