City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: May 27, 2025
Agenda Item: 4.C
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Architecture Services Subject: Award RFP SP2307-2025 and Agreement to Archi.txture, LLC dba BASK for the Purchase and Installation of Furniture Citywide
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Award RFP #SP2307-2025 to Archi.txture, LLC dba BASK to provide Steelcase systems furniture procurement, installation, and consulting services citywide on an as-needed basis; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an as-needed services agreement with Archi.txture, LLC dba BASK for an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 over a five-year period.
Summary
As City departments evolve and relocate, existing furniture is frequently reused to accommodate new locations and space needs. The City is committed to maximizing the lifespan of its furniture through reuse, reconfiguration, and maintenance prior to purchasing new. However, the occasional need for new furniture arises when existing furniture pieces reach the end of their useful life or when reuse and reconfiguration within limited spaces are not feasible. Staff recommends awarding an as-needed services agreement with Archi.txture, LLC dba BASK to provide Steelcase furniture systems, consistent with furniture selected in the Total Workplace Initiative standard established in 2020, and related services for an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 over a five-year period for various citywide furniture projects. These citywide furniture projects would be funded from Council-approved budgets in various departments and the recommended agreement would only be utilized on an as-needed basis. 2 of 5
Discussion
Council authorized an agreement with Archi.txture, LLC in October 2018 in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000 to provide 1) Steelcase furniture systems and related services including design, delivery, and installation for the City Services Building (CSB) and 2) as-needed services for other City staff offices (Attachment B). The CSB was completed in 2020 and established a new standard for City staff’s workplace based on Total Workplace Initiative ideals to provide a working environment that is flexible, efficient, and highly responsive by making the best use of an open work plan and integrating City services in ways that better serve the community. The new standard also specified an ergonomic furniture system for a more environmentally conscious workplace. The City is committed to maximizing the lifespan of its furniture through reuse, reconfiguration, and maintenance prior to purchasing new; however, as City departments evolve and relocate and office space needs change, there is the occasional need for new furniture when existing furniture pieces reach the end of their useful life or when reuse and reconfiguration within limited spaces are not feasible.
As the 2018 contract approached the end of its five-year period and reached the spending authority limit, the City issued an informal RFP to solicit Steelcase vendors for as-needed services for City staff offices to continue with Total Workplace Initiative ideals. On April 26, 2023, an informal Request for Proposals (RFP) to select up to two qualified vendors to provide Steelcase systems furniture procurement, installation, and consulting services on an as-needed basis was issued. The RFP was posted on the City’s online bidding site and one proposal was received and evaluated based on the criteria outlined in the RFP, which included experience, references, work plans/timelines, project team, cost, and project management controls. On May 30, 2023, the Evaluation Team comprised of Architecture Services staff from the Public Works Department recommended Archi.txture, LLC dba Catalyst at the time as the only bidder and best qualified firm. In October 2023, the vendor changed their dba name from Catalyst to BASK. In March 2024, the City executed a contractual services agreement with Archi.txture, LLC dba BASK in an amount not to exceed $240,000 over a five-year period.
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Within one year of contract execution, 99% of the spending authority of the existing agreement with Archi.txture, LLC dba BASK has been used leaving roughly $200 in remaining spending authority. City staff has a list of foreseeable projects totalling approximately $300,000 currently in review and anticipates $200,000 annual expenditure from various departments for new furniture. The need for a new contract with a Steelcase vendor is imminent.
Staff recommends awarding an as-needed services agreement with Archi.txture, LLC dba BASK to provide Steelcase furniture systems and related services for an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 over a five-year period for various citywide furniture projects.
These citywide furniture projects would be funded from Council approved budgets in various departments and the recommended agreement would only be utilized on an asneeded basis.
Typical projects are office remodels, office reorganizations, and tenant improvement projects, and may include:
• New workstations in existing furniture contexts
• Office remodels with some new procured furniture and utilizing some parts and pieces of existing inventory
• Office remodels with only new procured furniture
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified
Person/Firm
Archi.txture LLC dba BASK
Evaluation Criteria Experience, References, Work Plans, Project Team, Cost, Project Management Controls
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
RFPs Received
Archi.txture LLC dba BASK
RFP Data
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On February 6, 2025, the City issued a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) to obtain proposals for Citywide Furniture Purchasing. The City received a total of one proposal. An evaluation team composed of Architecture Services staff evaluated the proposal and recommend Archi.txture, LLC dba BASK as the best and only bidder for the experience, references, work plans, project team, cost, and project management controls consistent with City requirements. The City reached out to 3 vendors who downloaded the project from OpenGov to see why a bid was not submitted; but no response was received.
Justification to Award
Date
Posted
Posted On Advertised In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
2/6/2025 City's Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press
69 3/10/2025
Environmental Review
The agreement is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the CEQA Guidelines. Section 15301 of the CEQA State Guidelines provides Class 1 (existing facilities) exemption for projects that consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, leasing, licensing, permitting, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of the existing or former use.” The agreement would provide for furniture procurement and replacement, installation, and consulting services, for existing City facilities and would not result in any significant expansions to the existing facilities. As such, the agreement is categorically exempt as set forth in Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
10/24/2017
(Attachment A)
Appropriation of $2 Million in FY 17-18 Budget for the Total Workplace Initiative
10/23/2018
(Attachment B)
Award of Furniture Agreement for City Services Building Project 5 of 5
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from various funds to award an agreement with Archi.txture, LLC dba BASK to provide Steelcase systems furniture procurement, installation, and consulting services. Funds are included in the FY 2025-27 Proposed Biennial Budget in the various department budgets. Costs will be charged to each department based on the furniture purchasing and installation requisitioned by each department as needed.
Contract Request
Funding
Source Account #
FY 2025-2026
Request
Amount
Future Years
Amount
Total Contract
Amount
Various Various $200,000 $800,000 $1,000,000
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Yukiko Takahashi, Architectural Associate
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. October 24, 2017 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. October 23, 2018 Staff Report (Web Link)
C. Archi.txture (BASK) - Oaks Initiative
D. Archi.txture (BASK) - Levine Act