City Council Staff Report Page 1 of 3 September 22, 2026 Staff Report
Agenda Item No. 3.10
DATE: September 22, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Joan Malloy, City Manager
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the First Amendment to the Consulting Services Agreement with Gates Studio, in the Amount of $41,930, for a Total Not-to-Exceed Contract Amount of $340,940, for Additional Scope of Work for the Revision and Update of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, City Project No. 24-20, and Appropriating $41,930 from the Park-In-Lieu Fund in Fiscal Year 2026-2027 for Project No. 24-20
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the First Amendment to the Consulting Services Agreement with Gates Studio in the amount of $41,930. The amendment adds project management services and technical analyses needed to complete the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, extends the agreement through December 31, 2027, and increases the total not-to-exceed contract amount from $299,010 to $340,940. Approval will also appropriate $41,930 from the Park-In-Lieu Fund in Fiscal Year 2026-2027 for City Project No. 24-20. No General Fund funding is required. These services will support future decisions concerning park funding, staffing, and maintenance.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
This agenda item is aligned with the following:
Goal D, Strategy 11: Develop a ten-year plan for parks operations, maintenance, and capital improvements.
BACKGROUND
The City’s original Parks and Recreation Master Plan, adopted in 1999, is well past its useful life. The 25-year plan is a very basic document that provides only a high-level overview of the city’s parks system, with limited detail on implementation strategies, community engagement, and long-term vision. It lacks the depth and data-driven analysis needed to guide modern park planning, such as equity mapping, sustainability goals, and maintenance standards.
Agenda Item No. 3.10
City Council Staff Report Page 2 of 3 September 22, 2026 On May 13, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-064, approving a Consulting Services Agreement with Gates + Associates, Inc. in the amount of $299,010 to revise and update the 1999 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The proposed amendment identifies Gates Studio as the successor consultant following a consolidation of the two legal entities. The original scope of work included eight components, Tasks A through H, and one optional component, Task I: Optional Services. Staff excluded Task I from the original agreement because it would have exceeded the $300,000 available in Fiscal Year 2024-2025. Staff anticipated revisiting Task I when additional funding became available.
DISCUSSION
As the project progressed, staff determined that the services identified under Task I were necessary to produce a comprehensive and implementable Parks and Recreation Master Plan. These services include:
1. A capital improvement program funding strategy
2. A staffing assessment
3. A parks maintenance operations plan
These services will provide additional analysis of the City’s staffing levels, maintenance operations, and long-term capital funding needs. The results will help identify service gaps and inform future park improvements, staffing decisions, and maintenance priorities.
The amendment also adds services under Task H: Project Management. The expanded scope includes eight additional coordination meetings, along with related agenda preparation, meeting minutes, and project coordination, from January through May 2027.
Although adoption of the updated master plan is anticipated in spring 2027, the amendment extends the agreement through December 31, 2027, to accommodate potential delays and post-adoption work.
The amendment adds $40,080 in fixed fees and up to $1,850 in reimbursable expenses, for a total increase of $41,930. This increases the total not-to-exceed contract amount from $299,010 to $340,940.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the proposed resolution will appropriate $41,930 from the Park-In-Lieu Fund in Fiscal Year 2026-2027 for City Project No. 24-20. The funding will be charged to Account No. 255-92420-57115. The amendment includes $40,080 in fixed fees and up to $1,850 in reimbursable expenses, increasing the total not-to-exceed contract amount from $299,010 to $340,940.
No General Fund funding is required.
Agenda Item No. 3.10
City Council Staff Report Page 2 of 3 September 22, 2026 Agenda Item No. 3.10
City Council Staff Report Page 3 of 3 September 22, 2026
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the First Amendment to the Consulting Services Agreement with Gates Studio in the amount of $41,930, increasing the total not-to-exceed contract amount from $299,010 to $340,940, for additional work related to the revision and update of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, City Project No. 24-20; extending the agreement through December 31, 2027; and appropriating $41,930 from the Park-In-Lieu Fund in Fiscal Year 2026-2027.
Prepared by: Trieu Tran, Civil Engineer III
Submitted by: Marilou Ayupan, Public Works Director
Attachments
1. Attachment 1 – First Amendment
2. Draft Resolution