TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute first amendments to extend the term of each of the following contracts to April 30, 2006, in order to avoid a gap in environmental review services:
Agreement No. 28529 with EIP Associates, Agreement No. 28527 with ESA Community Development, Agreement No. 28524 with LSA Associates, Inc., and Agreement No. 28525 with RBF Consulting.
(Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On September 20, 2005, the City Council authorized the City Manager to execute individual contracts with eight consulting firms for a new on-call list for environmental review services. The new list will be valid for a period of three years and will replace an existing on-call list that was established in 2003.
Environmental review services performed by consultants on the on-call list will consist of the following: the preparation of analysis documents, such as Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) or Mitigated Negative Declarations (MNDs), as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), or Environmental Assessments (EAs) or Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
In addition, a consultant might be called upon to do Mitigation Monitoring, conduct a peer review of an environmental document prepared for a proposed project in Long Beach, or be asked to review and prepare written comments on an EIR the City of Long Beach has received for a proposed project in an adjacent jurisdiction.
There are four consulting firms on the existing on-call list that will also be a part of the new list that has been established. They are:
o EIP Associates Agreement No. 28529
o ESA Community Development Agreement No. 28527
o LSA Associates, Inc. Agreement No. 28524
o RBF Consulting Agreement No. 28525
The individual contracts for the four firms, each with a not to exceed limit of $500,000, will expire on October 31, 2005.
All four firms are currently providing environmental services for active development projects that are being processed by the City. In order to avoid a gap in environmental review services while new contracts are being created to correspond to the new on-call list, an amendment to each firm's existing contract is being requested. The proposed amendment will extend each contract for a period of six months. The new expiration date for each contract will be April 30, 2006. City staff is in the process of creating contracts for the eight consultants on the new on-call list. The new contracts will be completed within the six-month extension period.
This letter was reviewed by Assistant City Attorney Michael J. Mais on October 10,2005.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council approval of this item on October 18, 2005 will ensure uninterrupted environmental review services from the four environmental consulting firms.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this request. All costs incurred for environmental review services will be paid by the developer of the proposed private project or by the City department utilizing the consultant list for a public project.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
SUZANNE FRICK
DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND BUILDING