CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
9/26/2022
1 SUBJECT:
Third Amendment to Consultant Services Agreement for On-Call Planning Services Between the City of Pacifica and Consulting Firm Good City Company RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Move to adopt the attached resolution to approve the Third Amendment to the Agreement for Consultant Services between the City of Pacifica and Good City Company, by increasing the contract amount by $100,000 with a total not to exceed amount of $320,000 and, to authorize the City Manager to execute the amendment.
STAFF CONTACT:
Christian Murdock, AICP, Planning Director
(650) 738-7341
[email protected]
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
The Planning Department is processing a significant number of routine and complex development project applications submitted for City permits. The Planning Department is also the lead department for several active City Council priority initiatives, including but not limited to the preparation of a Quarry Site Specific Plan, zoning amendments to implement the General Plan update and Sharp Park Specific Plan, and updating the Housing Element of the General Plan. The Planning Department has a key supporting role in many other priority initiatives.
The department currently contracts with two other consulting firms to augment planning staff resources in routine project reviews and CEQA reviews. The cost for these contracts is reimbursed by project applicants. Foreseeing that the projected workload in the Planning Department would exceed available staff resources, and in order to allow Planning staff to continue to implement items identified as City Council priorities, the City Manager recommends the City Council authorize execution of a contract amendment with Good City Company in order to continue work on several long-term planning projects.
Good City Company is also supporting Planning Department staff with the Housing Element update. Good City Company brings unique expertise to this task as it has supported several other jurisdictions in San Mateo County with their Housing Element updates. Good City Company has estimated the cost for it to support the preparation of a draft Housing Element document is $90,000. With the addition of an approximately 10% contingency to this amount, City staff is seeking a contract amendment to increase the cost ceiling for this contract by $100,000 to support work on the Housing Element. The contract amendment would also extend the term of the contract with Good City Company by one year to ensure uninterrupted work on the Housing Element through its date of adoption.
After issuing a Request for Proposals, the City initially engaged Good City Company beginning Pacifica City Council 2
September 26, 2022
in October 2020 and the City Manager authorized a consultant services agreement (CSA) with a cost ceiling amount not to exceed $50,000. The City Council authorized the City Manager to execute the First Amendment to the original CSA on November 22, 2021, which increased the cost ceiling by $70,000 and extended the term of the CSA through June 30, 2022. The City Council subsequently authorized the City Manager to execute the Second Amendment to the original CSA on June 27, 2022, which increased the cost ceiling by $100,000 and extended the term of the CSA through June 30, 2023.
In light of the significant work and the potentially lengthy timeline associated with the Housing Element update, the City Manager recommends City Council approval of this Third Amendment to increase the cost ceiling by $100,000 and to extend the term of the CSA through June 30, 2024.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
Deny, or authorize a different amount for the proposed amendment to the CSA. This may reduce staff’s ability to rely on its consultants to perform project reviews, which could delay the processing of projects. It could also impact the City’s ability to comply with its obligations under state law to update the Housing Element. The impact of this increased workload could also negatively affect staff’s ability to address other general responsibilities, including priorities on the City Council’s adopted Work Plan.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
Good City Company’s support of the Housing Element Update is consistent with the following Council-adopted Work Plan initiative:
● Item 10: Prepare an update to the Housing Element of the General Plan.
The other tasks being performed by Good City Company are not directly associated with any of the projects and initiatives on the City Council’s adopted Work Plan, as development proposal processing is a general governmental responsibility of the City as a local public agency.
Indirectly, this CSA will allow in-house staff resources to devote time to Work Plan initiatives and other general matters assigned to the Planning Department.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Fiscal Year 2022-2023 (FY 2022-23) budget allocated $103,449 for the Housing Element update process. The allocated funds include $50,000 from the Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) and $33,449 from the Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant programs (totaling $83,449). Allocated funds also include $20,000 for community engagement efforts for the Housing Element update. The City Council, during discussion of the Housing Element Update community engagement strategy on August 8, 2022, directed a third community meeting that will result in additional costs that were not included in the FY 2022-23 adopted budget.
Good City Company’s proposal to support the Housing Element Update plus contingency would exceed the estimated Housing Element Update costs included in the FY 2022-23 adopted budget by $16,551. Although the cost of these services was not included in the FY 2022-23 adopted budget, staff anticipates the cost to be covered by the salary savings in the Planning Department resulting from position vacancies and, therefore, is not requesting a budget amendment at this time. Staff will revisit this matter during the mid-year budget review to include any necessary amendment at that time if needed.
Pacifica City Council 3
September 26, 2022
ORIGINATED BY:
Planning Department
ATTACHMENT LIST:
Resolution for Contract Amendment (DOCX)
Third Amendment - Good City Company (PDF)
Second Amendment - Good City Company (PDF)
First Amendment - Good City Company (PDF)
Original Agreement - Good City Company (PDF)