Agenda Item: 9
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: September 27, 2022
SUBJECT: INCREASE CONTRACT EXPENDITURE AUTHORITY FOR ON-
CALL CEQA PLANNING SERVICES CONTRACTS
DEPARTMENT: Community Development
PRESENTER: Andy Olson
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Authorize an expenditure authority increase to the City’s current on-call California Environmental Quality Act consulting firms: Dudek, Michael Baker International, Inc., ICF Jones & Stokes, Inc., Envicom Corporation, and SWCA Environmental Consultants, for a not to exceed amount of $500,000 annually for each of the three remaining contract years, resulting in a total on-call expenditure authority amount of $2,500,000.
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents, subject to City Attorney approval.
BACKGROUND
On May 26, 2020, the City Council awarded on-call contracts to Dudek, Michael Baker International, Inc., ICF Jones & Stokes, Inc., Envicom Corporation, and SWCA Environmental Consultants, to provide on-call California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) services to the City of Santa Clarita (City). The Planning Division regularly manages development projects which require CEQA review, and these contracts were established to streamline the procurement process for these services. The five consulting firms were selected from a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process, earning the top scores of the 19 proposals submitted.
The City Council originally authorized $500,000 in expenditure authority, to be distributed at the City’s discretion to the five on-call consultants, for a period of three years with the option for two one-year extensions. In addition, on June 8, 2021, the City Council authorized a $500,000 increase in expenditure authority, for a total of $1,000,000 of expenditure authority over the life of the contract.
The actual amount awarded to each firm is determined by the number and scope of contracted projects. All CEQA work performed under this contract for developer-submitted projects is paid for by the applicants as part of the standard development process. The selected firms may also be contracted to provide CEQA services for certain City capital improvement projects. The scope of services performed under the on-call CEQA contracts includes:
• Preparation and peer review of technical reports and studies; • Preparation and peer review of environmental documents; • Mitigation monitoring and reporting services; and
• Expert consultation and agency coordination.
CONTRACT USAGE TO DATE
The existing on-call CEQA service agreements have been successful, and in its two years, most of the allocated $1,000,000 has already been contracted. In addition, staff has streamlined the contract process for multiple development projects and two significant City capital improvement projects through these on-call contracts. Table 1 identifies these projects.
Table 1 – Projects Utilizing On-Call Contract
Fiscal Year Project
Development Projects Already Under Contract
2020/21 Metro Walk Specific Plan SCEA
2020/21 Needham Ranch Phase 1 Mitigation Monitoring
2020/21 Golden Triangle Multifamily IS/MND
2020/21 Family Promise Notice of Exemption
2020/21 18717 Soledad Gas Station
2020/21 Lost Canyon Gas Station
2020/21 Canyon Country Energy Storage Project (Battery Storage on Soledad) 2021/22 20-Acre Sand Canyon Subdivision
2021/22 Needham Ranch Phase 2 Addendum Peer Review & MMRP Work 2021/22 Eternal Valley Expansion Project IS/MND
2021/22 Bouquet Canyon Project Revisions
2022/23 Golden Valley Ranch Mixed Use
2022/23 Pacific Industrial
2022/23 River View Initial Study
Contracts for City Projects
2020/21 West Creek Park Playground NEPA
2020/21 Central Park Expansion Initial Study
2021/22 Central Park Expansion Mitigation Monitoring
Projects requiring Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) are not reviewed under this contract.
Any project requiring an EIR continues to go through a project-specific RFP process, and the EIR contract is awarded by the City Council.
Over the next three remaining contract years (now until May 2025), staff anticipates that a substantial number of additional development projects will require CEQA services. As shown in Table 2, there are several development projects already submitted to Planning and undergoing the entitlement process which are expected to require CEQA review in the coming months alone.
REQUEST FOR INCREASED SPENDING AUTHORITY
Due to the high volume of development and City projects requiring CEQA services since these on-call contracts were established, these funds have largely been contracted. In order to continue to streamline the contracting process and provide the high level of service expected of the City, staff is requesting an additional $500,000 of spending authority per contract year be granted for these contracts. This increase would be distributed at the City’s discretion to the five contracted consultants, for a total of up to $2,500,000 of spending authority for all projects and consultants.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
All costs associated with on-call environmental services, including but not limited to the preparation of environmental documents, will be the responsibility of the applicant for each development project requiring CEQA review. Any capital improvement project requiring CEQA review is separately budgeted by the City Council.
ATTACHMENTS
May 26, 2020 City Council Agenda Item for RFP PL-19-20-14 (available in City Clerk's Reading File)
June 8, 2021 City Council Agenda Item for Contract Expenditure Authority Increase (available in City Clerk's Reading File)
Request for Proposals for On-Call CEQA Services (available in City Clerk's Reading File) Dudek Proposal (available in City Clerk's Reading File) Table 2 – Future Projects Potentially Utilizing As-Needed CEQA Services Contract Fiscal Year Project
Submitted Development Projects Under Planning Review with Potential CEQA 2022/23 Soledad Mixed-Use Project Peer Review/Class 32 Exemption 2022/23 Flying Tiger Affordable Housing Initial Study
2022/23 Vista Canyon Specific Plan Update
2022/23 Tesoro Mitigation Monitoring
2022/23 Golden Valley Gas Station
2022/23 Wildwood Canyon 3-lot TPM
2022/23 Sand Canyon Villas 20-Unit Multifamily
2022/23 Santa Clarita Plaza Mixed Use
Envicom Proposal (available in the City Clerk's reading file) ICF Proposal (available in the City Clerk's reading file) MBI Proposal (available in the City Clerk's reading file) SWCA Proposal (available in the City Clerk's reading file)