FIRST CARBON SOLUTIONS (#2026252)

Page 3 of 5 On-call services are performed as needed. When there is a need for CEQA professional services, the Director of Community Development may select one of the established on-call consultants based on associated experience, or staff may request a scope of work from multiple consultants from the on-call pool. Staff will then review the scope of work and select the most appropriate firm. Funding Funding for CEQA review of private development projects is provided by the project applicant(s). In each case, the City establishes a Reimbursement Agreement with the applicant, which covers the full cost of the consultant work, and in most cases, also includes a 25 percent administrative fee as outlined in the Master Fee Schedule. For City-sponsored projects, staff will review and negotiate the final scope of work and cost, along with review of budget availability, before authorization of any work. Staff recommends establishing task authorization approval limits at the same amounts approved under the current on-call CEQA contracts. The total value of work authorized under the existing contracts in the years since their inception (approximately four and a half years) is $685,173, of which $599,722 (approximately 88 percent) has been cost-recovered from applicants. Staff recommends the City Council authorize the Director of Community Development to approve task authorizations up to $100,000 for CEQA services funded entirely by a project applicant, and up to $25,000 for CEQA services funded by the City. Additionally, staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to approve task authorizations up to $300,000 for CEQA services funded entirely by a project applicant, and up to $100,000 for services funded by the City. This will allow the work for most applicant-funded CEQA to get underway more quickly, reducing delays in processing applications. For more significant projects, any contract over $300,000 will continue to require City Council authorization (e.g., Environmental Impact Reports depending on the full scope). Work authorized that would be paid for by City funds would be subject to the typical authorization limits under the City’s purchasing policy. Funding/budget allocation for any such work would need to be identified and approved at the time the work was authorized, or be subject to separate budget approval, per typical City policies and procedures. Consultants The recommended roster of on-call consultants is based on the quality of each firm's responses in areas of project management, communication with staff, understanding of local conditions, breadth of technical experience, cost, and capacity to meet City requests and project timeframes. Further, it is based on City staff experience with the firms and reference calls with other Bay Area Cities who have worked with the firms. Notably, each of the firms selected is highly qualified to provide CEQA consulting services. Three of the firms have done CEQA projects recently for the City: FirstCarbon, Rincon, and Raney Planning and Management. All have provided similar services to municipalities in the East Bay. The creation of the on-call list does not obligate the City to offer any or all of the consultants a minimum amount of work during the contract period; nor does it preclude the City, should the scope of work or nature of the project demand it, from conducting a separate solicitation for Docusign Envelope ID: C8B6B586-1DFF-4F91-B5A6-A38ED5021B2C