City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 03/23/2015 Item Number: C-6
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: (1) Approval of an Agreement with Michael Baker
International in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $100,430 to Prepare a Multi-Jurisdictional
Hazard Mitigation Plan on Behalf of the City and the Culver City Unified School
District; and (2) Approve a Budget Amendment in the amount of $116,462.
Contact Person/Dept.:
Joe Susca
Phone Number:
(310) 253-5636
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: _______________
Public Notification: (E-mail) Agenda and Meetings – City Council (03/18/15); LECMgt.
(03/18/15); Integrated Solutions Consulting (03/18/15); H20 Partners Inc. (03/18/15);
Willdan Homeland Solutions (03/18/15); James Thernes & Associates (03/18/15); Tetra
Tech (03/18/15); Earth Consultants (03/18/15); Michael Baker International-RBF
Consultants (03/18/15); Mike Reynolds, CCUSD (03/18/15).
Department Approval:
Charles D. Herbertson (03/12/15)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (03/16/15)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (03/18/15)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (03/18/15)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council 1) approve an agreement with Michael Baker
International in an amount not-to-exceed $100,430 for the preparation of a Multi-
Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan for the City and the Culver City Unified
School District; and 2) approve a budget amendment in the amount of $116,462.
A budget amendment requires a 4/5ths affirmative vote.
BACKGROUND:
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation
Program (PDMP) provide grants to states and local governments to implement
long-term hazard mitigation measures prior to and after major disaster
declarations. The purpose of the HMGP and PDMP is to reduce the loss of life
and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be
implemented prior to and during the immediate recovery from a disaster.
In order to be eligible to receive funding for Hazard Mitigation and Pre-Disaster
Mitigation projects, the City is required to have a California Office of Emergency
Services (OES) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved
Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) in place. In the early 2000s the City and the
Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) worked together to develop a HMP; City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
however, the plan never received approval from OES and FEMA. Since that
time, OES and FEMA have required additional elements to be included in the
HMP and, when submitted for review, many communities are required to make
one or more revisions to their HMP prior to obtaining approval.
In July 2014, the City, again in conjunction with the CCUSD, applied for funding
from the HMGP to hire a firm to develop a joint HMP. In December 2014, the
City received notification that the grant was approved.
DISCUSSION:
In February 2015, staff released a Request for Proposals and received the
following eight responses:
Firm Name Cost Schedule
LECMgt $108,000 18 months
Integrated Solutions Consulting $109,936 15 months
H20 Partners, Inc. $95,000 17 months
Willdan Homeland Solutions $83,184 17 months
James Thernes & Associates, Inc. $99,750 19 months
Tetra Tech, Inc. $109,557 12 months
Earth Consultants International Inc. $113,520 15 months
Michael Baker International $100,430 14 months
All of the firms that submitted proposals are qualified to prepare the HMP.
However, one firm, Michael Baker International (MBI), stood out from the others.
MBI has extensive HMP development experience nationwide and, as part of their
Contract Assistance for Mitigation Plan Review program with FEMA Region IX
(which includes California, Nevada and Arizona), MBI reviews and provides
constructive feedback to communities on how to successfully meet FEMA’s HMP
requirements. Through their contract with FEMA Region IX, MBI also prepared
various HMP training and guidance documents to assist communities in
developing an effective HMP that complies with FEMA and OES requirements.
Formed in 1972, MBI has 560 employees in California (224 in their Irvine office)
and has assembled several in-house staff to the team that will prepare the HMP.
MBI’s proposal will complete the HMP within budget and by the September 2016
deadline the HMGP grant requires. In addition to other California cities, MBI has
prepared HMP’s for the nearby cities of Lawndale, Huntington Beach, Duarte,
and Westminster. Staff contacted these cities, and they all provided favorable
references.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The HMGP grant provides up to $155,283 in funds to prepare the HMP;
$116,462 to hire a consulting firm and $38,821 as the match, which is in the form
of employee hours dedicated to administer the grant and to facilitate
development of the HMP. The $38,821 total matching requirement is met by a
$10,721 contribution by CCUSD and $28,100 from the City.
A budget amendment requires a 4/5ths affirmative vote.
MOTIONS:
That the City Council:
1. Approve a budget amendment in the amount of $116,462; and
2. Approve an Agreement with Michael Baker International to prepare a Multi-
Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan for the City and the Culver City Unified
School District in an amount not-to-exceed $100,430; and,
3. Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to amend the Agreement in
an additional amount not-to-exceed $16,032; and,
4. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents;
and,
5. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the
City.