Item #10
Date: August 18, 2026
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Jeramy Chapdelaine, Public Works Director/Chief Building Official Subject: Award of Professional Services Agreement to GHD Inc. for the Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods Downtown Mobility and Traffic Calming Study Recommendation:
Pass a Motion to: 1) Approve a Professional Services Agreement with GHD Inc. for the Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods Downtown Mobility and Traffic Calming Study in an amount not to exceed $485,000; and 2) Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement and any related documents necessary to administer the project, subject to the terms of the agreement and available grant funding, and authorize the City Attorney to make minor, non-substantive changes to the agreement as necessary prior to execution.
Rationale for Recommendation:
GHD Inc. was selected as the highest-ranked consultant through the City's competitive Request for Proposals process. GHD received the highest overall technical score and was ranked first by all five evaluators.
The proposed agreement will provide the technical planning and engineering services necessary to advance downtown safety and mobility improvements into location-specific concepts, cost estimates, funding strategies, and three implementation-ready demonstration/quick-build projects.
The agreement is for an amount not to exceed $485,000 and will be funded through the City's Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods grant funding administered through the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG).
Background:
The City of Marysville is a subrecipient of federal Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods Program funding administered through SACOG for the Re-Envision Downtown Marysville Plan. The City's subrecipient agreement provides up to $500,000 for the grant-funded work.
The purpose of the project is to improve transportation safety, mobility, and connectivity in and around downtown Marysville. The study will build upon previous City and regional planning efforts and focus on identifying and advancing practical improvements for priority corridors and intersections.
The project will evaluate existing roadway, pedestrian, bicycle, transit, traffic, and safety conditions and develop location-specific improvements that can be prioritized for future funding and implementation.
Item #10
The project also includes development of three demonstration/quick-build projects that can be advanced to implementation.
To complete this work, the City issued a competitive Request for Proposals for qualified transportation planning and engineering consultants. The RFP was structured to select the consultant based on qualifications and technical approach, with the cost proposal of the highest-ranked consultant opened following completion of the technical evaluation.
Discussion & Analysis:
The City re-issued the Request for Proposals in May 2026 seeking qualified transportation planning and engineering consultants to prepare the Downtown Mobility and Traffic Calming Study. The project is intended to build upon previous planning efforts and focus on developing specific, implementable improvements for priority intersections and corridors that can advance toward engineering design, grant funding, and construction.
The City received proposals from GHD Inc., Dewberry, and Blue Zones. The technical proposals were independently reviewed and scored using the evaluation criteria established in the RFP. The combined technical evaluation results were:
GHD Inc. - 473 points, 94.6 average
Dewberry - 360 points, 72.0 average
Blue Zones - 331 points, 66.2 average
GHD received the highest overall technical score and was ranked as the highest-scoring consultant by all five evaluators.
Following completion of the technical evaluation, GHD's sealed cost proposal was opened and reviewed in accordance with the RFP selection process. Staff subsequently worked with GHD to finalize the scope and cost for the recommended agreement.
Under the proposed agreement, GHD will provide project initiation and management, existing conditions review, corridor and intersection analysis, concept development, cost estimates and prioritization, and development of demonstration/quick-build projects.
The work includes evaluation of up to 20 potential improvement locations, development of concepts for up to 10 preferred locations, and preparation of three Quick-Build projects. Final Quick-Build design plans will be prepared under the supervision of and stamped by a California-licensed Professional Engineer.
The proposed agreement is limited to Tasks 1 through 6 for a total amount not to exceed $485,000. The optional Railroad Safety/Quiet Zone Feasibility Study and Bike/Ped Tunnel Concepts Study identified as Task 7 in GHD's proposal are not included in the agreement.
The agreement provides for completion of GHD's services by December 1, 2029. The SACOG subrecipient agreement requires completion of the overall grant-funded work by December 31, 2029.
Environmental Impact:
Approval of the Professional Services Agreement is for planning, analysis, conceptual design, and related professional services and does not constitute approval of a specific construction project. Environmental review, if required, will be completed as individual improvements advance toward final design and implementation.
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Alignment with City Council Goal(s):
The project supports the City Council's goals of improving public infrastructure, enhancing pedestrian and transportation safety, supporting downtown revitalization, and pursuing outside funding to reduce impacts to the City's General Fund.
The study will provide the City with prioritized, implementation-focused projects, preliminary cost estimates, and funding strategies that can be used to pursue future grants and advance improvements toward construction.
Legal Review:
The Professional Services Agreement is subject to review and approval as to form by the City Attorney, who is authorized to make minor, non-substantive changes as necessary prior to execution. The consultant selection and proposed award were conducted through the City's competitive RFP process.
The agreement requires compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements associated with the grant-funded project.
Fiscal Analysis:
The Professional Services Agreement with GHD Inc. is for an amount not to exceed $485,000.
The project is funded through the Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods Program administered through SACOG. The City's subrecipient agreement provides up to $500,000 in federal funding for the project.
No General Fund contribution is anticipated for the proposed GHD agreement.
Attachments:
1) Professional Services Agreement – GHD Inc.
2) GHD Cost Proposal