Staff recommends Council adopt resolutions to approve professional design services agreements for on-call landscape architectural services, architectural services, and parks civil engineering design services to Callander Associates Inc, Quadriga Landscape Architecture & Planning Inc, Schmidt Design Group, Verde Design Inc, Fuhrman Leamy Land Architecture, WMB Architects, and Warren Engineering; authorize the City Manager to execute the agreements; and authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement extensions based on approved budgets.

In March 2020, Request for Qualifications/Proposals were issued seeking experienced professional design (landscape architecture, architecture, and civil engineering) firms to submit to the Parks, Recreation & Libraries Department for on-call professional design services. The intent of professional design services agreements is to utilize these services to meet project demands.  This will allow for more responsiveness to resident, contractor and developer needs along with greater quality control during this time.

Numerous design firms responded to the Request for Proposals.  These included:

• Landscape Architects – 18 submissions
• Architects – 6 submissions
• Civil Engineers – 9 submissions

After a panel review and based on the firm’s methodology, park project experience, familiarity with the City standards and development processes and technical expertise, the following firms were selected and are recommended for contract approval.

Landscape Architecture* - One base year with two one-year extensions up to $200,000 each year:

• Callander Associates Inc
• Quadriga Landscape Architecture & Planning Inc
• Schmidt Design Group
• Verde Design Inc
• Fuhrman Leamy Land Architecture

*The park development forecast includes new parks and major park rehabilitation projects. Five firms are recommended in order to match specific expertise with project needs as well as provide a fair share of projects amongst several firms.

Architect – One base year with two one-year extensions up to $150,000 each year:

• WMB Architects
  
  

Civil Engineer – One base year with two one -ear extensions up to $150,000 each year:

• Warren Engineering
  
  

Because the architecture and civil engineering design services are specific to rehabilitation projects, one firm for each area of expertise is recommended.

The on-call service agreements do not guarantee an annual amount of work and is in place on an “as-needed” basis.  Additionally, annual extensions, if approved, will be based on project workload, need and approved budgets.  Approval of extensions is requested to be authorized by Council and delegated to the City Manager.

Work performed under these profession design agreements will be paid using developer fees, capital rehabilitation funds and/or capital improvement project budgets.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) does not apply to activities that will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, or is otherwise not considered a project as defined by CEQA Statute §21065 and CEQA State Guidelines §15060(c)(3) and §15378.  Approval of professional design services agreements meets the above criteria and is not subject to CEQA.  No additional environmental review is required.

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Dominick Casey, City Manager