CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
1/24/2022
1 SUBJECT:
Consultant Services for Preliminary Feasibility Assessment of Public Private Partnership with Pacifica School District
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Provide direction to the City Manager about soliciting consultant services for a preliminary feasibility assessment of a public-private partnership with Pacifica School District.
STAFF CONTACT:
Kevin Woodhouse, City Manager
(650) 738-7409
[email protected]
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
On October 25, 2021, City staff, Pacifica School District (PSD) staff, Councilmember O’Neill, Mayor Pro Tem Bier, and PSD Board Trustees Bredall and Brocchini met via Zoom to discuss the concept of a potential public-private partnership project involving City and PSD property and affordable housing. The concept that was discussed, which was initially raised by Councilmember O’Neill during the Council’s decision-making about the Civic Center project, was whether it would be feasible, and whether PSD had preliminary interest in exploring, a winwin-win arrangement to achieve new PSD Administrative Offices combined with affordable housing, and a shared corporation yard between the City’s Public Works Department and PSD facility/maintenance staff. Preliminarily, the City’s municipal corporation yard on Milagra Avenue and PSD’s Administrative Offices on Vallemar were discussed; however, other appropriate locations/facilities may be studied if the Council directs the City Manager to begin the feasibility assessment.
Although PSD representatives communicated that seeking new Administrative Offices is not the highest priority at this time for them compared to responding to COVID-19 variant challenges and focusing on their Oddstad Avenue workforce housing project, they generally expressed support for beginning to explore the concept, understanding that public-private partnerships are complex and take many years to assess and structure. An appropriate first step is to engage a financial services consulting firm familiar with public-private partnerships to conduct a preliminary feasibility assessment based on initial basic information about the City and PSD properties and operational needs. In order to maintain forward progress on this City/PSD partnership, Councilmember O’Neill requested an item be agendized for Council consideration of funding such a preliminary feasibility assessment. Councilmember O’Neill’s suggestion is that funding in the amount of approximately $10,000 would allow a financial services firm to assess basic assumptions and financial feasibility of a potential project in order for the City Council and the PSD Board of Trustees to make a more informed decision about next steps.
The City’s purchasing policy requires soliciting multiple proposals on studies/projects that Pacifica City Council 2
January 24, 2022
exceed $5,000. To solicit proposals on this project from qualified firms, City staff and PSD staff would work together to develop a basic Request for Proposals summarizing the project concept.
Prior to agendizing this item for Council consideration, City Manager Woodhouse met with PSD Superintendent Olsen to discuss PSD staff capacity and timing for getting this preliminary feasibility assessment underway. PSD is supportive of conducting this assessment, however due to COVID-19 variant response, other priority PSD projects, and upcoming annual budget development, their preference is to pursue this assessment during an August to December timeframe.
The City Manager is requesting City Council direction as follows:
1. Should the City solicit proposals for a preliminary feasibility assessment in collaboration with the Pacifica School District for a potential public-private partnership project?
2. If yes, then:
a. What should the not-to-exceed cost of this preliminary feasibility assessment be? $10,000? $15,000? $20,000?
b. Should the City fund all of it, or should the cost be shared with PSD? c. Should the timing of the assessment be according to PSD’s preference to begin in August, or does the City Council prefer sooner with minimal PSD staff involvement?
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
This study is not currently on the City Council Priorities list for Fiscal Year 2021-22, nor one of the many on-going priorities from previous years on which staff is focused. The City Council could choose to defer its decision on funding this study to Council’s goal-setting for FY2022-23 priorities and FY2022-23 budget development.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
A public-private partnership with Pacifica School District concerning City and PSD facilities and affordable housing relates primarily to the Council’s goals of Fiscal Sustainability and Strong City Workforce Infrastructure.
FISCAL IMPACT:
It is anticipated the cost of this study would be whatever not-to-exceed threshold is set by Council.
ORIGINATED BY:
City Manager's Office
City Council
ATTACHMENT LIST: