Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council
Regular Meeting of November 29, 2022
Title
AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A
PARKS MASTER PLAN TO RJM DESIGN GROUP, INC.
(Community Resources Manager Lisa Nichols)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends City Council:
1. Award a contract for development of a Parks Master Plan to RJM Design Group, Inc. at a fixed amount of $217,820 and a term that extends through completion of the work or not-to-exceed two years (Attachment 7);
2. Authorize the Community Resources Manager to establish a 20 percent project contingency of $43,564;
3. Authorize the City Manager to approve contract amendments up to the amount of the approved project contingency; and
4. Authorize the Mayor to execute and the City Clerk to attest the proposed contract subject to approval by the City Attorney.
Body
Executive Summary:
Following a competitive process, staff recommends City Council award a contract for development of a Parks Master Plan to RJM Design Group, Inc. at a not-to-exceed amount of $217,820 and a term that extends through completion of the work or not-to-exceed two years. Staff also requests a 20 percent project contingency of $43,564 to cover any unforeseen additions to the project scope and authorize the City Manager to approve any contract amendments up to the approved project contingency amount.
Background:
Most, if not all cities, have parks master plans that are updated generally every 15 to 20 years. A parks master plan is a comprehensive vision for a park system that assesses current parks and recreation programs against current and future community needs, and considers each individual park, open space area, recreation facility, and program within context of its location, surrounding natural resources, and vision of the community. Master plans allow municipalities to assess current and future recreational needs, evaluate feasible options, develop a strategic action plan, and budget for long-term or phased-in development and improvements. In essence, a parks master plan is a strategic planning document that encapsulates a community’s vision for its recreation and programmatic needs, serves as a short-, medium-, and long-range planning tool for delivery of parks and recreation services, programs, and activities that informs a city’s budget priorities and is aligned with the city’s General Plan. Having a current parks master plan allows municipalities to leverage local, state, and federal funding for development of parks and programs. Attachment 1 is an overview of surrounding cities that have recently updated their Parks Master Plan, or are in the process of doing so, with detail on the size of each city, the cost, the firm selected, and the time of development for the plan.
Parks and recreation master planning can serve as one of the foundations for community development. A 2014 roundtable sponsored by the National Parks and Recreation Association (NRPA) and the American Planning Association (APA) recognized the role of parks in community and economic development stating “preparing parks and recreation master plans can provide a foundation for economic development, building healthy communities, and providing a unique sense of place.”
The City’s most recent Park Master Plan was adopted in 1990 (Attachment 2). The plan provided guidance to the City for the orderly development of recreation services, programs, facilities, parks, and open spaces through 2010. Since 2010, the City’s recreation services, programs, and indoor and outdoor facilities have evolved, including the addition of several new services, programs, and facilities. A new Parks Master Plan is needed to provide a comprehensive strategy to maintain, rehabilitate, and improve the City’s recreational services, programs, and park facilities that reflects the needs of the community for the next 20 years.
The City allocated funding within the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) 538 Citywide Parks Master Plan for a Project Manager to oversee the development of a new Parks Master Plan and to assist with the additional workload to the Community Resources Department to oversee the development of a new Parks Master Plan. At its July 12, 2022 meeting, City Council awarded a contract to Catalyst Consulting to provide project management services. The Principal Owner of Catalyst Consulting is John Jones, who serves as the Project Manager. Mr. Jones joins the effort as the project manager with four decades of experience in municipal parks and recreation
Additionally, funds were allocated within the CIP 538 Citywide Parks Master Plan for a firm to prepare and develop a new Parks Master Plan. The scope of services includes, but is not limited to:
• Engaging the community and local organizations in a dialogue about recreation services, programs, indoor and outdoor facilities, the beach, parks and open spaces in Hermosa Beach;
• Identifying the current utilization, and appropriate balance between organized and informal recreational activities at the City’s outdoor facilities, the beach, parks and open spaces;
• Evaluating and prioritizing the community’s desires for recreation services, programs, indoor and outdoor facilities, the beach, parks and open spaces;
• Evaluating the staffing levels in the Community Resources Department to determine what is recommended for current programing and any future needs that are determined;
• Identifying the evolving and future recreational needs for the community;
• Assisting in the uniformity of both park and beach signage;
• Identifying any partnership opportunities through a Joint Personnel Agreement (JPA) or Joint Use Agreement (JUA) with the Hermosa Beach Unified School District or other neighboring municipalities for increased recreational facility use (i.e., Aquatic Center);
• Leveraging the vision and goals of the City’s General Plan and PLAN Hermosa;
• Creating a dynamic and useful planning and implementation document that enjoys broad community and political support;
• Evaluating and prioritizing the expenditure of public funds for providing services and programs as well as for the development, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the City’s indoor and outdoor facilities, the beach, parks and open spaces;
• Identifying additional funding (i.e., grants, fees, bonds, etc.) mechanisms for new services and programs as well as for the development, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the City’s indoor and outdoor facilities, the beach, parks and open spaces
• Providing a comprehensive strategy and priority plan for the maintenance, rehabilitation and improvement of the City’s network of indoor and outdoor facilities, the beach, parks and open space assets ensuring ADA compliance, and including current unfunded park and recreation opportunities;
• Evaluating the staffing levels in the Public Works Department for park maintenance to determine what is recommended for current maintenance needs and future maintenance needs that are determined; and
• Evaluating the effective use of the City’s financial and physical resources and opportunities to fund implementation of the recommendations in the Parks Master Plan.
Past Council Actions
Discussion:
On Thursday, September 22, 2022, the City issued RFP 22-009 (Attachment 4), seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide services to prepare and develop a new Parks Master Plan. The Request for Proposals (RFP) was advertised in the Easy Reader, on the City website, on the City’s online bidding platform, PlanetBid, and shared with firms located in California that have experience in developing Park Master Plans for public entities.
Proposals were received from BerryDunn and the RJM Design Group, Inc. by the RFP deadline of Wednesday, October 19, 2022. The two proposals were evaluated by the internal staff working team for the Parks Master Plan, which consists of Project Manager John Jones, Community Resources Manager Lisa Nichols, Public Works Director Joe San Clemente, Public Works Superintendent John Cordova, Environmental Programs Manager Doug Krauss, Police Captain Dorothy Scheid, and Senior Management Analyst Sirinya Matute. The evaluation panel independently scored each proposal based on the following criteria:
• Approach and Methods;
• Relevant Experience and Expertise;
• Timeframe and Cost; and
• Administration.
Interviews were also held with both proposers on Monday, November 7, 2022. Following the review of the proposals and completion of the interviews, RJM Design Group, Inc. proposal (Attachment 5) was identified as the most qualified bidder.
RJM Design Group, Inc. was established in 1987 and has evolved into a multi-disciplinary landscape architectural, planning, and design firm serving the needs of cities, public agencies, and organizations throughout California. RJM Design Group’s Parks and Recreation Planning Toolkit is the result of over 30 years of experience in park and recreation planning and analysis. This Toolkit empowers cities, public agencies, and organizations with data and action plans for its recreation programs, services, and indoor and outdoor facilities without costly planning efforts.
RJM Design Group, Inc. demonstrated a complete understanding of the goals and outcome of the project. The firm provided a well thought-out and tailored approach to meet the project’s goals and demonstrated a thorough approach to engage the community through all communication channels.
Staff contacted references provided in RJM Design Group’s proposal and received positive comments about the firm’s work and success in engaging its communities, meeting deadlines, and providing a high-quality action plan for its cities to use for decades. While RJM Design Group initially proposed completion of the project in 12 months, staff recommends a 15-month timeline to allow RJM Design Group to analyze a full year of the City’s recreation services and programs, and the use of the City’s indoor and outdoor facilities, the beach, parks and open spaces to provide the most comprehensive data and action plan. RJM Design Group, Inc. is in line with staff’s recommendation.
The cost proposal (Attachment 6) includes a commitment from RJM Design Group to prepare and develop a new Parks Master Plan for the City of Hermosa Beach over the course of 15 months. Staff requests up to a 20 percent contingency allowance over the term of the contract for additional services, if needed and approved by the City Manager, to complete the project.
The funds allocated within the CIP 538 Citywide Parks Master Plan total $650,000. A total of $126,000, including contingency, has been allocated for project management. Staff recommends allocating $261,384, including contingency, for the Parks Master Plan development, resulting in a total of $387,384 to complete the development of the Parks Master Plan. The remaining budget of $262,616 within CIP 538 Citywide Parks Master Plan may be used for implementation of recommendations outlined in the Parks Master Plan.
General Plan Consistency:
This report and associated recommendation have been evaluated for their consistency with the City’s General Plan. Relevant Policies are listed below:
Governance Element
Goal 2. The community is active and engaged in decision-making processes.
Policies:
• 2.6 Responsive to community needs. Continue to be responsive to community inquiries, providing public information and recording feedback from community interactions.
• 2.7 Major planning efforts. Require major planning efforts, policies, or projects to include a public engagement effort.
• 2.9 Evaluation and feedback. Periodically solicit service evaluations from the community and utilize feedback to improve and develop the City’s policies, ordinances, programs, and funding priorities.
Goal 5. Small beach town character is reflected throughout Hermosa Beach.
Policy:
• 5.7 Visitor and resident balance. Recognize the desire and need to balance visitor-serving and local-serving uses as a key to preserving character and the economic vitality of the community.
Goal 8. A performance based-management and benchmarking program.
Policy:
• 8.3 Consistency among plans. Require other City plans and implementation mechanisms to demonstrate their consistency with this Plan.
Parks and Open Space Element
Goal 1. First class, well maintained, and safe recreational facilities, parks and open spaces.
Policies:
• 1.1 Facility upgrades. Improve and update park and open space facilities on a regular basis.
• 1.5 Evaluate community needs. Conduct a periodic review of community park needs and interests to inform maintenance and investment priorities.
Goal 2. Abundant parks, open space, and recreational facilities to serve the community.
Policy:
• 2.1 Diverse programs and facilities. Offer diverse recreational programs and facilities to meet the needs of all residents.
Goal 3. Community parks and facilities encourage social activity and interaction.
Policies:
• 3.3 Commercial use of facilities. Regulate and enforce commercial use of City parks and open spaces to ensure activities do not impact general use and enjoyment.
• 3.4 Balance space needs. Balance the space needs and demand on public resources of formal and informal events.
• 3.5 Health and physical activity. Increase the availability of space and variety of activities that promote community health and physical activity such as community gardens, fitness stations/ equipment, and fields/courts.
• 3.6 Availability of City facilities. Consider the demand and availability of City facilities for general community use in the long-term lease and/or rental of City facilities.
Goal 7. The beach offers high quality recreational opportunities and amenities desired by the community.
Policies:
• 7.5 Designated recreational uses. Continually evaluate and explore devoting certain portions of the beach to different preferred recreational uses while providing access for all users and meeting the recreation needs of visitors and residents.
• 7.7 Recreational Equipment. Periodically evaluate and, as necessary, update the recreational equipment on the beach to endeavor to meet the needs of visitors and residents of all ages and abilities.
Fiscal Impact:
$650,000 is appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget for CIP 538-Citywide Parks Master Plan. The approved contract amount for project management services is $126,000, including contingency. The total proposed contract amount for the development of the Parks Master Plan is $261,384, including the requested 20 percent contingency. This results in a remaining budget of $262,616 within CIP 538-Citywide Parks Master Plan.
|
Agreement Request |
|
Request Amount |
FY 2022-2023 Budget Dept. Account # |
Total Contract Amount |
|
$261,384 |
001-8538-4201, 125-8538-4201, 301-8538-4201 |
$261,384 |
Attachments:
1. Best Practice Research on Surrounding Cities’ Parks Master Plans
2. 1990 Hermosa Beach Parks Master Plan
3. Link to July 12, 2022 City Council Staff Report
4. RFP 22-009 Parks and Recreation Master Plan
5. RJM Design Group Proposal
6. RJM Design Group Cost Proposal
7. Proposed Contract with RJM Design Group, Inc.
Respectfully Submitted by: Lisa Nichols, Community Resources Manager
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager