FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING OF MARCH 19, 2024
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: Interim City Manager Alex Posada
BY: Director of Public Works Brett Fulgoni
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Awarding a Professional Services Agreement for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Services
Description:
The City Council will consider approving the award of Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Professional Services agreement to MOVE Santa Barbara County. The City has an Office of Traffic Safety Grant that requires technical assistance from a consultant that is able to provide Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Services.
Environmental Notice: The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution awarding a Professional Servi ces Agreement in the amount of $151,000 for Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Services to MOVE Santa Barbara County.
BACKGROUND:
The City prepared an Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Grant Application to provide Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety outreach and edu cation to improve active transportation safety for all users, but particularly school -aged children. This includes public outreach and engagement, training those who train at Santa Maria -Bonita School District schools and providing helmets to children who cannot afford a helmet. The City was awarded the OTS grant application for $120,000. While the City employs transportation professionals on staff, the ability to educate and train others in how to teach school-aged children how to safely navigate by walkin g or biking requires a skillset beyond the capabilities of the existing staff and falls outside the normal workloads, therefore necessitating the hiring of outside consultants for these services.
DISCUSSION:
On January 15th, 2024, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued and advertised through the City’s bidding platform. In addition, notification emails were sent to firms who expressed interest in providing Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Professional Services to the City.
2 A r eview of the received proposa l was completed in accordance with the City’s Purchasing Guidelines. One proposal was received on January 30 th, 2024. Engineering Division staff evaluated the proposal and found it to be responsive to the needs of the City and the OTS Grant funding. The contract includes the option for the City to approve two additional one-year extensions to provide support for programs and projects that were started in the first year of the contract. The proposed Professional Services Agreement would be managed by the Engineering Division.
Alternative(s)
The City Council could decide not to award this Professional Services Agreement and direct staff to issue another Request for Proposals for these services, or not perform this work altogether. However, these alternatives are not recommended as education and outreach for bicycle and pedestrian safety is an important component of the City’s adopted Local Road Safety Plan and goals to reduce the incidence of serious injury or death caused by vehicular collisions with pedestri ans or bicyclists. Issuance of another RFP is not recommended due to both the excellent track record of the selected consultant, and the City would likely lose the OTS Grant funding if work on this grant is delayed by re-issuance.
Environmental Review
The City of Santa Maria determined that the proposed action is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CCR, Title 14, Chapter 3 (CEQA Guidelines), Article 20, Section 15378). In addition, CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 includes the general rule that CEQA applies only to activities which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant e ffect on the environment. Any subsequent discretionary projects resulting from this action will be assessed for CEQA applicability.
Fiscal Considerations
Fees for Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Services will be based on the consultant’s proposal attached to the proposed contract, for a not -to-exceed amount of $151,000 in the first year, and $31,000 for two annual extensions if desired by both the City and the consultant. The OTS Grant will fund activities in 2024 for up to $120,000, consistent with the OTS Grant application. The remainder of $31,000 per year is to be funded by Measure A funding which is required to be used on Bicycle and Pedestrian projects.
Impact to the Community
Safety for all road users in Santa Maria is a priority. The purpose of this effort to educate and engage all users on safe practices when walking or biking in Santa Maria in order to help reduce the number of collisions that result in serious injury or death.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Agreement