CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 4 Section Name: {{section.name}} Account Number: 26-4662 File ID: {{item.tracking_number}} TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: May 06, 2024
SUBJECT:
Private Development and Right-of-Way Support Services – Amendment RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement with Anchor Engineering for private development and right-of-way support services to increase the agreement by $180,000 for a total not-to-exceed amount of $680,000; extend the term of the agreement through June 30, 2026; and authorize the Public Works Director to execute Amendment No. 1 in substantially the form presented.
BACKGROUND:
On July 18, 2022, City Council approved an agreement with Anchor Engineering for private development and right-of-way support services for $500,000 to address an anticipated increase of Wireless Communications Facilities permit (Wireless Permits) applications requiring Public Works staff review.
Wireless Permits:
Wireless Permits are a type of Public Works permit that require significant staff resources to review when compared to other types of Public Works permits. The City currently has four (4) master license agreements with telecommunications companies. There is currently one company that is actively submitting Wireless Permit applications for approximately 200 planned sites.
As required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), City staff must review Wireless Permit applications within a specified time ranging from 60 – 90 days (depending on the type of permit), this specified time is known as the “shot clock.” The shot clock starts when the applicant submits the application and stops when the permit is approved. If staff cannot complete the review within the shot clock, the application is automatically deemed approved by existing federal law. To pay for all costs associated with City staff time, consultant review, and processing of Wireless Permit applications, the Fiscal Year 2023-24 fee schedule charges a minimum deposit of $4,000 or $2,500, depending on the whether the application is for a standard Wireless Permit or Section 6409 Permit.
Support Services for Wireless Permits Review and Processing:
With the existing staff and Public Works review workload, Public Works does not have sufficient resources to review and process all the anticipated Wireless Permit applications within the timeframe allowed by the FCC shot clock. Since Anchor Engineering has come on board in 2022, they have provided satisfactory turnaround times to meet growing demand for Wireless Permit review and processing. The Achor Engineering expense rate was $311,986 in one calendar year. At this time, there is $273,429 remaining of the original $500,000 contract amount.
To meet the short deadlines, Public Works recommends extending the existing agreement with Anchor Engineering for an
CITY OF SAN MATEO
additional two (2) years and increasing the agreement amount by $180,000 to continue providing Wireless Permit review and processing services.
BUDGET IMPACT:
Funding for Anchor Engineering will be full cost recovery as they will be charging to the deposit accounts set forth in the current adopted fee schedule.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
Approval of Amendment No. 1 to the City’s Agreement with Anchor Engineering is not a project subject to CEQA, because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the review of wireless permits applications may have a significant effect on the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3))
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 - Amendment No. 1
STAFF CONTACT
Jason Hallare, Senior Engineer
[email protected]
650-522-7316