For City Council Meeting February 11, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Tanya Williams, Acting City Manager
FROM: Tim Sullivan, Director of Public Works
Title
Request City Council to: 1) Award a Professional Services Agreement to Harris and Associates, Inc., a California Corporation, for On-Call Capital Project Program Management and Related Services; and 2) Authorize the Acting City Manager or Their Designee to Execute All Related Documents.
Body
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award a Professional Services Agreement to Harris and Associates, Inc. for On-Call Capital Project Program Management and Related Services.
2. Authorize the Acting City Manager or Their Designee to Execute All Related Documents.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s Public Works Department administers the City’s Capital Improvement Program (“CIP”). A 5-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is an essential planning tool for capital improvement projects throughout the City, providing a structured framework for addressing the needs of the Rialto community. The CIP will function as a roadmap for the efficient allocation of resources, ensuring transparency, fiscal responsibility, and alignment with short-term and long-term community goals. It will promote efficient resource utilization, public transparency, and sustainable growth. Projects, from time to time, require engineering support services such as design work, field explorations and assesments, and specialized project management.
Critical components of an effective Capital Improvement Program generally consist of the following:
1. Project Identification: Assessment of current and future needs.
2. Prioritization: Criteria for ranking projects based on urgency, impact, and cost programming.
3. Cost Estimation: Cost analysis for each project, including design, construction, and post-construction costs (if applicable).
4. Funding Strategies: Identifying funding sources.
5. Engagement: Gather input and feedback from stakeholders.
On April 26, 2022, the City Council awarded a professional services agreement to Harris & Associates for On-Call Project Management support services. Harris and Associates’ support to the City has varied each fiscal during the term of the agreement based on the need and the specific management services required.
Currently, Harris & Associates is in the final stages of preparing the City's 5-Year Capital Improvement Program. Additionally, they have been providing project management support services for various projects, including the Fire Station 204 Generator Project, the preparation of a comprehensive Stormwater Inventory and Condition Assessment, and emergency remediation efforts of Fire Station 201. The term of the agreement with Harris & Associates, Inc. expires in June 2025.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
On October 22, 2024, the City released Request for Qualifications (RFQ) No. 25-015 for Capital Project Program Management and Related Services. The RFQ scope of services included, but was not limited to, Project Management and Project Control (PM/PC) services to support the management of key phases of projects in the City’s Capital Program and administer various Programming and Programs activities under the direction of the City of Rialto.
The professional disciplines required in PM/PC services will vary according to the specific requirements of each particular capital project as requested by the City. The consultant was to demonstrate the capability and capacity to provide a full range of services associated with project development, project delivery management, and project control. The RFP was written to ensure that the selected firms demonstrated successful experience and capacity to provide services to municipal government agencies similar to the City of Rialto.
On November 26, 2024, the City received five (5) statements of qualifications from the following firms, listed in alphabetical order:
1. Anser Advisory Management
2. Harris and Associates, Inc.
3. SafeworkCM
4. Transtech Engineers, Inc.
5. Z&K Consultants, Inc.
Following a review of the proposals by the evaluation panel, the top firm was identified for selection. The primary factors involved in the selection process were the firm qualifications, understanding of the scope of services, the project manager’s qualifications, and the firm’s resources. A complete copy of each firm’s proposal is available through the City Clerk’s office. The top firm was identified as Harris and Associates, Inc.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve an On-Call Professional Services Agreement with Harris and Associates, Inc. to provide the requested services for the City with a term of three years, with an option to extend the contract for two additional one year extensions. 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 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.
As projects are assigned to an on-call firm, a Task Order will be negotiated, and the subsequent approval of individual Task Orders will be approved by the City Manager for those with total cost less than $100,000 or by the City Council for those with total cost more than $100,000.
Conflict Disclosure Statements are included as Attachment 1. Harris and Associates’ On-Call Professional Services Agreement is included as Attachment 2.
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.
Staff develops the CIP program and budget through a collaborative process based on the City’s four (4) guiding principles as described in the Rialto General Plan with input from the City Council, community members, and City departments.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed the agreement and approved it as to form.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Operating Budget Impact
The proposed action will not affect the Operating Budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
The proposed agreement provides services to the City as an On-Call agreement and has no specific contract sum. The scope of services required by this agreement will vary depending upon the number and type of projects assigned to Harris & Associates, Inc. Future task assignments will be issued as future task orders subject to the City Manager’s signature authority ($100,000). Any Task Assignments with a cost proposal exceeding $100,000 will be presented to the City Council for approval. The annual level of on-call services required by these agreements is unknown and may increase or decrease from year to year.
Staff will request proposals from Harris & Associates as capital projects become ready for design or management services and will charge the corresponding capital projects account that has already been appropriated. This will reduce the use of the Engineering Projects Contract Services, Account No. 10107265-52011.
Funding for the additional contract years will be budgeted during the subsequent year’s budget process.
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 $554, as well as Administration and State fees.