REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Eric G. Parra, Interim City Manager
VIA: Chau Vu, Director of Public Works
PREPARED BY: Sarah Whitecotton, Management Analyst
Subject:
title
Approve and authorize execution of Professional Services Contracts for On-Call Grant Writing and Administration Consulting Services with Advanced Avant-Garde, Inc., CWE, Engineering Solution Services, Harris & Associates, Inc., KOA Corporation, and Villa Civil, APC
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Statement of Issue:
The Public Works Department requires professional grant writing and administrative services on an on-call or as-needed basis to prepare and administer grant applications for federal, state, regional, and local funding opportunities. Consultants will conduct research to identify grant resources that support the City’s funding needs and priorities; provide community outreach services, including developing community involvement strategies; and coordinate with funding agencies on post-award procedures, project delivery, funding requests, quarterly reporting, and labor compliance.
Financial Impact:
The City’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/25 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget was adopted on June 4, 2024, and totals $35.2 million (All Funds) for approved projects citywide. Each approved CIP project has a budget containing sufficient funding for project administration and other required costs. The six recommended contracts, totaling $1.5 million, will be funded out of the CIP or department operating budget, as needed. As such, no additional funding is required by this action.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
A) Approve and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute, “Professional Services Contract Between the City of Huntington Beach and Advanced Avant-Garde Corporation, for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services,” in an amount not to exceed $250,000; and,
B) Approve and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute, “Professional Services Contract Between the City of Huntington Beach and CWE for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services,” in an amount not to exceed $250,000; and,
C) Approve and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute, “Professional Services Contract Between the City of Huntington Beach and Engineering Solutions Services for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services,” in an amount not to exceed $250,000; and,
D) Approve and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute, “Professional Services Contract Between the City of Huntington Beach and Harris & Associates, Inc. for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services,” in an amount not to exceed $250,000; and,
E) Approve and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute, “Professional Services Contract Between the City of Huntington Beach and KOA Corporation for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services,” in an amount not to exceed $250,000; and,
F) Approve and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute, “Professional Services Contract Between the City of Huntington Beach and Villa Civil, APC, for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services,” in an amount not to exceed $250,000.
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not authorize the proposed contracts and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
The City of Huntington Beach relies on grant funding to carry out numerous CIP projects citywide related to water, wastewater, stormwater, transportation, and park improvements. Federal, State, Regional, and Local grant opportunities and requirements vary greatly. Examples of these grant opportunities include Active Transportation Program (ATP), Highway Safety Improvements Program (HSIP), Prop 1 Groundwater, Recreational Trails Program, Prop 68 Sustainable Groundwater Management, Rebuilding America Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity Program (RAISE), CalOES Flood Mitigation Assistance, Infrastructure State Revolving Fund, USBR Water Smarts Program, and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.
To ensure the City of Huntington Beach is pursuing all available grant funding, the City has historically made use of On-Call Grant Writing and Administration Consulting Services. In 2021, four firms were awarded three-year contracts for these services. They were subsequently hired for a total of $673,070 in task orders to apply for and manage over $22 million in awarded grants.
On March 26, 2024, the City advertised a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for On-Call Grant Writing & Administrative Consulting Services. Proposals were requested and submitted in compliance with Chapter 3.03 of the Huntington Beach Municipal Code. Fourteen (14) proposals were received for On-Call Grant Writing & Administrative Consulting Services. In accordance with qualifications-based elected procurement per the Federal “Brooks Act,” State SB 419, and the City of Huntington Beach Municipal Code Section 3.03 “Professional Services,” the Public Works Department established a review board. Each firm submitted a proposal indicating their category of expertise. Proposals were then evaluated and ranked by the review board. The top eight firms were selected to interview with the review board to increase opportunity for competitive proposals for future projects from qualified on-call consultants.
The six contracts recommended for City Council approval are for on-call support staff to pursue grant funding and administer existing grant funds related to water, wastewater, stormwater, transportation, and park improvement projects. These services will be utilized to supplement City staff in meeting annual CIP goals, as an extension of staff, and/or to provide required expertise for unique projects. Additionally, these services will be required to secure federal stimulus grants anticipated this year. Each project is evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine if these services are necessary.
Typical grant application and administrative support costs from the use of consultants on a CIP project varies between three to ten percent of the total costs for a CIP project. Therefore, it is practical to conservatively assume minimum annual consultant costs would be around $250,000 to the City for total CIP projects, or approximately $1.5 million over the next three years.
These consultants have been selected to meet the projected workload over the next three years, with a total not to exceed amount of $250,000 per firm. As with all on-call professional services contracts, funds shall be encumbered on a per project basis as opposed to a contract basis.
Environmental Status:
This action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Non Applicable - Administrative Item
Attachment(s):
1. Professional Services Contract between the City of Huntington Beach and Advanced Avant-Garde Corporation for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services
2. Professional Services Contract between the City of Huntington Beach and CWE for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services
3. Professional Services Contract between the City of Huntington Beach and Engineering Solutions Services for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services
4. Professional Services Contract between the City of Huntington Beach and Harris & Associates, Inc. for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services
5. Professional Services Contract between the City of Huntington Beach and KOA Corporation for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services
6. Professional Services Contract between the City of Huntington Beach and Villa Civil, APC, for On-Call Grant Writing and Administrative Consulting Services
7. Grants Award Analysis 2024
8. PowerPoint Presentation