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REQUEST FOR <br />COUNCIL ACTION <br />CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: <br />APRIL 17, 2006 <br />TITLE: <br />CONTRACT AWARD WITH JONES <br />STOKES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL <br />SERVICES <br />~~ '~' ~ <br />[ion lsr <br />~~ <br />CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: <br />APPROVED <br />AND ^ As Recommended <br />TRAINING ^ As Amended <br />^ Ordinance on 151 Reading <br />^ Ordinance on 2"d Reading <br />^ Implementing Resolution <br />^ Set Public Hearing For_ <br />CI Y MANAGER <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />CONTINUED TO <br />FILE NUMBER <br />Direct the City Attorney to prepare and authorize the City Manager and <br />Clerk of the Council to execute an agreement with Jones and Stokes to <br />provide environmental training and assistance related to the California <br />Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act <br />(NEPA) in an amount not to exceed $25,000. <br />DISCUSSION <br />Environmental planning services are a core service provided by the <br />Planning Division to private developers, staff within the Planning and <br />Building Agency and staff in other departments, such as the Public Works <br />Agency, Community Development Agency and Parks, Recreation and Community <br />Services. For the last several years provision of environmental planning <br />services were centralized within the Environmental Coordinator position. <br />The recent loss of the incumbent in that position has precipitated a re- <br />evaluation of how environmental services are provided. In an effort to <br />have the ability to provide these services in a more broad-based and <br />flexible way, staff recommends that the members of the professional <br />planning staff in the Planning Division receive training in order to <br />develop stronger environmental planning skills and develop the ability to <br />provide environmental analysis for both private development projects, as <br />well as City-initiated projects. Initial training and a period of <br />coaching following the training are recommended in order to develop in- <br />house expertise among all of the professional Planning staff. The <br />environmental consulting firm of Jones and Stokes is recommended to <br />provide these services. <br />Staff is recommending a sole source agreement with Jones and Stokes due <br />to the technical expertise that they have in both environmental services <br />and training. Jones and Stokes is a leading environmental planning firm <br />with special expertise in teaching and coaching. Its staff are regular <br />instructors of the UCLA Extension annual CEQA training and they are the <br />authors of the popular CEQA Deskbook. <br />25C-1 <br />