For City Council Meeting May 12, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Tanya Williams, City Manager
AUTHOR: Cynthia Alvarado, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Title
Request City Council to: (1) Award a Service Agreement to Michael Baker International in an Amount Not to Exceed $196,000 for the Preparation of the City of Rialto Parks Master Plan; and (2) Authorize the City Manager or Their Designee to Execute all Related Documents.
(PRESENTATION)
(ACTION)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Award a Service Agreement to Michael Baker International in an amount not to exceed $196,000 for the preparation of the City of Rialto Parks Master Plan; and
2) Authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute all related documents.
BACKGROUND
The City of Rialto’s 2010 General Plan includes goals and policies related to parks, open space, and recreation. Most significantly, it contains an explicit directive for the City to develop a Parks Master Plan. Policy 2-27.1 directs the City to “establish a Master Plan for Parks and Recreation that achieves a park ratio of 3.0 acres per 1,000 residents, evenly distributes park facilities throughout the community, and contains strategies for funding facilities and maintenance.” That mandate, adopted by the City Council 15 years ago, has not yet been fulfilled.
A Parks Master Plan is a comprehensive, long-range policy and planning document that serves as the foundational guide for the development, improvement, programming, and management of a city's parks system for the next 10 to 20 years. It is a strategic roadmap that connects community values to capital investments, programming priorities, and equitable access to parks and open spaces.
A well-crafted Parks Master Plan typically includes the following core components:
• An inventory and assessment of all existing parks, facilities, trails, and open spaces
• A community needs assessment, including resident surveys, demographic analysis, and stakeholder engagement
• A level-of-service analysis that measures how well the current parks system meets the needs of the population
• Park and facility classification standards
• Goals, objectives, and policy recommendations
• A prioritized Capital Improvement Program (CIP) identifying specific projects, timelines, cost estimates, and funding source recommendations
• A funding and implementation strategy, including identification of grant opportunities
• Equity and access considerations, including analysis of park distribution across neighborhoods
A Parks Master Plan also serves as a grant-eligibility document. Many state and federal funding programs, including those administered through California's Proposition 68 (Parks, Environment, and Water Bond), the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the California Department of Parks and Recreation's Statewide Park Program, and the active transportation and community resilience grant programs, require or strongly prefer that applicant jurisdictions have an adopted Parks Master Plan in place at the time of application. Without one, cities are routinely scored lower or deemed ineligible altogether when considered for funding.
The City of Rialto does not have a Parks Master Plan. The absence of a Parks Master Plan has placed the City at a competitive disadvantage in the pursuit of grant funding. As state bond measures and federal programs have increasingly required or prioritized applicants with adopted master plans, Rialto has been limited in its ability to access the full range of available funding for park improvements. The preparation of a Parks Master Plan is, therefore, not only a planning best practice, but it is also a strategic investment that positions the City to leverage significantly more in external resources than the cost of the plan itself.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
Rialto is a growing, dynamic city of approximately 104,000 residents, a community that is young, diverse, and increasingly demanding of quality parks, recreational programming, and accessible open space. The Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department currently maintains 10 parks totaling approximately 150 acres, 2 community centers, 1 fitness and aquatic facility, 13 baseball fields, 10 soccer fields, 3 football fields, 10 basketball courts, 3 skate parks, 2 tennis courts, and 8 pickleball courts, athletic fields, and multi-use trails.
Yet without a Parks Master Plan to formally articulate standards, needs, and priorities, the Department lacks the foundational document needed to:
• Make data-driven, defensible decisions about where and how to direct capital investments
• Demonstrate community needs to state and federal funders when competing for grant dollars
• Ensure equitable distribution of parks and services across all neighborhoods and populations
• Plan for the recreational needs of a growing and changing population over the next 10-20 years
• Have the Parks Master Plan align the facilities and open spaces meet the City's General Plan, Housing Element, and other adopted plans
• Engage the community in a formal visioning process that reflects the voices and priorities of Rialto residents
Existing Parks Acreage and Service Gap
The General Plan established a City standard of 3.0 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents and documented Rialto’s significant shortfall relative to that benchmark. The table below, drawn from the General Plan’s analysis, illustrates the gap:
As reflected in the table above, Rialto’s city-owned parks currently provide approximately 1.06 acres per 1,000 residents, one-third of the City’s own adopted standard of 3.0 acres per 1,000. Even when joint-use school open space is included, the City is projected to fall short of the 3.0-acre standard through build-out in 2040.
The General Plan further identifies the western boundary of the City and portions of Bloomington as underserved areas where residential neighborhoods are not within one-half mile of a park facility, a service gap that the Parks Master Plan will be specifically designed to address through an equity-based analysis and prioritized capital programming.
The General Plan also acknowledges the risk of relying on school joint-use agreements to offset the parks deficit, noting concerns about expanding campuses, vandalism liability, portable classrooms occupying open fields, and the indeterminate timeline of availability. The Parks Master Plan will develop a comprehensive strategy that reduces this dependency and builds a parks system the City controls.
The General Plan is not designed to serve the detailed planning, standards-setting, and capital programming functions of a Parks Master Plan. Developing a standalone Parks Master Plan will complement and implement the General Plan’s vision while providing the operational-level specificity, community engagement process, and grant-readiness documentation that the General Plan alone cannot provide.
Request for Proposals Process
On February 12, 2026, the City issued Request for Proposals No. 26-017 for professional services related to the preparation of a Parks Master Plan. The RFP was publicly advertised through the City's website, distributed via PlanetBids, and made available to qualified planning and landscape architecture firms with demonstrated experience in parks master planning for California municipalities.
The City received six proposals by the submission deadline of March 11, 2026. Proposals were evaluated by a selection panel that included staff from the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department and Community Development based on the following criteria:
• Qualifications and relevant experience of the firm and key personnel
• Understanding of the project scope and Rialto's unique community context
• Proposed methodology, community engagement approach, and project schedule
• References and performance demonstrated on similar projects
• Fee proposal and cost-effectiveness
The top three firms were interviewed on April 24, 2026. Each firm presented a PowerPoint on their firm’s background, resources to complete the scope of service, and implementation plans for completion of the Parks Master Plan document. Micheal Baker’s presentation is included as Attachment 1. The following firms were interviewed:
• Michael Baker International
• Berry, Dunn, McNeil and Parker
• RJM Design Group
After interviews were completed, Michael Baker International was selected as the most qualified firm to complete the scope of work for the Parks Master Plan, based on its experience, capacity, and familiarity with the City. A summary list of the Firm’s qualifications is included as Attachment 2. The Firm maintains a local office in Ontario, California, which allows for accessibility and responsiveness throughout the project. They have proposed a dedicated team of 15 professionals who will work closely with the Department to ensure a comprehensive and collaborative planning process.
Additionally, the firm has prior experience working with the City through projects completed in coordination with the Community Development and Public Works Departments. This familiarity positions them to efficiently navigate City processes and begin work immediately. All services will be performed in-house under the leadership of Michael Baker International, ensuring consistency, accountability, and rigorous quality control throughout the project. The proposed agreement is included as Attachment 3, and the Non-Collusion Declaration form is included as Attachment 4.
Commission Review
On May 5, 2026, the Parks and Recreation Commission received a presentation on the proposed Parks Master Plan Firm Selection and voted 4-0 to support staff’s recommendation to select Michael Baker International and forward the recommendation to the City Council for approval.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The approval of a professional services agreement for planning services is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5), a Project does not include organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Environmental review, as applicable, will be conducted as part of the Parks Master Plan process prior to adoption
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The preparation of a Parks Master Plan is consistent with and implements the following goals and policies of the City of Rialto General Plan:
Goal 2-27: Provide a variety of park facilities that meet the diverse needs and interest of the community.
• Policy 2-27.1: Establish a Master Plan for Parks and Recreation that achieves a park ratio of 3.0 acres per 1,000 residents, evenly distributes park facilities throughout the community, and contains strategies for funding facilities and maintenance.
• Policy 2-27.2: Plan for and designate adequate funding to maintain new and existing parks and facilities.
• Policy 2-27.3: Work with the Rialto Unified School District to provide joint-use facilities in areas where park and recreation facility deficits exist. Mitigate issues associated with school open space, such as vandalism, wear and tear, maintenance, and school expansion.
Goal 2-24: Take advantage of opportunities to increase and enhance open spaces throughout Rialto.
• Policy 2-24.1: Identify and explore opportunities for acquisition of land in the Lytle Creek floodplain and fault-impacted areas for use as open space, parkland, or recreational areas.
• Policy 2-24.2: Landscape the areas surrounding the Cactus Basin recreation fields, water reservoirs, and publicly owned facilities to increase opportunities for low-intensity, passive recreation open spaces and to improve aesthetics.
Goal 2-25: Maximize public benefits in the reclamation of mineral extraction and sanitary landfill areas.
• Policy 2-25.1: Link new open space and park sites in reclaimed mining areas with bicycle trails integrated into the City's recreational trails system.
• Policy 2-25.2: Work with the County of San Bernardino to define the final limits of the Mid-County Landfill and to plan for reclamation of the site with open space and recreation amenities appropriate to the site.
Goal 2-26: Maximize open spaces in urban areas.
• Policy 2-26.3: Explore opportunities to create pocket parks within urbanized areas for public and/or private use.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's Office has reviewed the agreement and approved it as to form.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
Operating Budget Impact
The total cost of the Parks Master Plan is $196,000. This item was included in the FY 2025-2026 General Fund in Account No. 10108150-52011.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There is no impact on the Capital Improvement Budget.
Licensing
Michael Baker International will pay a Business License Tax prior to commencing the services for this project.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Michael Baker International Interview Slides
2. Michael Baker International Qualifications
3. Professional Services Agreement with Michael Baker International
4. Non-Collusion Declaration Form