For City Council Meeting [June 10, 2025]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Tanya Williams, City Manager
FROM: Tim Sullivan, Assistant City Manager
Title
Request City Council to: (1) Award Professional Service Agreements to Engineering Resources of Southern California, Inc. and Wildan Engineering for On-Call Professional Plan Check Services Substantially Similar to the Agreement Attached to the Staff Report and Approved as to Form by the City Attorney; (2) Authorize the Annual Contract amount of $600,000 each to Engineering Resources of Southern California, Inc. and Wildan Engineering for the Term of the Agreement; and (3) Authorize the City Manager or Their Designee to Execute All Related Documents.
(ACTION)
Body
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Award a professional services agreement to Engineering Resources of Southern California, Inc., and Wildan Engineering for on-call professional plan check services substantially similar to the Agreement attached to the staff report and approved as to form by the City Attorney;
2) Authorize the annual contract amount of $600,000 to Engineering Resources of Southern California, Inc., and Wildan Engineering for the term of the agreement; and
3) Authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute all related documents.
BACKGROUND:
One of the important functions of the Public Works Department is to review various plans and technical studies related to City-approved private land development projects. Following the entitlement process, an owner or developer will engage its own engineering consultant to prepare the required improvement plans for on-site rough grading, precise grading/paving, on-site or off-site storm drainage improvements, public street improvements, traffic signal installation, and other associated work. These plans require technical studies (geotechnical/soils, hydrology/hydraulic, traffic, water quality management plans, drainage, grading, etc.), which supplement the improvement plans for the required work, which also require review by the City. Public Works coordinates closely with developers to be responsive and facilitate their projects smoothly and in a timely manner.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
On May 15, 2025, the City released Request for Qualifications (RFQ) No. 25-045 for On-Call Plan Checking Services on PlanetBids.com and the City’s website. The RFQ scope of plan-check services of various development items, consisting of improvement plans (including, but not limited to rough grading, street, sewer, water, storm drain, on-site grading/paving, traffic signal, traffic striping/signage, street light and landscaping); subdivision maps (final tract maps and parcel maps); professional studies (including, but not limited to hydrology/hydraulic, sewer, traffic, geotechnical, and water quality management plans) and complex temporary traffic control plans. The RFQ was written to ensure that the selected firms demonstrated the required experience and capacity to provide services to municipal government agencies similar to the City of Rialto.
On June 3, 2025, the City received ten (10) statements of qualifications from the following firms, listed in alphabetical order:
1. Albert A. Webb Associates
2. Bureau Veritas
3. CSG Consultants, Inc.
4. Engineering Resources of Southern California, Inc.
5. Interwest Consulting Group
6. Ladayu Consulting Group
7. TKE Engineering, Inc.
8. Transtech Engineers, Inc.
9. Valued Engineering, Inc.
10. Willdan Engineering
Following a review of the proposals by the evaluation panel, the top two (2) ranking firms were identified for selection. The primary factors involved in the selection process were the firm's qualifications, understanding the demands of the on-call contract, scope of services, responsiveness and attentiveness to client needs, and past performance and experience with other on-call contracts with other agencies. A complete copy of each firm’s proposal is available at the City Clerk’s office.
The top two (2) firms were identified as follows in alphabetical order:
1. Engineering Resources of Southern California, Inc.
2. Wildan Engineering
Staff recommends that the City Council approve an On-Call Professional Services Agreement with each of these firms to provide the requested services for the City with terms of the Agreement to not exceed three (3) years, with two (2) additional one (1) year extensions upon approval of the City Manager and mutual consent of the selected firms, for a total maximum of five (5) years. The important points for City Council consideration related to these Agreements include:
Contract Sum: Section 2.1 “Contract Sum” reflects the on-call nature of the Agreements, in that there is no defined cost other than the consultant’s schedule of hourly rates and fees. This fact is reflected in Section 2.1 of the Agreement, which states:
City and Consultant acknowledge and agree that the Services required by this Agreement will vary depending upon the number, type, and extent of the Services the Consultant shall provide; and no guarantee of the extent or the type of Services required of the Consultant under the terms of this Agreement is made by the City. The annual or total level of Services required by this Agreement is unknown, and may significantly increase or decrease from year to year. In acknowledgement of the fact that the number and type of projects requiring the Consultant’s Services has not been identified for this Agreement, City and Consultant acknowledge and agree that a specific “Maximum Contract Amount” shall be imposed on each separate project that the City may assign Consultant as provided in Section 1.9 and in this Section 2.1. Each such separate project shall be identified as a Task Order authorized by the City Manager or designee as provided in this Section 2.1. The Maximum Contract Amount of this Agreement is undefined, and is subject to the number and type of projects requiring the Consultant’s Services throughout the duration of the term of this Agreement, if any. Consultant’s compensation shall be limited to the Maximum Contract Amount identified on each separate, individually authorized Task Order corresponding to a project requiring the Services of the Consultant in accordance with the Schedule of Compensation set forth in the attached Exhibit C. Subsequent approval of individual Task Orders shall be approved in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 2.48 of the Rialto Municipal Code.
Conflict Disclosure Statements are included as Attachment 1. Engineering Resources of Southern California, Inc., On-Call Professional Services Agreement is included as Attachment 2. Wildan Engineering On-Call Professional Services Agreement is included as Attachment 3.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
The requested City Council action is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 3A in the General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
Approval of this action also complies with the following City of Rialto General Plan Goals and Policies:
Goal 3-6: Require that all developed areas within Rialto are adequately served with essential public services and infrastructure.
Goal 4-1: Provide transportation improvements to reduce traffic congestion associated with regional and local trip increases.
Policy 4-1.1: Establish and maintain standards for a variety of street classifications to serve both local and regional traffic, including Major Arterial Highways, Major Arterial Highways, Major Arterials, Secondary Arterials, Collector Streets, and Local Streets.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed drafts of the agreements and will approve them as to form.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Operating Budget Impact
Upon receipt of payment from a developer, plan check revenues will be recognized in the General Fund-Engineering Services Account No. 10107262-47629. The projected revenue for the upcoming fiscal year 2025/2026 is $1,500,000.
The Contract with Engineering Resources of Southern California, Inc. for $600,000 and with Wildan Engineering for $600,000 for plan check services during Fiscal Year 2025/2026 will be funded from the General Fund - Engineering Services Account No. 10107262-52011. These contracts will operate on a "pass-through" basis, and the expenses will be offset by the projected revenues.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There is no impact to the Capital Improvement Budget.
Licensing
Prior to execution of the Professional Service Agreement, each vendor shall submit a business license application and pay a Business License tax at the rate of $654, as well as Administration and State fees.