City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: March 16, 2026
Report #:2603-6091
TITLE
Approval of Professional Services Contract No. C26194015 with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. in an Amount Not to Exceed $795,965 for Design and Outreach Services for the City Park-Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project for the period of March 16, 2026 through March 31, 2028; CEQA Status – Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15306
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Contract No. C26194015 with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. for design and outreach services for the City Park-Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project (SD-22001) in the not-to-exceed amount of $795,965, including $659,968 for basic services and $135,997 for optional services.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The recommended contract with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. will initiate the design and community outreach phase for a Green Stormwater Infrastructure project at Juana Briones Park. This project will advance the City’s Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan and help the City meet Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit requirements. This contract is partially funded by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant.
BACKGROUND
Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) is engineered infrastructure designed into parcels and streets which mimics natural processes to filter and slow stormwater runoff from paved surfaces. GSI provides a pathway for rain and stormwater to infiltrate into soil, reduces and/or treats pollutants, and slows runoff flows discharged to the storm drain system. The City’s 2019 GSI Plan1 outlines the City’s vision to increase the amount of GSI on City parcels and in the public right-of-way. This Plan is required by the San Francisco Bay Municipal Regional 1 City of Palo Alto Green Stormwater Infrastructure webpage; www.paloalto.gov/gsi
Stormwater Permit3 (MRP), which also requires development projects that exceed impervious surface thresholds to use GSI to mitigate stormwater quality impacts.
In addition, the MRP requires that the City treat 3.92 acres of impervious surface by July 1, 2027. Thus far, the City has treated 14,730 square feet of impervious surface, or 8.6% of the required target. The proposed project supports the City in meeting this MRP requirement by treating approximately 6.6 acres of impervious surface, surpassing the requirement. The City will receive credit toward the MRP requirement for this project if its construction is funded and planned by the July 1, 2027 due date. The overage beyond the required 3.92 acres may be used to meet a future regulatory target or to offset stormwater treatment requirements through an alternate compliance approach for projects that have space constraints.
The City of Palo Alto was awarded a grant in January 2021 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund in the amount of $1,216,351 for the “Greening Stormwater Facilities for a Sustainable Community” project (Project) for the City4 and its Project partners. The grant provides water quality benefits through the construction of GSI and documentation of lessons learned that will inform future GSI design and maintenance practices. This Project also promotes GSI community engagement and education.
The Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. contract will focus on Project Tasks 1 and 4 of the following four grant tasks:
EPA Grant Task 1: designing and constructing GSI at one site in each of two cities – Palo Alto and Santa Clara.
EPA Grant Task 2: developing a “Lessons Learned” document that provides guidance for managing GSI projects with multiple goals such as improving green spaces. The Lessons Learned document will also build on existing guidance and design specifications and document water quality benefits.
EPA Grant Task 3: training grant partners on proper maintenance of GSI measures and producing a memorandum describing a framework for a (regional) GSI workforce development program.
EPA Grant Task 4: educating and engaging local communities regarding Project co- benefits, stormwater quality, and stormwater and GSI maintenance. 3 Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit, 2022;
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/rwqcb2/board_decisions/adopted_orders/2022/R2-2022-0018.pdf 4 City Council, October 17, 2022; Agenda Item #5; SR #14463, https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=59217&repo=r-704298fc&searchid=54b8a2a4-61f0-44c3- 80c0-d8b2d77ce572
The proposed Project location for Task 1 is Juana Briones Park (609 Maybell Avenue). The Project concept focuses on constructing a vegetated GSI measure in the portion of the park that has an existing “bowl-like” topography that receives water. The design will also improve the aesthetics of the park by installing plants and other features for sitting and enjoying the park (e.g., large boulders or other materials). The estimated drainage area is 14.8 acres, meaning that the Project, if constructed at this location, would receive and treat stormwater runoff from a 14.8 acre portion of the surrounding neighborhood. Of the 14.8 acres, 6.6 acres are impervious surface, which supports meeting the MRP requirement.
Although Juana Briones Park has been preliminarily selected as an ideal location for this Project, the ultimate location is dependent upon a community engagement process, support from the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC), and passage of a Park Improvement Ordinance by the City Council.
ANALYSIS
Procurement Process
On June 3, 2025, the City released a Request for Proposals (RFP# 194015) for the Design and Outreach for a City Park-Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project. The solicitation was posted for 30 days, and 3,721 firms were notified through the City’s electronic procurement system, OpenGov. A mandatory pre-proposal meeting was held on June 11, 2025, where 27 individuals from 17 firms attended. The solicitation closed on July 3, 2025, and three qualified firms submitted proposals. The proposal amounts ranged from $627,308 to $764,422 for base work including a 10% contingency.
Staff from Public Works Watershed Protection and Engineering reviewed the three submitted proposals and invited the three firms for an interview. After the interviews were conducted, Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. received the highest combined score based on the City’s procurement criteria, the quality of the submitted proposal, and additional information provided during the interview. Geosyntec also fully considered the equipment that may be necessary for successful project execution in their proposed base bid and was the most clear and comprehensive about the services that would be included. Furthermore, the Geosyntec consultant team and subcontractors are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, which allows their staff and subcontractors to readily attend in-person meetings with staff and the public, and to conduct site visits. Geosyntec has a proven track record of delivering high-impact GSI projects across California, including extensive experience in the Bay Area. The lowest cost proposer, whose proposal amount was 5% lower than Geosyntec, did not score as high on other procurement criteria, is located in southern California, and has primarily worked on projects larger than the scope of the City’s project. Therefore, staff recommends Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. for this professional services contract. See Table 1 for the summary of the RFP process.
Table 1: Summary of RFP Process
Proposal Description/Number Design and Outreach for a City Park-Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project / RFP 194015
Date of Solicitation Issued June 3, 2025
Pre-Proposal Meeting Date June 11, 2025
Date Solicitation Closed July 3, 2025
Proposed Length of Project 25 months
Number of vendors notified through City’s
eProcurement system
3,721
Total Days to Respond to Proposal 30
Number of Pre-Proposal Meeting Attendees at
Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting
27 attendees from 17 firms
Number of Proposals Received 3
Range of Proposal Amounts for Base Work With
10% Contingency
$627,308-$764,422
Project Overview
Under the recommended contract (Attachment A), Geosyntec will develop the engineering design and lead a community engagement process. The contract includes proposed conceptual and final designs for a GSI measure at Juana Briones Park, and construction bid documents, construction cost estimates, and community engagement during the design process.
The community engagement process will include two public meetings that will be held during the design process, and three presentations to the PRC to review the conceptual design and public feedback. Once the Project’s 35% design is completed, staff will prepare a Park Improvement Ordinance for consideration by City Council before the design is further developed. The planned completion date for the design is May 2027. The EPA grant deadline for all tasks is September 30, 2028.
If the proposed park location cannot be used due to public feedback or a physical constraint, the City may choose to investigate alternative locations through approval of Optional Services.
A similar public process to be conducted for the proposed Juana Briones location would need to be conducted with the alternative proposed location.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
The total cost of Contract No. C26194015 with Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. is $795,965, which includes $659,968 for basic services ($599,971 plus a 10% contingency) and $135,997 for optional services should an alternate park location require evaluation and design.
A total of $400,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Quality Improvement Fund grant is available to support this contract. The remaining grant funds in the available grant budget are already allocated to other components of the larger EPA-funded project as described in Staff Report 14463.3 The balance of this contract cost, $395,965, will be funded by the remaining budget already allocated to this Capital Project (CIP SD-22001). At this time, no additional funding is required. If additional funding is required, it will be subject to the Council’s approval through the standard budget appropriation process. These expenses fall within the scope of the City’s ongoing stormwater and green infrastructure program and are consistent with planned expenditures for the current grant cycle.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Two meetings were held to share the concept of a multi-benefit GSI project at the proposed Juana Briones Park location in December 2023 to gauge early interest and support. City staff met with the President and three resident members of the Barron Park Association. A meeting was also held in 2023 with two members of the PRC. The preliminary response from both groups was positive both about the project idea and the location, and they shared interest in learning more about different project options.
In addition, the proposed project was shared with the Stormwater Management Oversight Committee (SWMOC) on October 27, 2025. Staff gave a presentation regarding MRP compliance activities and shared the City’s progress in meeting GSI-required targets.
This Project involves a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process as described above.
Public meetings may include a site tour to introduce stakeholders to the project concepts at the proposed project location.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council action on this item is exempt from CEQA review under section 15306 of the CEQA Guidelines, because this contract for design of a GSI project will involve only minimal digging and surveying to inform the feasibility of project design. It involves basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. The GSI project itself will undergo any required CEQA analysis at a later date, as the details of the project are determined.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. Contract C26194015 APPROVED BY:
Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer