City of Huntington Beach
Capital Improvement Program Summary
July 2025
Overview
The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) identifies major public improvements to the City’s infrastructure that includes new projects and upgrades annually. The CIP is developed to address elements in the City’s General Plan, as well as City Council adopted planning documents and master plans. The CIP includes numerous categories that include drainage and storm water, facilities, neighborhoods, parks & beaches, sewer, streets & transportation and water. The CIP requires a variety of On-Call Engineering and Professional Services contracts to implement new projects and maintain/upgrade City facilities.
The CIP is prepared with the annual budget process. Proposed projects are submitted to the Public Works Department and staff compiles the projects into a draft program that is then presented to the Public Works Commission (PWC) for review. Additionally, during the year, individual projects are taken to the PWC prior to formally advertising for bids. The Planning Commission reviews the CIP to ensure conformance with the General Plan. The CIP is adopted by the City Council with the annual budget. The FY 25/26 CIP includes 50 projects with a budget of $63,631,000.
Consultant Selection Process
When initiating a capital project that requires consultant support (e.g., engineering design, environmental services, technical studies), staff follow a qualifications-based selection process in accordance with the California Government Code and the City's Municipal Code. This process is designed to ensure fairness, transparency, and the selection of the most qualified firm for the specific scope of work.
Formal Bid Process Steps:
1. Issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP):
o The RFP outlines the scope of work, evaluation criteria, and submission requirements.
o It is distributed widely and advertised (via Planet Bids) to invite proposals from qualified firms.
2. Proposal Review and Evaluation:
o Staff evaluate proposals using criteria (outlined in RFP) such as relevant experience, technical approach, staffing, past performance, and understanding of City needs.
o A summary matrix of firms that submitted and the firm(s) selected is developed to document the process and rationale.
3. Recommendation to Council:
o In the Request for Council Action (RCA), staff provide a written description of the scope of work, background of the potential CIP projects, and example tasks or deliverables expected.
o As part of improved transparency, the full RFP and the evaluation summary matrix are included with the RCA for Council review.
Policy Update for Future RCA Submittals
In response to feedback from City Council, and in the interest of increasing transparency, staff will now include the following in all future RCAs involving professional service contracts:
• The original RFP document.
• A summary matrix showing which firms submitted and which were selected. • A clear description of the scope of work, project tasks, and how the consultant’s role fits within the project.