REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 08/17/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Second Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Hicks and Hartwick to extend the term of the agreement and increase the compensation by $150,000 for a total compensation of $250,000.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City Council will consider extending the term of the agreement with Hicks and Hartwick for plan check services and increase the annual amount of compensation by $150,000 for a total of $250,000 annually. The Planning and Development Department uses various consultants on a “as needed” basis to provide plan checking and inspection services to assist in meeting the demand for service. Plan checking and inspection services are paid by the City’s collection of plan review and permit fees. The Department currently uses Hicks and Hartwick to provide plan check services in the Development Services Division. Plan checks include the review of tract maps, grading plans, public improvement plans and drainage studies.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Approve the Second Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Hicks and Hartwick to extend the term through June 30th, 2023 and increase the amount by $150,000.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Second Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Hicks and Hartwick for a total contract amount of $250,000 in Fiscal Year 2023.
c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to negotiate and execute non-substantive extensions, change orders, and amendments up to the amount authorized in Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.070(I), which is equivalent to 10% or $25,000.
d. Authorize the Purchasing Manager to issue an annual purchase to Hicks and Hardwick in the amount of $250,000.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Planning and Development Department is in the process of recruiting full-time positions that are currently vacant. Until those positions are staffed, the Department uses consultants on an “as needed” basis to prevent gaps in service. The Department uses plan review fees and permit fees paid by the project proponent to cover the costs associated with consultant services.
As one of the City’s consultants, Hicks and Hartwick performs plan check services “as needed” for the Planning and Development Department. The consultant specializes in the review of land surveying and civil engineering reviews and supports the Department in reviewing tract maps, grading plans, and public improvement plans for active developments. The consultant was used regularly in Fiscal Year 2022, performing 92 plan reviews. The Professional Services Agreement with Hicks and Hartwick expired on June 30, 2022.
ANALYSIS:
The Professional Services Agreement with Hicks and Hartwick has a compensation limit of $100,000. Based on the expected volume of work associated with active developments, the request is to increase the compensation by $150,000 for a total compensation of $250,000 in Fiscal Year 2023. The increase in compensation is to expand department capacity to review plans and prevent delays in providing plan review services. Hicks and Hartwick has been used regularly to provide plan review services for Bedford Communities. Phase Two of the Bedform Communities is currently under construction and the residential builders in the community are actively submitting precise grading and public improvements plans to the Department for review.
The extension of the term will provide a continuation of services by Hicks and Hartwick and enable the Department to meet the delivery times for plan reviews so that construction timelines anticipated by builders/developers are not negatively impacted.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No additional appropriation is required for this action.
Pursuant to the City’s adopted fee schedule, project proponents are responsible for paying all costs associated with plan reviews and permits. The consulting services will be paid from fees collected by the project proponent at the time of submittal of the plan reviews.
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 commonsense 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. This action is simply to approve an amendment to a professional services agreement for consultant services, and there is no possibility that approving this amendment will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Second Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement.