DATE: October 4, 2022
DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
FROM: MEGAN HUNTER, DIRECTOR
BY: JONATHAN MOORE, SENIOR PLANNER
THROUGH: LISA BRINTON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
TITLE: ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVANCED PLANNING AND CURRENT PLANNING SERVICES ON CALL LIST RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to approve a resolution establishing an on-call list for Advanced Planning and Current Planning Services.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council approve a resolution establishing the Advanced Planning and Current Planning Services On-Call List for a three-year period.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City is currently undertaking a major General Plan update and related projects and is also seeing high demand for development services. The Community Development Department needs a flexible way to quickly procure outside services to increase capacity through project management, technical skills or analysis, or serving as an extension of staff. The City released a Request for Qualifications for an On-Call List for firms providing services in two Focus Areas: Long-Range and Current Planning. This On-Call List is a pre-qualification tool and does not guarantee work or commitment to an agreement with any firm. The recommended On-Call List is provided as Exhibit “A” to the resolution.
BACKGROUND:
The City is simultaneously undertaking several major long-range planning projects and experiencing significant current planning and development interest. The City is also in the process of a major General Plan Update which includes a comprehensive update to each element, statutory updates of the Housing Element, the creation of a new Environmental Justice Element, and the concurrent preparation of the City’s first Climate Action Plan. In 2021 the Permit Center issued more than 2,400 permits with a valuation of over $94.6 million. At the same time the Community Development Department (CDD), the primary department for these functions, continues to experience staff turnover and vacancies. Due to limited staffing resources additional professional planning services and expertise to augment or increase internal capacity is often needed. Types of services may include managing a large project, providing technical skills or analysis on a more limited basis, as an extension of city staff reviewing applications, or a variety of other needs.
In 2021 and 2022, the City issued multiple Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for specific projects that returned unexpectedly low response rates, sometimes leading to delays in work as staff had to extend response deadlines or seek alternate paths for the provision of services and project processing. CDD desires a more flexible means of procuring consultant services through the establishment of an “On-Call” List (List) that would identify qualified firms in areas of need and help streamline the procurement process.
DISCUSSION:
Request for Qualifications
The City released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in June 2022. The RFQ (Attachment 3) sought consultants with experience in two Focus Areas: long-range (advanced) planning and current planning. It specified several subareas of service under each Focus Area and encouraged firms with general and specialized skills to apply. The RFQ stated that the List would be valid for three (3) years from the date of establishment and that the City would use this List to procure Focus Area services in accordance with the Code of Ordinances and any funding (grant) requirements. Selection for the List does not guarantee work or a commitment to enter an agreement.
As projects are scheduled or received that require outside services, the City may provide a project scope to the consultant(s) on the List with demonstrated expertise in the services requested. The City will review, identify the best scope and budget, and will negotiate a mutually acceptable professional services agreement with the selected consultant. Depending on the compensation amount, City Council approval may be required to execute a final agreement at that time.
Consultant Selection
The City received Statements of Qualifications (Statements) from 15 firms by the July 29 deadline. Staff from the Advanced Planning & Project Implementation, Housing and Community Development, and Current Planning reviewed the Statements for firm and personnel relevant experience and demonstrated skills in identified Focus Areas. Staff determined that 14 of the 15 firms are qualified to provide at least one service under Focus Area 1 and 12 firms are qualified to provide at least one service under Focus Area 2 (see Attachment 2 for the full List). Firms that requested consideration for only one subarea specialty are also noted on the List.
DEPARTMENT COORDINATION:
This List is specific to CDD. Multiple divisions of CDD were involved in the creation of the RFQ and review of Statements.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
Not a Project. The City of Salinas has determined that the proposed action is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378).
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
While the establishment of the List has no direct impact on the Strategic Plan, it would help CDD procure services related to multiple initiatives under the 2022-2025 City Council Goals and Strategies of Economic development and Housing/Affordable Housing including Alisal Vibrancy Plan Implementation, housing production and economic development support, and the General Plan Update.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact from establishing this list. The funding source(s) for requested services for future individual projects and will be identified prior to entering into an Agreement for Professional Services.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution Establishing an Advanced Planning and Current Planning Services On-Call List
Exhibit A: Advanced Planning and Current Planning Services On-Call List Request for Qualifications for On-Call Advanced Planning and Current Planning Services (June 2022) Page | 3
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