STAFF REPORT
City of Lancaster
CC 22
10/14/2025
TN
Date: October 14, 2025
To: Mayor Parris and City Council Members
From: Trolis Niebla, City Manager
Subject: Award of Professional Services Agreement – Brainstim Centers Inc., RFP No. 865- 26 (Drug Treatment Pilot Program)
Recommendations:
1. Approve the Professional Services Agreement with Brainstim Centers Inc., selected through RFP No. 865-26, in an amount not to exceed $350,000.00, and authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to sign all documents;
2. Appropriate $350,000.00 from the General Fund Balance to Account Number 10110000.5710;
3. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute any additional amendments to the Agreement deemed necessary to complete the pilot program in a form approved by the City Attorney; and
4. Determine that this action is not a project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
G.C. Section 84308: No
Fiscal Impact:
The total fiscal impact is $350,000.00 from the General Fund Balance into Account Number 10110000.5710.
Background:
On September 12, 2025, the City of Lancaster closed the submission period for RFP No. 865-26, Drug Treatment Pilot Program, seeking innovative, science-backed approaches to addressing methamphetamine-related Substance Use Disorder (SUD-M). The RFP emphasized neurostimulation and cognitive retraining methods supported by preliminary FDA approval data and required proposers to demonstrate experience, program design, and fiscal feasibility.
The City received and evaluated proposals in accordance with the RFP’s scoring criteria:
2 2
1 2
Quality, performance, and effectiveness of proposed services (40 points) Proposer experience and qualifications (40 points)
Cost to the City (20 points)
Following review and scoring by the evaluation committee, Brainstim Centers Inc. was selected as the most qualified proposer.
Brainstim Centers specializes in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), an FDA-approved treatment for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and smoking cessation. Their proposal offers an accelerated 5-day TMS treatment protocol for SUD-M, delivered in partnership with the Tarzana Treatment Center of Lancaster.
The pilot program will:
Recruit 15 eligible participants;
Provide baseline clinical assessments, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electro- encephalograph (qEEG) testing;
Administer a 5-day intensive TMS treatment protocol;
Conduct a 3-week maintenance phase with additional sessions and follow-up evaluations; Provide monthly progress reports to the City including enrollment, data tracking, and budget usage;
Deliver a final comprehensive report with findings, participant outcomes, and program evaluation.
If successful, this pilot program will position Lancaster as a leader in developing non- pharmacological treatment options for methamphetamine addiction. The study’s outcomes may also support the City in pursuing additional grant funding and expanding services in the region.
Contractor Bid Results:
1. Brainstim Centers Inc. scored at 4.53
2. Bright Sky Industires LLC. scored at 0.87
TN/hb
Attachments:
1. RFP No. 865-26 – Drug Treatment Pilot Program
2. Proposal: Brainstim Centers Inc. – Accelerated TMS for Treatment of Methamphetamine- Related SUD
3. Draft Professional Services Agreement
4. Notice of Intent to Negotiate & Award Contract