City Council
259 N. Wilma Avenue
Ripon, CA 95366
MEMO
To: Honorable City Council
From: Ken Zuidervaart, Planning Director
Date: 08/11/2026
Subject: Westside General Plan and Development Title Amendment RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the Professional Services Agreement with Mintier Harnish to prepare the Westside Area Plan (General Plan and Development Title Amendments) in the amount of $558,290 (funding source: Department General Capital Fund).
BACKGROUND:
The City is undertaking a comprehensive planning effort for approximately 1,800 acres of undeveloped land mostly located outside the current Ripon city limits. The planning area is generally bounded by Jack Tone Road to the east, the City’s existing Sphere of Influence to the west (approximately midway between Olive Avenue and Frederick Avenue), and area just north of Graves Road to the north, and approximately midway between State Route 99 and West Ripon Road to the south.
This planning effort represents one of the most significant long-range planning initiatives undertaken by the City in recent years. The west side planning area provides Ripon with its greatest opportunity to accommodate future growth and economic development opportunities.
The planning effort will establish the land use and infrastructure framework needed to support future development, attract private investment, expand the City’s tax base, and guide future annexations.
City staff sought a consultant with exceptional long-range planning experience, demonstrated implementation success, and strong project management capabilities to provide professional assistance to guide the City through this important planning process.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:
The City solicited proposals from qualified planning firms. Responsive proposals were received from Mintier Harnish, De Novo Planning Group, and 4LEAF, Inc. Each proposal included a multidisciplinary consultant team capable of preparing the planning, environmental, transportation, fiscal, and LAFCo components of the project. Below is summary of the cost of the proposals received:
Mintier Harnish: $558,290
De Novo Planning Group: $492,090
4LEAF, Inc: $647,319
Staff evaluated the proposals based on project understanding, relevant experience, qualifications of the project team, project management approach, implementation strategy, public engagement, schedule, and overall value to the City. Cost was considered as one evaluation criterion but was not the sole determining factor.
DISCUSSION:
All three firms submitted quality proposals and demonstrated the capability to complete the assignment. After reviewing each proposal in detail, staff concluded that Mintier Harnish offers the strongest combination of General Plan expertise, Development Code experience, San Joaquin Valley familiarity, implementation-focused planning, and project management.
Although De Novo submitted the lowest-cost proposal, staff determined that Mintier Harnish's additional qualifications, extensive California experience, and structured project approach justify the additional cost of $66,200, representing approximately 13.5 percent above the lowest responsive proposal. The proposal remains within the City's adopted budget, and staff believes it provides the greatest long-term value and lowest implementation risk.
CONSULTANT EVALUATION MATRIX
Evaluation
Criteria
Weight Mintier
Harnish
De Novo 4LEAF
Project
Understanding
20 20 19 19
Relevant
General
Plan/Code
Experience
25 23 23 21
Project Team 15 15 14 13
Project
Management
15 14 13 14
Implementation
Strategy
10 10 9 9
Overall
Value/Cost
15 14 13 12
TOTAL 100 97 91 88
NARRATIVE EVALUATION OF CONSULTANT PROPOSALS
1. Mintier Harnish (Ranked #1)
Staff determined that Mintier Harnish submitted the strongest overall proposal. The firm's extensive California General Plan, Development Code, and implementation experience, combined with a highly qualified multidisciplinary team, provided the highest level of confidence that the project objectives can be achieved. The proposal emphasized early policy direction, proactive communication, public outreach, implementation, and long-term project management. Staff also valued the firm's familiarity with San Joaquin Valley planning issues and LAFCo coordination. While not the lowest-cost proposal, staff concluded that the additional investment is justified because it reduces project risk and provides the greatest overall value.
2. De Novo Planning Group (Ranked #2)
De Novo submitted a comprehensive proposal with an excellent understanding of the project and particularly strong environmental planning capabilities. The proposal was competitively priced and demonstrated a logical work program. Staff believes De Novo would successfully complete the assignment; however, when compared side-by-side, Mintier Harnish demonstrated greater depth of long-range General Plan implementation experience and a stronger overall project management framework for a project of this scale.
3. 4LEAF, Inc. (Ranked #3)
4LEAF assembled a qualified team with experienced planning professionals and respected technical subconsultants. The proposal demonstrated a solid understanding of the City's objectives and included capable transportation, environmental, and fiscal specialists. Staff ranked the proposal third because its long-range planning experience and implementation strategy were not as comprehensive as the two higher-ranked firms.
Overall Staff Assessment
The evaluation process demonstrated that each consultant possessed the technical qualifications to perform the work. The ranking reflects relative strengths rather than deficiencies. Staff's recommendation is based on the overall value provided to the City, considering qualifications, experience, project management, implementation, and cost. Because this planning effort will guide Ripon's future growth for many years, staff believes selecting the most qualified team provides the greatest long-term benefit to the community.
Based on qualifications, project understanding, implementation strategy, project management approach, and overall value, staff recommends awarding the contract to Mintier Harnish.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The recommended proposal cost of $558,290 is within the City's project budget. Funds in the amount of $560,000 have been transferred to the General Fund Department Capital Fund to finance preparation of the West Side Master Plan.
Attachments:
1. 2026-08-06 PSA_Mintier Harnish
2. Exhibit A - Scope of Services