Agenda Item Wording:
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Extend Contract for Engineering Services - Authorize the City Manager to extend the emergency contract for Engineering plan review and related services to Interwest Consulting Group, not to exceed $200,000 for one year ending December 31, 2026.
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Prepared by: Jason Huckleberry, Director of Engineering and Building Dept., (559) 713-4495, Jason.huckleberry@visalia.gov
Department Recommendation: Staff recommends that Council authorize the City Manager to extend the emergency contract for Engineering plan review and related services to Interwest Consulting Group for one year (ending December 31, 2026) due to the continued vacancy of the City’s Land Surveyor position at a maximum cost not to exceed $200,000.
Summary:
The Department has relied upon an emergency contract to provide both the Engineering and Planning Divisions with a contracted licensed land surveyor to review and sign on subdivision final maps, parcel maps, as well as provide technical review of easements, grant deeds, and lot line adjustments submitted to the City’s Engineering and Building Department. These services are critical to the department and a required component of the work we perform, but with the continued vacancy of the City Surveyor position we must rely upon the services of a consultant.
Background Discussion:
The emergency contract with Interwest was initially executed in October 2020 to provide plan review support to Community Development staff to meet objective plan review timelines related to new project submittals. City staff has been successfully meeting those timelines for nearly three years now and has not relied upon the Interwest contract for plan review service.
However, in April of 2022 the City’s Land Surveyor accepted a position with another agency and the City has not been successful in backfilling that position. The Engineering and Building Department is seeking to extend the emergency contract with Interwest Consulting Group for one year to provide time for a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) for Land Surveyor services to be advertised, submittals to be reviewed, and a contract executed in 2026. An RFP has been drafted and submitted to the City’s Purchasing Division for advertisement expected to be in 2026. The current Interwest contract will expire on December 31, 2025. If approved, this extension will extend the contract to December 31, 2026, which provides ample time for staff to complete the RFP process for land surveyor services.
Fiscal Impact: The City will not increase or modify the development fee schedule for the services provided by Interwest Consulting Group. The City’s current fee collection structure was established as nonrecuperative for services rendered and does not fully offset the cost associated with staff review time spent on development projects and is therefore subsidized by the General Fund. The City is required to provide the service as noted in the report and the cost for the emergency contract services will not be passed onto the public. While it is difficult to anticipate the actual amount that may be expended since it is unknown how many projects may be submitted for review, staff has reviewed work performed in previous contract years and believes that $200,000 is an appropriate amount for the annual contract. If the Land Surveyor position is filled, this contract will no longer be necessary. Additionally, once the formal request for proposals has been awarded in 2026 and firms are under contract, this contract will be terminated.
Prior Council Action:
October 19, 2020 - City Council authorized the City Manager to execute a one-year emergency contract with the Interwest Consulting Group for Engineering Plan Review and Related Services.
December 20, 2021, the City Council authorized the City Manager to extend the emergency contract for Engineering Plan Review and Related Services to June 30, 2022.
June 20, 2022, the City Council authorized the City Manager to extend the emergency contract for Engineering Plan Review and Related Services to June 30, 2023.
November 6, 2023 - City Council authorized the City Manager to extend the emergency contract for Engineering Plan Review and Related Services to December 31, 2024.
December 3, 2024 - City Council authorized the City Manager to execute a one-year contract extension to December 31, 2025.
Other: The contract extension by Council on June 6, 2022 was further extended through memorandum in June 2023 for an additional six months without any additional appropriation of funds. This extension by memorandum resulted in a contract expiration of December 31, 2023.
Alternatives: None
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize of the City Manager to extend the emergency contract for Engineering plan review and related services to Interwest Consulting Group for one year, ending December 31, 2026 at a cost not-to-exceed amount of $200,000.
Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: Not required for these services.
Deadline for Action: 12/31/2025
Attachments:
1. Copy of previously executed Professional Service Agreement for Engineering plan review and related services
2. Updated billing rates provided by Interwest Consulting Group