For City Council Meeting July 28, 2026
TO: Honorable City Council
APPROVAL: Tanya Williams, City Manager
FROM: Christina Taylor, Community Development Director
Title
Request City Council to (1) Approve Professional Services Agreements with Willdan Engineering, CSG Consultants Inc., True North Compliance Services, Inc., and Bureau Veritas North America, Inc., for On-Call Fire Plan Check, Fire Inspection and Additional Fire Support Services; and (2) Authorize the City Manager to exercise the optional one-year extensions subject to satisfactory performance of the services and the continuing need for such services; and (3) Authorize the City Manager to Execute All Documents.
(ACTION)
Body
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Approve Professional Services Agreements with Willdan Engineering, CSG Consultants, Inc., True North Compliance Services, Inc., and Bureau Veritas North America Inc., for On-Call Fire Plan Check, Fire Inspection and Additional Fire Support Services;
2) Authorize the City Manager to exercise the optional one-year extensions subject to satisfactory performance of the services and the continuing need for such services; and
3) Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents.
BACKGROUND:
The Fire Prevention Division has the responsibility for safeguarding life and property from fires and other hazards. The Fire Prevention Division ensures this through three essential parts:
• The process of plan review
• Construction inspections
• Verification and maintenance of fire code compliance
The Fire Prevention Division ensures that all construction is in accordance with the most current editions of the California Fire Code, California Code of Regulations, California Building Standards Code, Title 19, Title 24 and City’s Municipal Codes.
Historically, the Fire Prevention Division has performed all fire prevention functions using existing in-house staff, and no contract services have been utilized for these activities. However, increased workload resulting from staffing shortages, continued development activity, and new state-mandated fire and life safety requirements have exceeded the Division's available capacity. As a result, the use of contract Fire Prevention services is now necessary to supplement existing staff, maintain required inspection and plan review timelines, ensure compliance with applicable state and local regulations, and provide continuity of service while recruitment and retention efforts continue. Contract services are intended to provide operational support and specialized expertise as needed and are not intended to replace permanent staff.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
The City's organizational restructuring transferred administration of the Fire Prevention Division to the Community Development Department to better align development review, permitting, and inspection functions in December of 2025. While this transition has improved coordination between departments, development activity, regulatory requirements, and community expectations continue to evolve and the demand for fire prevention services has increased significantly. Within Community Development, Fire Prevention personnel are responsible for a broad range of essential functions, including plan review, construction inspections, fire code enforcement, public education, permit processing, and emergency response support. Recent increases in development projects, construction inspection and life safety requirements have expanded the department's workload beyond existing staffing capacity. To maintain compliance with applicable codes, support safe community growth, reduce fire and life safety risks, and sustain timely customer service, additional Fire Prevention services that support development are required.
To ensure the City continues to meet state-mandated fire prevention responsibilities and maintains an appropriate level of service for residents, businesses, and the development community, additional Fire Prevention staffing resources are required. These resources will support compliance with applicable fire and building codes, reduce delays in development review and inspections, strengthen fire and life safety enforcement, and help safeguard the community by ensuring fire prevention services remain responsive, effective, and consistent. It is staff’s recommendation to have firms available to broaden the City’s resource pool for these types of on-call services.
On March 20, 2026, the City issued a Request for Proposals RFP #26-023 for Fire Prevention Services (included as Attachment 1), to solicit new firms to provide the on-call as-needed fire plan check, fire inspection and all related fire services to assist the Fire Prevention Division.
In response to RFP #26-023, which closed on April 17, 2026, the City received four (4) proposals from the following firms:
1. Willdan Engineering
2. True North Compliance Services
3. CSG Consultants
4. Bureau Veritas North America
The proposals were evaluated by Staff in accordance with the criteria established in the RFP, and based on that evaluation, consideration of prior experience, consideration of pricing, and number of firms responded, a recommendation was made to award contracts to all four (4) firms. The firms of RFP #26-023 selected to award contract include:
1. Willdan Engineering
2. True North Compliance Services
3. CSG Consultants
4. Bureau Veritas North America
In accordance with their proposals, the important standards of performance include:
• Provide services which meet the following maximum expected turn-around-times for plan check and inspection services. Additionally, the following Performance Standards shall be used as a guide to determine staff levels.
• The initial check of fire plans for commercial, industrial, and residential projects, shall be completed within ten (10) working days or less from plan submittal.
• All rechecks of fire plans shall be completed within five (5) working days or less from resubmittal.
• As special circumstances may dictate, after hour or weekend inspections will be conducted.
• At all times, fire inspectors shall conduct themselves in a courteous and professional manner and utilize the phone to help coordinate and narrow inspection times with applicants.
• Keep written information regarding fire permit application, fire plan check and fire inspection process updates.
The scope of services is all-inclusive for the following general categories of Fire Prevention Division services:
• Plan Check Services
• Inspection Services
• Counter Services
• Verification and maintenance of fire code compliance
The initial term of the Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with each of the selected firms is through June 30, 2027. Provided the firms perform to the City’s satisfaction, the term may be extended for four (4) one-year optional extensions, not to exceed a term of five (5) years.
This type of on-call PSA operates on a “pass-through” basis whereby services are only provided to the extent the City has received plans for fire review and/or fire inspection services. Developers submitting fire plans for review or requesting fire inspections cover the cost of these services.
Section 2.1 of the PSA addresses the fact that there is no contract sum insofar as the services are of an “on-call” nature and subject to change based on the volume of development activity occurring in the City.
City and Consultant acknowledge and agree that the Services required by this Agreement will vary dependent 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 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.
Services will only be authorized to the extent revenues have been received to offset the corresponding expenditures on the basis of the “pass-through” nature of the PSA.
A copy of the PSA with each selected firm is included as Attachments 2-9.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
The requested 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:
The City of Rialto General Plan establishes various guiding principles, goals, and objectives through which the City looks to improve the community and protect the quality of life for our residents. This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 1 in the General Plan:
• Our neighborhoods will be a safe place to call home.
• Essential community services and amenities must meet the needs and desires of our families.
Goal 3-6: Require that all developed areas within Rialto are adequately served with essential public services and infrastructure.
Policy 3-6.3: Require an increasing level of public safety infrastructure and service capability tied to population increase and increasing service demand.
Goal 5-3: Increase the City’s fire protection capabilities and implement fire prevention regulations and standards that minimize potential fire hazards and fire losses.
Policy 5-3.4: Require that all site plans, subdivision plans, and building plans be reviewed by the Fire Department to ensure compliance with appropriate fire regulations.
Policy 5-3.7: Add service level capability and infrastructure to meet increasing demand of new development.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and recommends approval of this staff report and the P SA.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Operating Budget Impact
Sufficient funds are budgeted and available in the General Fund, Account 10105173-52011. Generally, the consultant is paid a fee for providing fire plan check services and time/material hourly cost for certain special fire plan review or fire inspection services, which is cost recovered by the applicant.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There is no financial impact on the capital improvement budget associated with the approval of this item.
Licensing
Prior to execution of the Professional Service Agreement, each vendor will obtain a Business License with the City of Rialto.
ATTACHMENTS
1. RFP 26-023
2. Wildan Engineering PSA
3. Wildan Engineering Non-Disclosure
4. True North Compliance PSA
5. True North Compliance Non-Disclosure
6. CSG Consultants, Inc. PSA
7. CSG Consultants, Inc. Non-Disclosure
8. Bureau Veritas PSA
9. Bureau Veritas Non-Disclosure