CITY OF SIGNAL HILL
STAFF REPORT
2175 Cherry Avenue • Signal
Hill, California 90755-3799
2/22/2022
AGENDA ITEM
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
COLLEEN T. DOAN
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
SUBJECT:
CONTRACT SERVICES AGREEMENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSULTING SERVICES AND ON-CALL PROFESSIONAL SPECIALIZED
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Summary:
City Council will consider authorizing the City Manager to execute eight Contract Services Agreements with qualified firms on behalf of the Community Development Department:
· One for professional environmental consulting services related to a long-term extension of an existing oil and gas drill site Conditional Use Permit (CUP) and related California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis; and
· Seven for on-call professional specialized environmental services.
The Community Development Department utilizes these services to accomplish its annual goals as defined by the City Council in the approved annual Operating Budget.
Recommendations:
1. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with Catalyst Environmental Solutions to provide professional environmental consulting services related to a drill site CUP and CEQA analysis, for a not-toexceed amount of $200,000 in a form approved by the City Attorney.
2. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with Catalyst Environmental Solutions to provide on-call professional specialized environmental services related to CEQA analysis, oil field environmental services, soils and methane assessments, and water quality analysis, for a notto-exceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
3. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Contract Services Agreement, with two CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 1 of 8 Printed on 2/17/2022
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3. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with Citadel EHS to provide on-call professional specialized environmental services related to oil field environmental services, soils and methane assessments, petroleum engineering services, and water quality analysis, for a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
4. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with Earth Consultant International to provide on-call professional specialized environmental services related to geological services, for a not-toexceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
5. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with Evans & Walker to provide on-call professional specialized environmental services related to petroleum engineering services, for a not-toexceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
6. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with Applied GeoKinetics to provide on-call professional specialized environmental services related to oil field environmental services, soils and methane assessments, water quality analysis, petroleum engineering, and geological and geotechnical services, for a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
7. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with Mearns Consulting LLC to provide on-call professional specialized environmental services related to oil field environmental services, and soils and methane assessments, for a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
8. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a three-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with Orion Environmental Inc. to provide on-call professional specialized environmental services related to oil field environmental services, and soils and methane assessments, for a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
Fiscal Impact:
Funding for professional environmental consulting services is budgeted in the current FY 2021-22 Community Development Operating Budget and is primarily reimbursed by developer deposits.
Funding for professional on-call services is budgeted in the current FY 2021-22 Community Development Operating Budget and is intended to be routinely budgeted as part of future annual operating budgets. The proposed annual contract amounts are based on economic and development trends. Development-related reviews and services are offset by revenues generated from developer deposits. The authorization of on-call agreements does not award work to any of the selected firms; rather, it establishes a pool of resources from which to draw as project needs are identified in the future.
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Strategic Plan Objective:
Goal No. 1: Ensure long-term fiscal stability.
Background:
The City’s Community Development Department consists of four divisions - Building Safety, Neighborhood Enhancement, Oil Field Services, and Planning - and performs a variety of services intended to protect, maintain, and develop an attractive, safe, and healthy environment for residents and the business community. The department’s approved personnel summary includes five full-time employees, one part-time employee, and one paid intern.
On-Call Agreements
In response to recent economic and development trends, the Community Development Department model relies on professional consulting firms using on-call agreements to augment department capacity. The proposed use of on-call consultants is consistent with the City’s purchasing policies and supports the timely delivery of development projects.
On-call agreements are an efficient tool for providing technical staff support and reducing the time needed to identify qualified firms while adhering to the City’s purchasing policies. This enables the City to quickly respond to developer needs by utilizing specialized consulting services on an asneeded basis. Using consultants in these capacities also provides the City with the flexibility to control costs as workloads and demand fluctuate in response to development or project activity.
When it is determined that a project will require specialized assistance, staff will request a proposal from qualified on-call consultants, depending on area of expertise and availability. Staff will review the proposals based on experience and area of expertise, understanding of scope of services, proposed schedule, cost, and other criteria deemed relevant for the specific task. Staff will also verify that responding firms do not have a financial interest or potential conflict of interest involving either the applicant or the project.
Once a firm is selected, staff will either provide a letter to proceed, or enter into a task specific contract with the firm.
Analysis:
On October 22, 2021, staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Specialized Project Specific and On-Call Planning and Environmental Services (Attachment A). Interested firms were invited to propose on any combination of services they were qualified to provide.
Scope of Services
The scope of services requested was as follows:
I. Specialized Project Specific Professional Services
a. Assist with development of a scope of work, conduct an environmental analysis pursuant to CEQA, and prepare a CEQA-compliant document for a long-term extension of an existing oil and gas drill sites CUP.
b. Draft a General Plan Environmental Justice Element and update various other CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 3 of 8 Printed on 2/17/2022
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b. Draft a General Plan Environmental Justice Element and update various other Elements such as the Safety Element, the Environmental Resources Element, the Circulation Element, and the Land Use Element.
c. Develop Objective Design Standards for residential projects in compliance with requirements of all applicable State laws.
d. Prepare an Accessory Dwelling Unit Development and Design Manual.
II. On-Call Professional Services
a. Environmental analysis and CEQA compliance services. b. Specialized oil field environmental services.
c. Soils and methane assessments.
d. Petroleum engineering services.
e. Geologic and geotechnical services.
f. Water quality analysis.
g. Landscape architectural services.
h. Planning services.
i. Mailing house public noticing services.
j. Code enforcement services.
Evaluation Process
In response to the RFP, the City received 23 proposals, and all were deemed to be complete and timely.
In accordance with the qualifications-based selection procurement listed in the RFP, the Community Development Department established a Selection Committee, comprised of the Community Development Director, Planning Manager, and Economic Development Manager. The Selection Committee conducted a two-tiered evaluation process, consisting of an evaluation of all timely and complete proposals followed by interviews and reference checks for the top firms in each category.
The proposal evaluation criteria were as follows:
· Qualifications and Relevant Experience (Weight 25%)
o Years in business and qualifications of individuals and teams o Experience providing similar services to local government agencies o Service delivery time frames
· Thoroughness and Organization of Proposal (Weight 15%) o Includes all required elements of the proposal
o The proposal is organized, concise and thorough
o Demonstrates understanding of the scope of work
o Consultant’s approach to accomplishing the scope of work · Proposed Staff Experience (Weight 30%)
o Experience doing similar work and projects
· Cost Estimates (Weight 30%)
o Costs for providing the proposed scope of services
o Quality of work to be delivered based on consultant’s fee CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 4 of 8 Printed on 2/17/2022
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The interview evaluation criteria were as follows:
· Qualifications and Relevant Experience (Weight 40%)
o Demonstrated qualifications of individuals and the team o Experience providing similar services to local government agencies o Demonstrated understanding of the scope of work
o Demonstrated analytical ability and problem-solving skills o Identified specific procedures to be used to ensure communication between the consultant and the City
· Preparedness and Understanding of the Project (Weight 40%) o Demonstrated ability to provide sufficiently qualified and experienced personnel o Demonstrated availability of lead and all proposed team members o Consultant’s general approach to providing services and evaluating issues o Communication skills
o Demonstrated ability to deliver services using technology and computers o Cost estimates and delivery time
· Reference Checks (Weight 20%)
o Customer satisfaction
o Cost versus product level of service
o Communication strengths and analytical skills
o Other
Selection
Due to the high number of proposals received, staff prioritized review based on current and expected demand. As such, proposals for Scope of Services I. a and II. b - f were prioritized for review.
Proposals received in response to I. b - d and II. g - j will be evaluated at a later date.
The following firms submitted proposals in response to Scope of Services I. a:
· Catalyst Environmental Solutions: All requested services; · Citadel EHS: Specialized oil field environmental, petroleum engineering, and water quality services;
· Evans and Walker: Petroleum engineering services; and · Mearns Consulting LLC: Specialized oil field environmental services.
The following firms submitted proposals in response to Scope of Services II. b - f. Selected services are highlighted in yellow.
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The proposed agreements with each of the recommended firms will enable the Community Development Department to secure timely professional services that will augment staff roles and provide key support and services throughout the initial and subsequent agreement terms (Attachments B - I). Staff is confident that each of the firms will be responsive in providing the City with high quality service while meeting the City’s demands and timelines. References have also been contacted for each and feedback has been satisfactory. Additional information on each of the recommended firms is provided below:
· Catalyst Environmental Solutions
Catalyst Environmental Solutions is a full-service environmental consulting firm specializing in the energy sector, land development and remediation, and water resources. Catalyst has developed a reputation for successfully addressing the environmental issues associated with urban oil and gas development in Southern California since 1994. Catalyst also advises state and local governments on both the details of oil and gas operations and impacts, as well as provides recommendations for establishing appropriate policy. · Citadel EHS
The Citadel team offers 40 combined years of experience managing environmental and specifically oil field related environmental projects. Citadel’s proposed Project Manager, Mr.
Scott Grasse, a petroleum and environmental geologist, was formerly an oil and gas regulator with the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) and specializes in environmental site assessment. In addition, Citadel is based in the City of Signal Hill and is a certified small business.
· Earth Consultants International (ECI)
ECI has been in business since 1996. ECI has decades of knowledge and experience in the geology of the Signal Hill area, having worked with the City since 2004 on the City’s Safety Element as well as projects related to the impact that active traces of the Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone have on proposed development. ECI has a strong understanding of seismicity and geological conditions in the southern California region as well as climate change and sea level CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 6 of 8 Printed on 2/17/2022
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geological conditions in the southern California region as well as climate change and sea level rise.
· Evans & Walker
Evans & Walker has been providing oil and gas consulting services in the greater Los Angeles Basin for over 20 years and has extensive experience working with CalGEM. Principal Thomas Walker has over 35 years of petroleum engineering experience. Evans & Walker has worked with the City previously, having assisted with development of the Oil Code Amendment, and review of numerous Well Abandonment and Equivalency Standard Assessment Reports.
· Applied GeoKinetics
Applied GeoKinetics has been in business for 22 years and consists of a team of engineers, geologists, scientists, technicians, and support personnel. The skills of their staff and their unique array of laboratory equipment, field equipment, and instrumentation systems - as well as a fully equipped machine shop - enable them to undertake relatively complex and multifaceted projects. Their expertise is further supported by a software library, which includes state -of-the-art computer programs capable of simulating complicated two and three-dimensional slope stability, soil-structure interaction, and groundwater flow problems under static and dynamic conditions.
· Mearns Consulting LLC
Mearns Consulting LLC has over 25 years of experience as an environmental consulting firm.
Principal Susan L. Mearns has over 36 years of experience specializing in oil field environmental services and has a long-standing relationship with the City. Available services include environmental investigations, assessments, remediations, risk assessments, and wetlands delineations. Dr. Mearns has extensive experience working with a variety of sites including oil fields, landfills, dry cleaning facilities, agricultural chemical manufacturers, gasoline stations, and metal plating facilities and has managed multiple-site portfolios of over 1,250 sites.
· Orion Environmental Inc.
Orion has over 27 years of high-level technical and project management experience directing environmental projects at sites throughout California. They have completed numerous projects under the jurisdiction of local regulatory entities including the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Department of Toxic Substances Control. Headquartered in Long Beach, the Orion team is available for same-day response if needed.
The volume of work assigned to consultants will be dependent on City priorities, need for specific services, and funding availability. As the demand for a specific scope arises, City staff will give direction to the appropriate consultant to complete the tasked scope of work based on the rates established in the Schedule of Compensation.
Reviewed:
_________________________
Sharon del Rosario
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Approved:
_________________________
Hannah Shin-Heydorn
Attachments
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