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CC - (1) Approval of an Amendment to the Existing Professional Services Agreement with Raimi + Associates, Modifying the Scope of Services for the General Plan Update (GPU); and (2) FOUR-FIFTHS VOTE REQUIREMENT: Approval of Related Budget Amendment Allocating $87,154.75 from General Fund Reserves to the Project.
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Meeting Date: September 27, 2021
Contact Person/Dept: Ashley Hefner Hoang/CDD
Phone Number: (310) 253-5744
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: N/A
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (09/22/2021), Notify Me - General Plan Update (09/22/2021)
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (09/16/2021)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve an amendment to the existing professional services agreement with Raimi + Associates, modifying the scope of services for the GPU; and (2) approve a related budget amendment allocating $87,154.75 from General Fund Reserves to the project (four-fifths vote requirement).
BACKGROUND
Over the last several months, additional work on the General Plan Update (GPU) project was suggested and requested by various bodies including the City Council, Planning Commission, General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) Members, City staff, and the community. Also, certain tasks have taken a significant amount of effort beyond what was originally scoped. This report outlines the history of the GPU contract and budget and proposes added scope and budget in response to the various requests and level of work.
The contract with Raimi + Associates, the GPU consultant, was executed on June 25, 2019. Since then, five amendments have been made to the contract. Budget increases associated with these amendments are shown on page 5 of Attachment 1, Budget Memo.
The first was for assistance with a survey requested by the City Council related to the reimagining public safety efforts. Two through four were related to the California Department of Housing and Community Development grants awarded to the project, which Council received a report on at the August 9, 2021 meeting.
The fifth was processed in August for a few urgent tasks (5.6, 8.8, and 10.6) summarized on page 1 of Attachment 1. The scope and cost for these tasks are included in Attachment 1, as they are a part of the budget package developed by the consultants but have already been administratively approved by the City Manager due to their urgency and are underway. The original agreement and amendments are included as Attachment 2, Amended Agreement.
DISCUSSION
Should the City Council approve the remaining tasks outlined in Attachment 1, it would constitute the sixth amendment. The following summarizes the tasks for City Council’s consideration, with detailed descriptions in Attachment 1:
Amend Task 2.7: GPAC Meetings would be amended to add three more meetings - two for Raimi + Associates and one for Nelson\Nygaard. Some GPAC Members have expressed a desire to hold extra meetings and the City Council agreed after GPAC Vice Chair Mand’s public comment at the August 9, 2021, City Council meeting. All meetings are assumed to be virtual. The cost would be $14,749.
Remove Task 2.16: Volunteer Communications Network would be removed as City staff has been conducting this work and would continue coordinating with the network without the support of Raimi + Associates. Remaining resources to would be reallocated to offset costs for added GPAC meetings. Removing this task would reallocate $12,800.
New Task 2.17: Neighborhood and Corridor Engagement would be added to include neighborhood and corridor meetings lead by Perkins & Will at the request of Planning Commission and City Council, to have further engagement discussions around land use. This task was also brought up as a suggestion by some GPAC Members. The cost would be $36,082.
Amend Task 5.4: Alternatives for Areas of Change has required a significantly higher level of effort than was anticipated in the original scope of work. This request was provided by the consultants after the Budget Memo was provided, so is not reflected in Attachment 1. The development of alternatives, especially added and lengthy public meetings and the iterative feedback and revision process mostly tied to single family areas, required additional consultant time for exploration, analysis, and preparation of land use alternatives. The cost would be $18,952.
Amend Task 5.6: Select Preferred Direction would allow for the continued coordination of Perkins & Will with City staff to evaluate and prepare additional land use changes anticipated to result from outreach meetings with residents and stakeholders under Task 2.17. This request was provided by the consultants after the Budget Memo was provided, so is not reflected in Attachment 1. This amendment is different from what was approved as a part of the fifth amendment, which was added efforts for Nelson Nygaard. The cost would be $20,497.
Amend Task 5.7: Specific analysis of Preferred Direction would be added to allow Nelson\Nygaard to conduct a single occupancy vehicle trip reduction estimation associated with active transportation and emerging mobility investments for the Preferred Direction at the request of City staff. The cost would be $16,326.
Amend Task 7.6: Public Draft Plan, Housing Element has required a significantly higher level of effort than was anticipated in the original scope of work. This amendment allows for the continued coordination of Veronica Tam & Associates with City Staff to accommodate additional Housing Element changes and implementation of the Housing Element Guiding Principles. The cost would be $7,725.
Amend Task 9.2: City Council, Planning Commission, + Other Updates and Study Sessions have required a significantly higher level of effort than was anticipated in the original scope of work. This amendment allows for Raimi + Associates attend up to four additional meetings. All meetings are assumed to be virtual. The cost would be $16,063.
New Task 10.5: Incremental Infill Standards/Guidelines would be added to allow Perkins & Will to develop Incremental Infill guidelines and visualizations at the request of Planning Commission and City Council. The cost would be $79,717.
Amend Task 11.2: Status/Management Meetings have required a significantly higher level of effort than was anticipated in the original scope of work. This amendment allows for the continued coordination of Raimi + Associates and Nelson\Nygaard with City staff. This will also allow for the continued update of the project work plan. The cost would be $22,348.
Amend Mileage and Travel: A portion of the remaining mileage and travel expenses for Raimi + Associates would be reallocated to offset costs for additional meetings and coordination. The cost would be $20,000. This savings is largely due to the lack of travel and in person meetings during the pandemic.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
All tasks for consideration in this amendment total $199,659.00; and the below summarizes each task cost:
• $14,749 = Task 2.7: General Plan Advisory Committee Meetings (amended task)
• -$12,800 = Task 2.16: Volunteer Communications Network (remove task)
• $36,082 = Task 2.17: Neighborhood and Corridor Engagement (new task)
• $18,952 = Task 5.4: Alternatives for Areas of Change (amended task)
• $20,497 = Task 5.6: Select Preferred Direction (amended task)
• $16,326 = Task 5.7: Analysis of Preferred Direction (amended task)
• $7,725 = Task 7.6: Public Draft Plan, Housing Element (amended task)
• $16,063 = Task 9.2: City Council, Planning Commission, + Other Updates & Study Sessions (amended task)
• $79,717 = Task 10.5: Incremental Infill Standards/Guidelines (new task)
• $22,348 = Task 11.2: Status/Management Meetings (amended task)
• -$20,000 = Mileage and Travel Expenses (amended task)
Contingency funds were used at different times during the process since the project started in September 2019, through both City Council and administrative approvals. After the fifth amendment, $112,504.25 of the Contingency Budget remains, which could partially cover the cost of the sixth amendment. The City Council would need to allocate $87,154.75 in General Fund Reserves to cover the remaining cost if approved.
As of the fifth amendment, the total GPU contract is $2,442,348.00. As of the July 2021 invoice, about 45% of the contract budget remains. Should the City Council approve this sixth amendment, the total GPU contract would be $2,642,007.00, with no Contingency Budget remaining.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2021-09-27_ATT_Budget Memo
2. 2021-09-27_ATT_Amended Agreement
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Approve an amendment to the existing professional services agreement with Raimi + Associates, modifying the scope of services for the GPU;
2. Approve a related budget amendment allocating $87,154.75 in General Fund Reserves to the project (four-fifths vote requirement);
3. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
4. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.