Agenda Item Wording:
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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, 2024.
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Deadline for Action: 11/6/2023
Submitting Department: Community Development
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Jason Huckleberry, CD Asst. Director, Jason.huckleberry@visalia.city <mailto:Jason.huckleberry@visalia.city> , (559)713-4495
Paul Bernal, Community Development Director, paul.bernal@visalia.city <mailto:paul.bernal@visalia.city> (559)713-4025
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, 2024) to the City with professional Land Surveyor related map and document review and approvals due to the continued vacancy of the City’s Land Surveyor position at a maximum cost not-to-exceed of $200,000.
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 two 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 since their departure. The Community Development Department has relied heavily upon the 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 Community Development Department. These services are critical to the department and a required component of the work we perform.
The Community Development 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 2024. An RFP has been drafted and submitted to the City’s Purchasing Division for advertisement which will be released later this year. The current Interwest contract will expire on December 31, 2023. If approved, this extension will extend the contract to December 31, 2024, which provides ample time for staff to complete the RFP process for Land Surveyor services.
Fiscal Impact:
The City will not increase or modify our development fee schedule for the services provided by Interwest Consulting Group. The City’s current fee collection structure was established as non-recuperative 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 to 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 2024 and firms are under contract, this contract will be terminated.
Prior Council Action:
• On October 19, 2020, the 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.
• On 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.
• On 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.
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:
The City Council can choose to not approve the request to extend the emergency contract for one year.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to approve the authorization of the City Manager to extend the emergency contract for Engineering Plan Review Services to Interwest Consulting Group for one year, ending December 31, 2024 at a cost not-to-exceed amount of $200,000.
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Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: None required.
Attachments:
1. Copy of previously signed Professional Service Agreement for Engineering Plan Review and Related Services
2. Billing Rates provided by Interwest Consulting Group