STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
August 4, 2026
CONSENT
13 SUBJECT: SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH LAGUNA CANYON FOUNDATION TO EVALUATE ENROLLMENT OF CITY’S OPEN SPACE INTO THE NATURAL
COMMUNITY CONSERVATION PLAN/HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN
(NCCP/HCP ) NATURE RESERVE OF ORANGE COUNTY (NROC)
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Laguna Canyon Foundation in an amount not to exceed $19,000 to evaluate the potential enrollment of selected City owned open space lands into the Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) Nature Reserve of Orange County;
2. Determine this procurement qualifies for the “no competitive advantage” is City Council Policy No. 4.2;
3. Appropriate $19,000 from the City’s Open Space Fund (1141781-55036) for this project; and
4. Find that the proposed action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15306 (Information Collection), as the agreement authorizes the collection of information and preparation of technical analyses to evaluate potential enrollment of selected City owned open space lands into the Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan Nature Reserve of Orange County and does not authorize any physical change to the environment.
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
The City Council previously directed staff to evaluate the potential benefits and implications of enrolling selected City owned open space lands into the Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) Nature Reserve of Orange County. Staff conducted a preliminary evaluation and identified potential benefits, including habitat conservation, regional coordination, and funding opportunities, as well as potential implications related to fuel modification, infrastructure, public access, and future City operations. Based on that review, staff determined that additional technical analysis is warranted before presenting recommendations to the City Council.
Staff recommends approving a Professional Services Agreement with the Laguna Canyon Foundation in an amount not to exceed $19,000, consisting of $15,000 for professional services and a $4,000 reimbursable allowance for additional meetings requested by the City beyond normal project coordination. The Foundation will prepare mapping, technical analyses, and a comprehensive evaluation of potential enrollment opportunities, including the associated benefits, constraints, and implementation considerations.
Staff anticipates returning to the City Council on December 8, 2026, with the findings of the analysis and recommendations regarding potential enrollment.
SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH LAGUNA CANYON FOUNDATION TO EVALUATE ENROLLMENT OF CITY’S OPEN SPACE INTO THE NCCP/HCP NATURE RESERVE OF
ORANGE COUNTY
August 4, 2026
DISCUSSION
The Orange County Central and Coastal Subregion Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan establishes a regional framework for conserving biological resources while allowing participating agencies to undertake certain activities under established conservation and permitting mechanisms. Enrollment of qualifying lands into the Nature Reserve may provide conservation, regulatory, and funding benefits while contributing to regional habitat preservation goals.
Staff conducted an initial evaluation and concluded that enrollment could provide meaningful advantages.
However, staff also determined that enrollment could affect future City operations, including vegetation management, fuel modification, infrastructure improvements, trail development, public access, and long term maintenance responsibilities. Because these issues involve complex interactions between reserve management, municipal operations, and regulatory requirements, staff determined that additional technical expertise is necessary before presenting policy recommendations to the City Council.
Under the proposed agreement, the Foundation will:
• Review available GIS, ownership, and planning information. • Prepare GIS mapping identifying candidate properties and potential enrollment boundaries. • Evaluate future infrastructure, fuel modification, maintenance, and recreational considerations. • Develop preliminary habitat take allocation estimates for future City needs. • Assess the conservation, operational, regulatory, and land management implications associated with enrollment.
• Prepare a report summarizing the analysis, findings, and implementation considerations for City Council review.
The agreement provides a not-to-exceeded compensation of $19,000, consisting of $15,000 for professional services and a reimbursable meeting allowance of up to $4,000 for additional meetings requested by the City beyond normal project coordination.
Next Steps
Staff anticipates returning to the City Council on December 8, 2026, with the completed analysis and recommendations regarding potential enrollment for City Council consideration. At that meeting, the City Council would review the report, consider the benefits and implications of the proposed enrollment recommendation, and determine whether to proceed.
The proposed agreement does not include services beyond preparation of the report. Because the scope of work includes coordination with NCCP representatives and City staff throughout the evaluation process, staff anticipates that any subsequent enrollment process would be administrative in nature. If the City Council directs staff to proceed with enrollment, the remaining work would consist primarily of preparing and executing the necessary agreements to accurately memorialize the terms and conditions identified in the report and approved by the City Council.
SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH LAGUNA CANYON FOUNDATION TO EVALUATE ENROLLMENT OF CITY’S OPEN SPACE INTO THE NCCP/HCP NATURE RESERVE OF
ORANGE COUNTY
August 4, 2026
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
The proposed Professional Services Agreement is within the City Manager's purchasing authority.
However, funding for this project was not included in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Adopted Budget. As a result, City Council approval is required to appropriate funds from the Open Space Fund into the Fiscal Year 2026- 27 Budget to support the project.
Staff recommends that the City Council appropriate $19,000 from the Open Space Fund to the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget (1141781-55036) to fund the Professional Services Agreement with the Laguna Canyon Foundation. The proposed appropriation is consistent with the intended use of the Open Space Fund, as the study will evaluate the preservation and long term management of the City's open space lands through potential enrollment in the Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) Nature Reserve of Orange County.
Open Space Fund
The Open Space Fund has a balance of $986,044. The Open Space Fund is restricted to expenditures related to the acquisition and preservation of open space. It is staff’s position that the proposed professional services agreement has a direct nexus to the preservation of the City's open space lands, as the resulting analysis will serve as the foundational document to evaluate whether, and under what conditions, selected City owned open space should be enrolled in the Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan Nature Reserve of Orange County. Accordingly, staff recommends funding the agreement from the Open Space Fund.
Procurement Process – City Council Policy 4.2
Staff is recommending entering into a Professional Services Agreement with the Laguna Canyon Foundation to perform this analysis. City Council Policy No. 4.2 requires staff to solicit three informal quotes for these services, unless the procurement meets one of eleven exceptions provided in the policy.
Staff is recommending the City Council approve this agreement without the solicitation of quotes due to the “no competitive advantage” exception provided in the City’s policy. The City’s policy defines “no competitive advantage” when a determination is made that there would not be a price or value advantage gained from a competitive solicitation process.
The scope of work requires evaluation of the potential enrollment of City owned open space into the NCCP/HCP, including coordination with the Natural Communities Coalition, review of reserve management requirements, preparation of habitat take allocation estimates, and analysis of the relationship between enrollment and City operations, including fuel modification, infrastructure, public access, and maintenance.
The Laguna Canyon Foundation has experience managing and restoring open space within Laguna Beach, familiarity with the City's open space properties and management practices, and experience working within the Orange County NCCP/HCP framework and with participating agencies. That experience allows the Foundation to perform the required analysis using existing knowledge of the City's open space system and the regional conservation framework.
SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH LAGUNA CANYON FOUNDATION TO EVALUATE ENROLLMENT OF CITY’S OPEN SPACE INTO THE NCCP/HCP NATURE RESERVE OF
ORANGE COUNTY
August 4, 2026
Staff determined that another consultant would need to develop the same project specific understanding before performing the analysis, increasing the cost of the work without changing the scope of services or the required deliverables. For that reason, staff determined that a competitive solicitation would not provide a pricing advantage to the City and recommends approval of the agreement under the "no competitive advantage" exception in City Council Policy No. 4.2.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15306 (Information Collection), which consists of basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities that do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. The proposed Professional Services Agreement authorizes the preparation of technical analyses, mapping, and recommendations to evaluate the potential enrollment of selected City owned open space lands into the NCCP/HCP Nature Reserve of Orange County.
Approval of the agreement does not commit the City to enroll any property into the NCCP/HCP, approve any land use changes, authorize construction, or otherwise result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change to the environment. Any future action to enroll City owned open space lands into the NCCP/HCP or implement recommendations resulting from this study would be subject to separate City Council consideration and additional environmental review, as required by CEQA.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Service Agreement with Laguna Canyon Foundation (Pgs. 5-27) Submitted By:
. Approved: .David A Kiff
Jeremy Frimond, Assistant City
Manager
Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Jeremy Frimond, Assistant City Manager Michelle Bannigan, Director of Finance