CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Bid Award and Agreement with RSG, Inc. for Economic Development Strategy Consulting Services
MEETING DATE: March 5, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Kayla Charters, Economic Development Manager REVIEWED BY: Bryan Jones, Assistant City Manager
APPROVED BY: Armando G. Villa, City Manager
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Award bid and authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with RSG, Inc. for consulting services for the City’s Economic Development Strategy Update, in total not-to-exceed amount of $75,500 through June 30, 2026.
DISCUSSION
In the 2018 City Council Strategic Plan, Economic Development was identified as a priority for the City and staff. Through this process it was identified that an overall Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (Economic Development Strategy) plan was needed for thoughtful and strategic economic development, to benefit the City both short and long term. The City’s first Economic Development Strategy was adopted by the City Council in 2019 and over the past five years Menifee has thrived under the direction outlined within the adopted plan.
As the City recently completed the initial term of its previous Economic Development Strategy, staff is preparing to develop an Economic Development Strategy to guide economic development efforts for the next five years. As the City continues to grow at a fast pace, it is critical that the City revisits the City’s Economic Development Strategy to ensure that economic development efforts are adapting and aligning to meet the current needs and dynamics of the City.
An Economic Development Strategy is an incremental plan that engages local and regional stakeholders, from both private and public sectors, to develop a blue print that guides economic development efforts. This plan aims to increase revenue for critical City services and amenities for residents, create needed jobs within the City, grow the business community, diversify Menifee’s local economy, and increase the City’s overall quality of life for residents.
Staff solicited proposals from qualified consultants to facilitate the development of an Economic
City of Menifee Staff Report
Economic Development Strategy Agreement
March 5, 2025
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Development Strategy. The Request for Proposals (RFP) closed on January 20, 2025, receiving a total of eight proposals. An evaluation committee of key City staff members familiarized and experienced in the requirements of the RFP, evaluated the submittals based on specific criteria and scoring parameters stated in the solicitation. Proposals were reviewed and ranked based on the qualifications and experience of the firms and their project team, service delivery approach, and cost. The average scores for the RFP evaluation summary are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 – RFP EVALUATION SUMMARY
Firm RFP Evaluation Score
The Natelson Group, Inc. 87.67
RSG, Inc. 85.67
MNS Engineers, Inc. 85.67
Kosmont Companies 85.00
Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC 84.67
Beacon Economics, LLC 83.33
A/R360 Consultants 72.67
Eli Patrick & Co. 69.00
Following the initial evaluation process, staff determined that an interview phase would be needed to make a final decision. The top four bidders with the highest bid evaluation scores were then interviewed and evaluated. The scores and cost proposals are outlined in Table 2 below. RSG, Inc. was the highest scoring during this phase and was ultimately selected for the project. The total cost for the professional services with RSG, Inc is $75,500.
TABLE 2 – RFP INTERVIEW SUMMARY
Firm Interview Evaluation Score Cost Proposal
RSG, Inc 88.67 $75,500
The Natelson Group, Inc. 81.33 $76,480
MNS Engineers, Inc. 62.00 $71,125
Kosmont Companies 47.33 $80,000
RSG, Inc. provided a proposal that was rooted in data-driven research and stakeholder community member input and engagement that focused on destination assessment, product retention, expansion, attraction and development, and prioritization of efforts that would best support the growth and competitiveness of the City’s economy. RSG, Inc. detailed five tasks to achieve the Economic Development Strategy including:
•Task 1 – Project Kick Off and Initial Economic Conditions Assessment •Task 2 – Committee Formation and Stakeholder Involvement •Task 3 – SWOT Analysis, Economic Resilience Analysis, and Economic Development Strategy Project List
•Task 4 – Draft and Final Economic Development Strategy Document •Task 5 – Present Final Economic Development Strategy Document and Facilitate EDA Approval
City of Menifee Staff Report
Economic Development Strategy Agreement
March 5, 2025
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Pursuant to Menifee Municipal Code § 3.12.080, the procurement of professional services is exempt from the competitive formal bidding requirements. Professional services, as defined by the Code, include specialized expertise in fields such as economic development and other professional disciplines. Contracts for these services are awarded based on the demonstrated competence and professional qualifications of the contractor, as well as the fairness and reasonableness of the cost. However, cost alone is not the determining factor in awarding these contracts, ensuring that the City selects the most qualified professionals to provide essential services in the best interest of the community.
The amount of the proposed Professional Services Agreement exceeds the City Manager’s signing authority. Pursuant to Menifee Municipal Code §3.12.040, any contract amount that exceeds the City Manager’s signing authority shall be approved by the City Council.
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
Thriving Economy; the Economic Development Strategy process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact of the proposed agreement with RSG, Inc. is not-to-exceed $75,500. Funding for the proposed agreement with RSG, Inc. is available within the Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Budget under One-Time Consulting Services within the General Fund, Economic Development Department (1100-ECD-652855). In addition, the City Council approved a $40,000 grant from the Federal Economic Development Agency on October 2, 2024, to partially fund this project. No additional budget appropriation action is required.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Agreement – RSG, Inc.