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Environmental Consultants Agreements <br />October 21, 2014 <br />Page 2 <br />Similar to many cities, the City of Santa Ana utilizes consulting firms to provide technical expertise <br />relating to environmental services. Recently, the City has contracted with environmental firms to <br />prepare complex environmental impact reports for such projects as Mater Del Parking Structure, <br />Sexiinger Farmhouse and Orchard, Town and Country Manor, The Marke, Lyon Communities at <br />1901 East First Street and the Harbor Boulevard Mixed Use Transit Corridor Plan. <br />There are two types of development projects where environmental services are needed by the <br />City. The first type is a private development project in which case the developer would pay for the <br />entire cost of the necessary environmental services required for the project. The second project <br />type involves a City Agency such as Public Works, Planning, Community Development or Parks, <br />Recreation and Community Services where the Agency requests environmental services <br />associated with a City sponsored project. City sponsored projects may include street projects, <br />programs, environmental consultation, and grant applications. <br />In the case of a private development project requiring an environmental study, the developer is <br />required to submit payment to the City for the full cost of the contracted service. This payment is <br />placed in a special City deposit account (account no. 09801001- 24035). When the environmental <br />report is completed, the City pays the consultant from this deposit account for work completed. In <br />the case of City development projects, the respective agency would pay the consultant for <br />environmental services from their project funding allocation. In both cases, this requested action <br />would save vital time in the selection and contracting process for consultants. <br />A request for qualifications was sent to 38 consulting firms earlier this year, with proposals from 23 <br />firms received. These proposals were then evaluated and compiled onto a list of qualified firms. <br />The list includes consulting firms that provide all disciplines of environmental and technical studies <br />required to process development projects. <br />It is recommended that the City enter into agreements with pre- qualified consultants for <br />environmental services. These consultants then will be contracted with individually for specific <br />projects each time a private developer initiates a new project in the City. City sponsored projects <br />will have the option of using one of the pre - qualified consultants but will continue to use the <br />existing contracting process. <br />It is recommended that the consultant list be approved due to the technical expertise that the firms <br />possess in providing environmental services and technical studies. <br />STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT <br />Approval of this item supports the City's efforts to meet Goal No. 3 Economic Development, <br />Objective No. 3 (promote a solutions -based customer focus in all efforts to facilitate development <br />and investment in the community), Strategy C (explore opportunities to encourage a business <br />friendly environment within the city through the reduction of non - essential regulatory requirements, <br />improved coordination between agencies for development review and addition of monetary <br />incentives {e.g. sales tax sharing, enhancing Small Business Incentive Program, etc.)). <br />25AA -2 <br />