I. RECOMMENDATION:
Council Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement in an amount not to exceed $74,810.00 with SWCA Environmental Consultants to Provide Environmental Services Related to the Master Trails Project (ATP Cycle 4 Grant Program).
II. BACKGROUND:
The City received ATP Cycle 4 funding allocation for the design and implementation of segments 3 (portion), 4 (portion), and 9 (portion) of the Trails Master Plan. The funding included preparation of the necessary environmental documentation in accordance with State and Federal Law.
III. DISCUSSION:
The City of Coalinga solicited proposals from qualified consultants to provide the following services:
1. Prepare an Initial Study (IS) anticipating adoption of a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) consistent with CEQA Guidelines.
2. Prepare and obtain Caltrans approval of a Preliminary Environmental Study (PES) Form consistent with Caltrans guidance.
3. Prepare technical studies identified in the PES following Caltrans’ Standard Environmental Reference (SER) Guidelines to support a NEPA Categorical Exclusion and as support documentation for CEQA.
Proposals were due on May 29, 2020 and the City received nine (9) proposals from qualified firms. Staff conduced a preliminary review of the proposals and chose to interview three (3) firms who felt exceeded the City expectations and provide an opportunity to get to know the individual firms a bit more. After conducting interviews staff decided to proceed with recommending to the CIty Council approval of a contract with SWCA Environmental Consultants.
IV. ALTERNATIVES:
- Do not authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with SWCA Consultants. - this is not recommended by staff.
V. FISCAL IMPACT:
The contract amount will not exceed $74,810.00. This contract is funded by the grant with no impact to the general Fund. The budgeted amount in the grant for environmental services was $100,000.00, where the savings will be applied to the right-of-way and construction phase of the project. |