HomeMy WebLinkAbout25I - ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTSREQUEST FOR
COUNCIL ACTION
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE:
CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY:
JUNE 18, 2007
TITLE:
APPROVAL OF QUALIFIED
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT LIST TO
PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES AND
TECHNICAL STUDIES AND
APPROPRIATION ADJU/S//TME~NT
'V' Vu.t
CITY MANAGER
APPROVED
^ As Recommended
^ As Amended
^ Ordinance on 1 ~' Reading
^ Ordinance on Intl Reading
^ Implementing Resolution
^ Set Public Hearing For
CONTINUED TO
FILE NUMBER
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Direct the City Attorney to prepare and authorize the City Manager
and Clerk of the Council to execute agreements with the following
firms to provide environmental services and related technical
studies for the City of Santa Ana Planning Division at the fees set
forth in their responses to Request for Qualifications.
Consultants:
Advantec Consulting Engineers Inc. Mestre Greve Associates
Austin Faust and Associates LSA
Bonterra Consulting Michael Brandman Associates
CAA Planning P & D Consultants
EIP and Associates RBF Consulting
Jones and Stokes Consultants RK Engineering Group, Inc.
Fehr & Peers/Kaku Associates, Inc. The Planning Center
KOA Corporation (Katz, Okitsu & T & B Planning
Associates) URS
Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc. Wieland Associates, Inc.
2. Approve an appropriation adjustment recognizing an aggregate total
amount not to exceed $2,000,000 in the special deposit account for
contracted environmental services (account no. 98-01-3612) in the
fiscal year 2007-08 and authorize the expenditure of a like amount
from this account in the fiscal year 2007-08 for payments to the
consultants contracted to complete environmental services of various
projects.
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Environmental Consultant List
June 18, 2007
Page 2
DISCUSSION
The City has experienced an upward trend in development over the last
several years. In order to facilitate this investment in the community,
staff has identified ways to streamline the environmental process by pre-
qualifying environmental consultants. While staff prepares many of the
environmental services required for private development projects, larger
and more complex projects often necessitate the hiring of environmental
consultants to ensure all state-mandated requirements are satisfied.
However, the hiring of these consultants adds additional and sometimes
vital time to development processing, as it requires staff to request
proposals from several consulting firms for projects, review them and
prepare a contract and staff report for City Council approval. This
process can add as many as four months to the development process and,
thus, substantially delay projects.
Staff is requesting that the City enter into agreements with pre-
qualified consultants for environmental services. These consultants then
will be contracted with individually for specific projects each time a
developer initiates a new project in the City.
Similar to many cities, the City of Santa Ana utilizes consulting firms
to provide technical expertise relating to environmental services.
Recently, the City has contracted environmental firms to prepare complex
environmental impact reports for such projects as the Nexus Development
at MacArthur Place, Village Green on North Bristol, the Renaissance
Specific Plan, the City Place mixed-use development and most recently the
City Place Sky Lofts Residential Tower.
Developers are required to pay for the total cost of the environmental
services for development projects. It is proposed that contracts for
firms on the approved consultant list would not need to return to Council
for approval. Proposals would be submitted and the developer would
deposit the entire fee prior to commencing services. When considering
that environmental reviews can take several months to complete, this
process will not only help expedite development projects, but also
provide better quality customer service.
Staff sent out a request for qualifications to 45 consulting firms in May
2007. Staff received proposals from 19 firms that then were evaluated
and compiled onto a list of qualified firms. The list includes
consulting firms that provide all disciplines of environmental and
technical studies required to process development projects.
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Environmental
June 18, 2007
Page 3
Consultant List
Staff is recommending that the consultant list be approved due to the
technical expertise that the firms possess in providing environmental
services and technical studies.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The approval of a consultant list for environmental consultation is
statutorily exempt from CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
Developers are required to pay for the total cost of the environmental
services required for development projects. Environmental services fees
paid to the City for each project will fund the consultants. One-hundred
percent of the fees paid for each project assigned to a consultant will
be deposited in the special deposit account for contracted environmental
services (account no. 98-01-3612) and a like amount will be expended from
this account for payment to the consultants contracted to complete
environmental services of the various projects. The total aggregate
amount will not exceed $2,000,000.
APPROVED AS TO FUNDS AND ACCOUNTS:
L~-~
Jay M. Trevino ~F ancisco utierre
Ex utive Director Executive Director
Planning and Building Agency Finance & Management Services Agency
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