May 26, 2026
Department
DATE: May 26, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Darin Fitzpatrick, Assistant Deputy Director of Public
Works - Operations & Maintenance
Jason Lacey, Parks Superintendent
Subject:
Contract Amendment No. 2 with SCI Consulting Group to
Prepare the Hilltop Assessment Districts Annual
Engineer’s Report
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed $11,590 expenditure is included within the approved fiscal year 2026-2027 Hilltop Landscape
Maintenance District (LMD) operating budget. There is no impact to the General Fund (Account String:
11233731-400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
March 16, 2021
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The existing contract with SCI Consulting Group is set to expire prior to completion of the Fiscal Year 2026-27
Engineer’s Report. The Public Works Department is
requesting City Council approval of the second contract amendment with SCI Consulting Group to extend the
contract term through December 31, 2026, and expand
the scope to prepare the Hilltop Assessment Districts
Annual Engineer’s Report necessary to levy
assessments for the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year.
AGENDA
REPORT
May 26, 2026
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution to APPROVE the second
amendment to a contract with SCI Consulting Group to
prepare the Hilltop Assessment Districts Annual
Engineer’s Report necessary to levy assessments for
Fiscal Year 2026-2027, extending the contract term
through December 31, 2026, and increasing payment
limit by $11,590, for a total contract payment limit of $66,340 – Public Works Department (Daniel Chavarria
620-5478/ Darin Fitzpatrick 510-231-3044).
DISCUSSION:
On December 4, 2020, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to prepare the Hilltop and Marina Assessment Districts Annual Engineer’s Reports necessary to levy assessments for Fiscal Years (FY) 2021-2024. The RFP was posted on the City’s BidsOnline System and 20 firms received copies of the proposal.
SCI Consulting Group was selected based on its demonstrated qualifications, technical expertise, and experience in preparing assessment district engineer’s reports in compliance with Proposition 218 and applicable state laws governing assessment districts. SCI Consulting Group has successfully prepared prior annual reports for the City and possesses institutional knowledge of the Hilltop Assessment Districts, including assessment methodologies, parcel data, levy calculations, and required noticing procedures.
Preparation of the Engineer’s Report is required annually to levy assessments necessary to fund maintenance and operational services within the Hilltop Assessment Districts. The Engineer’s Report must be completed within statutory timelines to allow the City to conduct the required public hearing and place assessments on the County tax roll for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Failure to complete the report in a timely manner could delay or jeopardize the City’s ability to levy assessments and maintain continuity of district-funded services.
The original agreement approved by the City Council included a three-year term with an additional two-year extension option, which staff exercised in August 2023 to continue assessment administration support services (Attachment 2). Public Works staff are currently preparing a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for long-term professional services; however, the amended agreement will expire prior to completion of the FY 2026–2027 Engineer’s Report. Due to the time-sensitive nature of the assessment levy process and the specialized technical requirements associated with preparation of the report, there is insufficient time to complete a competitive procurement process and transition services to a new consultant without risking delays to the FY 2026–2027 assessment schedule.
City staff recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution approving a second amendment to the agreement with SCI Consulting Group to extend the contract term
May 26, 2026
through December 31, 2026, and increase the contract payment limit by $11,590, for a total contract amount not to exceed $66,340, to allow completion of the FY 2026–2027 Engineer’s Report and associated assessment administration support services (Attachments 3 and 4). Approval of the amendment will ensure continuity of services, maintain compliance with statutory deadlines, preserve institutional knowledge, and avoid disruptions to assessment district operations.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Original Contract
Attachment 2 – First Contract Amendment
Attachment 3 – Second Contract Amendment
Attachment 4 – Resolution