Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council
Regular Meeting of June 22, 2021
Title
APPROVE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR
CONSULTING SERVICES RELATED TO COMPLIANCE WITH
THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
(Community Development Director Ken Robertson)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends City Council:
1. Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Ed Almanza & Associates for consulting services related to compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, including on-call services, through June 30, 2022, and a total maximum compensation amount of $105,400; and
2. Authorize the Mayor to execute and the City Clerk to attest the attached first amendment subject to approval by the City Attorney (Attachment 1).
Body
Executive Summary:
The City of Hermosa Beach utilizes consulting services to complete reports and studies related to compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Staff requests City Council approval to enter into a one-year professional services agreement with Ed Almanza & Associates to provide the necessary services.
Background:
The Community Development Department requires consultant assistance with CEQA compliance, including assistance to update the City’s CEQA Local Implementation Guidelines to address new General Plan objectives, as required by Section 15022 of the State CEQA Guidelines. This includes drafting procedures to standardize and enhance the efficiency of the City’s CEQA practice to the extent feasible. The City also requires assistance in the environmental work to implement the Safety Element of the General plan to update Chapter 8.24 of the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code (Noise Control); and to develop vehicle miles traveled (VMT) thresholds to comply with SB 743 and the Mobility Element of PLAN Hermosa. The proposed consultant, Ed Almanza, has previous experience on these projects and is uniquely qualified to provide the necessary services. Since the consultant’s previous on-call agreement with the City has expired, staff recommends including an on-call component in the proposed agreement.
Analysis:
Ed Almanza & Associates has prior experience with the City and previously worked on the General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR), Transpacific Cable 2 EIR, the Skechers EIR, and the Oil Project EIR. The consultant continues to exhibit a high level of expertise working with the City on compliance issues and implementation of the City’s obligations under CEQA, with a competitive hourly rate, experience developing public policy, and an understanding of Hermosa Beach’s local issues and challenges. Ed Almanza initially served as the City’s project manager and environmental consultant in 2014 during preparation of the EIR for the oil drilling proposal and continues to provide expert advice and services to the City. He also previously served as the City’s consultant for on-call CEQA services.
The proposed agreement is for consulting services to complete reports and studies related to compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The consultant’s proposed rate is $155.00 per hour with estimated services outlined in the proposed agreement (Attachment 1). If approved, the agreement would be for a one-year term with a maximum compensation amount of $105,400. All contract costs would be paid by the City, with some costs for on-call services reimbursed by private developers on a cost recovery basis when projects require CEQA compliance work.
Fiscal Impact:
The City anticipates an initial estimate of $105,400 for consulting services for Fiscal Year 2021-22. A total of $121,323 is available to cover the cost of updating the Noise Ordinance, developing VMT Thresholds, and CEQA Guidelines. It is estimated that the Fiscal Year 2020-21 Budget will have unspent funds of $84,123 for CEQA Guidelines and $8,016 for the Noise Ordinance, which will be requested for reappropriation to the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Budget. The Fiscal Year 2021-22 Preliminary Budget includes a supplemental request of $29,184 for the Noise Ordinance. All the budgeted funds would be appropriated using General Plan Maintenance Fees reserved for General Plan-related services. On-call services would continue to be reimbursed by private developers through reimbursement agreements between the developer and the City.
Attachments:
1. Draft Professional Services Agreement with Ed Almanza & Associates
Respectfully Submitted by: Melanie Emas, Assistant Planner
Concur: Ken Robertson, Community Development Director
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager