City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: ACTION ITEMS
Lead Department: Community Services
Meeting Date: March 17, 2025
Report #:2502-4129
TITLE
Approval of Professional Service Contract Number C25192988 with Lloyd Consulting Group, LLC., in the Amount Not to Exceed $160,825 to Conduct a Comprehensive Turf Study for a Period of Six Months; CEQA Status – exempt under CEQA regulations 15262 and 15306.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council Approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Contract No. C25192988 (Attachment A), with Lloyd Consulting Group, LLC, to provide a comprehensive turf study that compares synthetic and natural turf athletic fields, for a period of six months and a total amount not-to-exceed $160,825.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Palo Alto is conducting a comprehensive study to evaluate synthetic and natural turf athletic fields, with a focus on environmental, health, cost, and usability factors. This effort follows an initial funding request presented to the City Council for approval on January 21, 2025. However, the item was pulled from the consent calendar to be heard and considered at a future meeting. Since the original proposal, staff have reassessed the scope of work, streamlining the study to improve efficiency and reduce costs, and reassigned some of the work to staff. As a result, the estimated cost has been lowered from $232,985 to a not-to-exceed amount of $160,825.
The study request was initiated during the FY 2025 budget process to guide future decisions on field replacements, including the paused El Camino Park Turf Replacement Project (PG-24000).
The recommended consultant study will enhance staff expertise by incorporating insights into local user demand, expectations for City facilities, environmental impacts, and comprehensive data analysis. Lloyd Sports and Engineering, LLC has been selected to conduct the study at a cost not exceeding $160,825. The study's findings will provide the City Council with data-driven recommendations for future field selection and replacement.
BACKGROUND
The City of Palo Alto’s Community Services Department manages natural and synthetic athletic fields citywide, including El Camino Park, Stanford-Palo Alto Playing Fields (Mayfield), and Cubberley Community Center. The synthetic fields at El Camino and Mayfield are at or near the end of their lifespan and require replacement.
A Capital Improvement Project (PG-24000) to replace El Camino Park’s synthetic turf was included in the FY 2024 Adopted Capital Budget. However, following the Finance Committee’s May 2024 recommendation and City Council’s approval, it was determined that additional information was required to make an informed decision on future field selection. As a result, a study on the environmental, health, safety, and cost impacts of synthetic vs. natural turf was incorporated into the FY 2025 Budget1. Additionally, the replacement of El Camino Park’s synthetic turf was placed on hold pending the study’s findings.
Replacement of the Stanford-Palo Alto fields (PG-26000) will proceed in FY 2025. This phased approach helps maintain field availability while the study progresses.
This item was original placed on the consent calendar for the January 21, 20252 City Council Special Meeting, but was pulled for further consideration. It has been added to this agenda as an action item to allow for discussion in the decision-making process.
ANALYSIS
The City of Palo Alto has recognized the need for a comprehensive study to evaluate synthetic and natural turf fields, focusing on usability, health implications, environmental effects, maintenance costs, and community preferences. The goal is to provide the City Council with the necessary data needed to make informed decisions about future field installations and renovations.
Since the original staff report on January 21, 2025, Santa Clara County released a Public Health report on January 28, 20253. In response, staff engaged with the County’s team and adjusted the scope of work to avoid duplicative research by incorporating the County’s findings on environmental and health impacts. Additionally, the community engagement and maintenance components have been removed from the consultant’s scope, as staff will now conduct this work in-house. There was also scope reduction for task item four for ongoing project 1 City Council, June 17, 2024; Agenda Item #28; SR# 2406-3140, https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=73983&repo=r-704298fc&searchid=004d1d0a-4344-4816- ab2d-c044073c40cb
2 City Council, January 21, 2025, Agenda Item #7, SR# 2411; https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=15920 3 Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, January 28, 2025, Agenda Item #13, SR# 122722; https://sccgov.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=16789 management and communication reducing that cost from $35,030 to $25,000. This will account for any additional input or request items as part of the feedback process.
Turf application in playground settings has recently been raised and this will be evaluated as an extension of the turf study. However, a more in-depth comparison of turf against other accessible, fall-safe materials would be outside the scope of the contract.
The study will still assess long-term sustainability, field usage, and the economic implications of both turf options, including lifecycle costs and alignment with Palo Alto’s sustainability and climate action goals. While the consultant will conduct specialized analysis, Parks staff will manage key components, including maintenance and operational cost evaluations, and community outreach.
The revised primary scope of work is structured into three key phases:
1. Project Kick-off
2. Analysis and Reporting
3. Ongoing Project Management and Communication
The Consultant will be responsible for reviewing currently available synthetic turf products and assessing their characteristics in comparison to natural turf on a variety of metrics. To the extent products that are new to the market indicate improved characteristics over products that have been widely used, such differences will be noted. The comprehensive report will cover:
•Current Conditions
•Playability
•Maintenance Costs
•Health Hazards
•Cost of Conversion
•Environmental Impact
•Community and User Feedback
•Data Collection & Analysis
By reducing the project scope, the City will ensure a comprehensive analysis while maximizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The final report, expected by August 2025, will provide the City Council with valuable insights to align field management decisions with sustainability goals, fiscal responsibility, and public health priorities.
Procurement Process
A Request for Proposal (RFP) for the project was posted on OpenGov, the City’s e-procurement platform, 3,341 vendors were notified. The solicitation period was posted for 21 days, and 3 proposals were received. The solicitation closed on November 6, 2024.
The City received three proposals by the submission deadline of November 6, 2024, from Lloyd Sports and Engineering, LLC; Sports Facilities Management, LLC; and Verde Design, Inc. All proposers met the City’s specifications. Lloyd Sports and Engineering, LLC emerged as the highest-scoring bidder, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the project’s scope and objectives. Their proposal offered a well-defined and feasible solution, highlighting extensive relevant experience, a proven track record of timely performance on similar projects, and a clear commitment to quality and deliverables. While the proposal price was one component of the evaluation scoring, it was not the determining factor, as this RFP prioritized the overall quality, experience, and ability to successfully meet the project’s objectives.
Table 1: Summary of Request for Proposal
Proposal Description RFP 192988 Comparative Analysis of Synthetic and Natural Turf Athletic Fields
Proposed Length of Project January – June, 2025
Number of Vendors Notified 3341
Number of Proposals Packages Downloaded 21
Total Days to Respond to Proposal 21
Pre-Proposal Meeting No
Pre-Proposal Meeting Date n/a
Number of Proposals Received 3
Proposal Price Range $91,925-$232,985
Public Link to Solicitation Project overview (opengov.com)
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Staff will be working collaboratively to conduct a comprehensive turf study that compares synthetic and natural turf as directed by the City Council to be funded by the El Camino Park Turf Replacement Project PG-24000, which was paused in FY 2024. This project has reappropriated funding of approximately $800,000 in FY 2025, which is a sufficient balance for the contract not to-exceed amount of $160,825. The results of this study are anticipated to include potential resource impacts and staff will bring this forward for the City Council’s consideration in future budget processes.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Staff will conduct outreach and engagement with community field users and other stakeholders, incorporating their input into the report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council action on this item is exempt from CEQA review under sections 15262 and 15306 of the CEQA Guidelines because the comprehensive study focuses on data collection, research, and resource evaluation activities that do not cause significant environmental disturbance or commit the City to any specific project or action.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Contract with Lloyd Consulting Group, LLC. C25192988 APPROVED BY:
Kristen O'Kane, Community Services Director