DATE:
July 21, 2026
TO:
Mayor and Council Members
Chair and Board Members, Hesperia Water District
FROM:
Rachel Molina, City Manager
BY:
Cassandra Sanchez, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Tina Souza, Senior Project Manager
Dena Alcayaga, Assistant Project Manager
SUBJECT:
Award Professional Services Agreements for On-Call Geotechnical Engineering and Materials Testing Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION
It is recommended that the City Council and Board of Directors of the Hesperia Water District:
Award five (5) Professional Services Agreements (PSAs) to Converse Consultants, Geocon West, Inc., Certerra RMA Group, Fenagh Engineering and Testing, Inc., and NV5, Inc. for on-call geotechnical engineering and material testing services, each for the not-to-exceed amount of $200,000, with a term of three (3) years.
Authorize City Manager or designee to execute the agreements and any documents related thereto.
BACKGROUND
Geotechnical engineering and materials testing services are essential components of many City and Hesperia Water District capital improvement and maintenance projects, including street improvements, water and sewer pipeline construction, drainage improvements, and other public infrastructure projects. These services are required throughout the life of a project, including preliminary engineering, design, and construction. In addition, geotechnical services may be required on an emergency basis for trench failures, unforeseen subsurface conditions, or urgent Water District pipeline repairs.
The procurement process for professional engineering services typically requires approximately three to four months to complete. Soliciting a separate Request for Qualification (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP) for each individual project would delay project delivery, increase administrative costs, and reduce staff efficiency. Establishing on-call agreements allows the City and Water District to obtain qualified professional services as needed, reducing procurement time and facilitating timely project implementation.
The City previously utilized on-call geotechnical engineering agreements during FY 2020-21 through FY 2025-26. These agreements proved to be an efficient and cost-effective procurement method by reducing contract administration, accelerating project delivery, and providing timely access to specialized engineering services when needed.
Several projects included in the FY 2026-27 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), as well as future CIP projects, are anticipated to require geotechnical engineering and materials testing services throughout various phases of design and construction.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
In accordance with the California Public Contract Code, contracts for professional engineering services are awarded based on demonstrated qualifications rather than lowest cost. Accordingly, staff issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for on-call geotechnical engineering and materials testing services through a formal competitive qualifications-based selection process.
Fifteen (15) Statements of Qualifications were received, of which one (1) submittal was determined to be non-responsive due to failure to acknowledge and comply with the required RFQ addendum. The remaining fourteen (14) responsive firms were evaluated by a staff review panel using criteria established in the RFQ, including firm qualifications, technical expertise, project experience, staffing, and overall approach to providing the requested services.
Based on the evaluation results, the review panel ranked Converse Consultants, Geocon West, Inc., Certerra RMA Group, Fenagh Engineering and Testing, Inc., and NV5, Inc. as the five highest-qualified firms and recommends awarding on-call Professional Services Agreements to each firm.
Each agreement will be established with a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 over a three-year term. Individual task orders will be issued only as needed, and there is no guarantee that the full contract amount will be expended. Work will be authorized on a project-by-project basis and only when funding has been identified and approved through the applicable Operating Budget or Capital Improvement Program (CIP). These baseline PSA amounts may not be sufficient to see certain projects through the construction phase. Should the need to increase the PSA amounts arise as the projects progress, staff will return to Council.
The use of multiple on-call consultants provides the City and Water District with flexibility to assign work based on project schedules, specialized expertise, consultant availability, and workload, ensuring projects can proceed efficiently while maintaining continuity of service.
CITY GOAL SUPPORTED BY THIS ITEM
Capital Improvement – Continually evaluate capital improvement priorities.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for various projects is budgeted in the FY 2026-27 Operating Budget or CIP under the respective project. Subsequent fiscal year’s Operating Budget or CIP will include adequate appropriation authority for services needed on a project-by-project basis.
ALTERNATIVE(S)
1. Provide an alternative direction to staff.
ATTACHMENT(S)
1. Rating Summary
City of Hesperia STAFF REPORT City of Hesperia STAFF REPORT City of Hesperia
STAFF REPORT
City of Hesperia
STAFF REPORT
Staff Report to Mayor and Council Members
Award Professional Services Agreement for On-Call Geotechnical Engineering Services July 21, 2026