REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 06/05/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
SECOND AMENDMENT TO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERS, A BOWMAN COMPANY, FOR TEMPORARY STAFFING IN THE PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve a second amendment to a Professional Services Agreement with Infrastructure Engineers, a Bowman Company, to provide temporary staffing in the Planning and Development Department. The second amendment proposes to increase the compensation by $260,000, totaling $460,000 per fiscal year, with the option to extend the agreement an additional two, two-year terms upon the expiration of the initial two-year term of the agreement. The department uses temporary staffing to fill vacant full-time positions and fulfill services requested by the public.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Second Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Infrastructure Engineers, a Bowman Company, for temporary staffing in the amount of $460,000 per fiscal year with an initial term of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2025, with the option to extend the agreement an additional two, two-year terms.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to negotiate and execute any amendments to the agreement that are non-substantive and change orders up to 10% as authorized in Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.070(I).
c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to issue an annual Purchase Order in the amount of $460,000.
d. Authorize a budgetary transfer in the amount of $60,000 from the salaries/benefits category to professional/contractual services within the General Fund 110 in the Planning and Development Department’s Fiscal Year 2024 operating budget.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Planning and Development Department uses consulting services from Infrastructure Engineers to provide temporary staffing in the Planning Division. Temporary staffing is used as needed to fill vacant full-time positions and fulfill the services required by the department. Infrastructure Engineers have historically provided experienced, journey-level staff in the planning profession, which has allowed the department to continue to process land use applications in compliance with state law.
At its meeting on December 6, 2023, the City Council approved a first amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Infrastructure Engineers to increase the compensation from $100,000 to $200,000. The current agreement has an initial term of two years, from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025. The department is still not fully staffed, and four full-time planning positions are currently vacant. As a result, the department will exhaust the current amount of the agreement before the end of Fiscal Year 2024.
ANALYSIS:
The Planning and Development Department includes the Planning Division, which is responsible for processing discretionary land use applications in accordance with the City’s Zoning Code and General Plan. Pursuant to state law, the Permit Streamlining Act, requires local agencies to determine the completeness of discretionary applications within 30 days upon submittal. Additionally, the City has other processing deadlines on non-discretionary applications regulated by Title 17, Zoning Code, of the Corona Municipal Code.
The Planning Division has four vacant full-time positions despite repeated attempts to fill these positions through recruitment. The positions include two Associate Planners, one Assistant Planner, and one Permit Technician.
Infrastructure Engineers provide one full-time Associate Planner position and assist the department with finding additional temporary staffing while the full-time positions are vacant. The requested increase in the compensation from $200,000 to $460,000 will allow the department to keep the temporary Associate Planner position and use additional temporary staffing until the full-time vacant positions are filled. The work to be performed under this agreement includes processing discretionary land use applications, preparing staff reports and environmental documents, attending and presenting at Planning & Housing Commission meetings, reviewing grading, and building permits, and responding to the public on zoning matters.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Due to the vacancies in the Planning and Development Department, personnel savings will fund the additional services. Approval of the recommended actions will result in a budgetary transfer of $60,000 from the salaries/benefits category to professional/contractual services within General Fund 110 in the Planning and Development Department’s Fiscal Year 2024 operating budget. Funding in future fiscal years will be recommended through the budget process.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. The agreement between the City and the consultant is an amendment to an existing agreement, and there is no possibility that approving this agreement will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: CINDY WARD, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
REVIEWED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Second Amendment to Professional Services Agreement with Infrastructure Engineers, a Bowman Company