CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
1/9/2023
1 SUBJECT:
First Amendment to Consultant Services Agreement for On-Call Environmental Review Services Between the City of Pacifica and Consulting Firm Rincon Consultants Inc.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Move to adopt the attached resolution to approve the First Amendment to the Master Agreement for Consultant Services between the City of Pacifica and Rincon Consultants Inc., by increasing the contract amount by $177,203 with a total not to exceed amount of $227,203, 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 City Council priority initiatives, including but not limited to ongoing efforts to implement the General Plan update and Sharp Park Specific Plan, and updating the Housing Element of the General Plan. The Planning Department also has a key supporting role in several other priority initiatives.
The Planning Department currently relies on three consulting firms to augment planning staff resources for routine project reviews and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analyses1. This proposed amendment would add a fourth consulting firm, Rincon Consultants Inc., to support CEQA analyses for the Planning Department.
The proposed First Amendment to the Master Agreement for Consultant Services (“Agreement”) would increase the cost ceiling of the existing Agreement by $177,203 to establish a total not to exceed amount of $227,203. The increase is necessary to authorize the preparation of an environmental impact report (EIR) for the 36-unit Hillside Meadows development project proposed within the Linda Mar neighborhood. The proposal by Rincon Consultants Inc. includes a cost of $206,548 to which staff recommends adding a 10% contingency, for a total cost of $227,203. The original agreement with Rincon Consultants Inc. was entered into for oncall biological services for the Public Works Department within the City Manager’s purchasing authority. Thus, after deducting the original $50,000 cost ceiling for the original agreement, the City Manager recommends a cost ceiling increase with this First Amendment totaling $177,203. 1 These three consulting firms are Good City Company, Metropolitan Planning Group (M-Group), and Raney Planning & Management.
Pacifica City Council 2
January 09, 2023
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
Deny, or authorize a different amount for the proposed amendment to the Agreement.
Authorization of a reduced amount will require Planning Department staff to shift resources to perform the CEQA analysis. However, staff may need to commit significant time to achieve the level of expertise and efficiency being offered by the consultant in this instance, and may still need to seek future City Council authorization for certain specialized subconsultant assistance for highly technical aspects of the CEQA analysis process.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
This proposed contract amendment is associated with the Planning Department’s mandated review of development projects under state law and the Pacifica Municipal Code.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The costs of this amendment are already included in the Planning Department’s Fiscal Year 2022-2023 (FY 2022-23) budget for processing of private development projects. All costs associated with this activity will be reimbursed by the project applicant.
ORIGINATED BY:
Planning Department
ATTACHMENT LIST:
Att1-Resolution for Contract Amendment (DOCX)
First Amendment - Rincon Consultants Inc. (PDF)
Original Agreement - Rincon Consultants Inc. (PDF)