STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
June 9, 2026
CONSENT
8 SUBJECT: AWARD OF CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS ON-CALL CONSULTANT
SERVICES
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Approve the selection of firms for the Public Works On-Call Consultant Team for professional consulting services;
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute professional services agreements, in a form approved by the City Attorney, with selected On-Call Consultant Team firms for a three-year period;
3. Authorize the City Manager to approve and execute project-specific task orders, on an as-needed basis, for individual projects with fees of $100,000 or less, with each task order treated as a separate authorization under the City’s Purchasing Policy and Laguna Beach Municipal Code Chapter 2.30;
4. Authorize staff to return to the City Council for approval of any individual task order exceeding $100,000; and
5. Find that the proposed actions are exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) and 15308. Or in the alternative that the proposed action is not a “project” under CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378.
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
AWARD OF CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS ON-CALL CONSULTANT SERVICES June 9, 2026
This report recommends approval of the Public Works On-Call Consultant Team for professional consulting services to support the delivery of City capital improvement projects, operational initiatives, and specialized technical services over the next three years.
The proposed On-Call Consultant Team program is intended to streamline the procurement of professional consulting services by establishing a pre-qualified pool of consultants that may be utilized on an as-needed basis for future City projects. The selected consultants may provide services related to engineering, architecture, environmental compliance, construction management, transportation planning, funding assistance, geotechnical review, and other specialized technical disciplines.
On March 24, 2026, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for fourteen professional service categories through the PlanetBids online procurement system. On April 24, 2026, the City received 222 category-specific proposals from 121 firms. A multi-disciplinary selection committee evaluated all proposals based on qualifications, project experience, responsiveness to the RFP, and familiarity with municipal and coastal projects. Staff recommends approval of the proposed On-Call Consultant Team identified in Attachment 1.
The proposed professional services agreements establish a framework for future consultant services but do not authorize any specific project work or guarantee any minimum amount of compensation to any consultant. Individual task orders will be issued on an as-needed basis for separate projects and will identify the specific scope of services, project schedule, compensation, and funding source applicable to each assignment.
Consistent with the City’s Purchasing Policy and Laguna Beach Municipal Code Chapter 2.30, the City Manager may approve and execute individual project-specific task orders with fees of $100,000 or less.
Any individual task order exceeding $100,000 will be brought forward to the City Council for approval.
The proposed On-Call Consultant Team program supports the City Council’s strategic priorities related to stewardship, infrastructure planning, fiscal sustainability, and advanced planning initiatives by improving the City’s ability to efficiently deliver public infrastructure projects and operational support services.
DISCUSSION
The Public Works Department utilizes the On-Call Consultant List with the goal of streamlining the procurement of professional services. The On-Call Consultant List encompasses only professional services.
Professional services are typically awarded based upon demonstrated competence, professional qualifications, and cost reasonableness.
Upon execution of the on-call contracts, the City Manager can approve task orders based upon the specific scope of services, work schedule, and approved labor rates to a pre-qualified on-call consultant for fees of $100,000 or below. For fees in excess of $100,000, the task order proposals will be brought to the City Council for award.
The adoption of an On-Call Consultant Team does not preclude the City from issuing RFPs for any future projects that are unique and/or complex that require expertise outside of the Consultant Team's
AWARD OF CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS ON-CALL CONSULTANT SERVICES June 9, 2026
qualifications and experience.
Selection Process
The RFP was posted on PlanetBids online procurement system. In all, 222 category proposals were received from 121 firms. The breakdown of proposals received for each category is summarized in the following table:
CATEGORY
NUMBER
CATEGORY DESCRIPTION NUMBER OF CATEGORY
PROPOSALS RECEIVED
1 Civil Engineering Design 39
2 Pavement Management 5
3 Traffic/Transportation Engineering 24
4 Architectural Design 16
5 Landscape Architecture Design 18
6 Assessment District Engineering 6
7 Sewer and Lift Station Design 13
8 Staff Augmentation and PM for PW 19
9 CM and Inspection 31
10 NPDES Compliance Services 10
AWARD OF CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS ON-CALL CONSULTANT SERVICES June 9, 2026
11 Environmental Consulting 16
12 Funding Assistance 11
13 Geotechnical and Material Testing 13
14 Arborist Services 1
Proposals were reviewed by a selection committee and ranked using the following criteria:
• Proposal clarity and responsiveness to the RFP
• Qualifications of the firm
• Qualifications of the staff including:
o Experience with projects of similar scope, complexity, and magnitude o Work experience and directly related consulting experiences of key staff o Experience with coastal development including design, permitting, and construction Staff have completed evaluating the proposals, and it is recommended that the City Council approve the highest ranked firms identified on the On-Call Consultant List in Attachment 1.
The RFP included the City’s standard Professional Services Agreement (Attachment 2). All consultants will be required to enter into this agreement. Each agreement will be modified to account for consultant information, hourly rates, and their approved category. If any additional changes to the agreement are requested by a Consultant, they will be reviewed by the City Attorney to determine if they are acceptable to the City.
Costs
Cost reasonableness was not included as part of the selection criteria; however, the hourly rates were reviewed and negotiated after the highest rated firms were identified. The labor rates negotiated with each selected On-Call Consultant Team member will be held firm for the duration of the proposed three-year contract term. Fees for individual task orders will be based on time and materials, not-to-exceed basis, and will be reviewed for reasonableness prior to their recommendation to the City Manager or City Council.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
Funding for each contract is dependent upon the specific task order issued by the City. It is expected that staff will verify sufficient funding is available in the City’s operating or capital budget before a task order is initiated.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed actions are exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) and 15308. Or in the alternative that the proposed action is not a “project” under CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378.
ATTACHMENTS
1. On-Call Consultant List (Pgs. 5-6)
2. Template Professional Services Agreement (Pgs. 7-27)
AWARD OF CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS ON-CALL CONSULTANT SERVICES June 9, 2026
Submitted By: Mark McAvoy
Approved: .
Mark McAvoy, Director of Public
Works & Utilities
Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Thomas Perez, City Engineer