Report Prepared by: Kim Espinosa, Planning Manager, Development Services Department
Title
SUBJECT: Approval of a Professional Services Agreement with Ascent Environmental, Inc., for Environmental Services Relating to the Annexation of the UC Merced Campus to the City of Merced
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers entering into a professional services agreement with Ascent Environmental, Inc., in the amount of $52,540 to perform environmental services for the annexation of the UC Merced Campus to the City of Merced.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Approving a Professional Services Agreement with Ascent Environmental, Inc., to perform environmental services for the Annexation of the UC Merced Campus to the City of Merced in the amount of $52,540; and,
B. Authorizing the City Manager or Deputy City Manager to execute the agreement.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approving the Professional Services Agreement as recommended by staff; or,
2. Amending the Professional Services Agreement (with specific amendments to be specified in Council motion); or,
3. Direct staff to make changes and return to Council at a later late; or,
4. Deny the Professional Services Agreement; or,
5. Continue the matter to a future Council meeting (date and time to be specified in motion).
AUTHORITY
On February 16, 2021, the City Council directed staff to proceed with the annexation of the UC Merced Campus to the City of Merced per the terms spelled out in the Annexation Agreement as most recently amended on June 14, 2016, and AB 3312, adopted by the State of California in September 2020.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
On February 16, 2021, the City Council directed staff to proceed with the annexation of the UC Merced Campus to the City of Merced.
DISCUSSION
Background
On February 16, 2021, the City Council directed staff to proceed with the annexation of the UC Merced Campus to the City of Merced after a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of annexing the Campus.
Request for Proposals and Consultant Interviews
On July 7, 2021, City staff released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for preparation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document for the UC Merced Annexation to the City of Merced. The RFP was sent directly to 12 consulting firms with the relevant experience to perform the work and was also posted on the City of Merced website. On July 28, 2021, City staff held a Pre-Proposal Meeting via videoconference with prospective consultants in which five firms participated. The City received four (4) proposals for the work by the August 13, 2021, deadline for submittals. City staff elected to interview all four firms on August 25, 2021, with Deputy City Manager Frank Quintero, Director of Development Services Scott McBride, and Planning Manager Kim Espinosa participating. The four firms who were interviewed were Ascent Environmental, LSA Associates, First Carbon Solutions, and Precision Engineering. All four firms were highly qualified and performed well in the interview process. See Attachment 1 for the final average scores and rankings.
Recommended Consultant Selection
After reviewing the proposals and interviewing all the firms, City staff is recommending that the City award the contract for environmental services to Ascent Environmental, Inc., of Sacramento, CA. Ascent and its principals have a long track record with performing environmental reviews for complex projects. In fact, the principals involved worked with the City of Merced in the past on the EIR for the proposed Wal-Mart Distribution Center, which was never built, but withstood several legal challenges, and Ascent itself contracted with the City to perform a peer review of the Wastewater Collection System Master Plan EIR released in 2020. Ascent’s approach to the project, its understanding of the issues involved, and the qualifications of their principals and staff were also factors in their recommended selection by City staff.
The City Attorney’s office has prepared a Professional Services Agreement with Ascent in the amount of $52,540 to perform the environmental work for the UC Merced Annexation to the City of Merced (Attachment 2). The scope of work includes the preparation of an Addendum to the General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR); an independent legal peer review of the CEQA document by Kelley Taber of Somach Simmons and Dunn; attendance at project meetings and public hearings; and preparation of the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) application. It is expected that the environmental work will be performed in 27 weeks (approximately 7 months) and would be complete by May 2022. The LAFCO application will take 9 weeks (approximately 2 months) and would be complete by July 2022.
City staff is also recommending that a contract be awarded to Precision Engineering to prepare the map and legal description required as part of the LAFCO application. Those are services that Ascent has assumed that the City will perform as part of their scope and for which Precision Engineering has the relevant skills. The details of that contract are still being negotiated, but it will likely be in the range of $5,000, which can be covered under the project budget and authorized by the City Manager.
City Council Action
City staff is recommending that the City Council award the contract at Attachment 2 in the amount of $52,540 to Ascent Environmental, Inc., to perform the environmental services for the UC Merced Annexation to the City of Merced.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
$100,000 was previously approved by Council as part of the FY 21-22 City Budget in the Professional Services account of the Planning Division to fund this contract.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Rankings of Consultants
2. Professional Services Agreement with Ascent