SR 06-13-2017 3G
Ci ty Council
Report
City Council Meeting : June 13, 2017
Agenda Item: 3.G
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director , Administration
Subject: Professional Services Agreement with Cotton, Shires & Associates, Inc. and
Professional Services Agreement with Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical and
Environmental Sciences Consult ants
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Award RFP #107 to the following two firms:
a) Cotton, Shires & Associates, Inc., a California -based company , to provide
geotechnical review services; and
b) Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical and Environme ntal Sciences Consultants, a
California -based company, to provide geotechnical review services; and
2) Authorize the City Manager to negotiate professional services agreements with:
a) Cotton, Shires & Associates, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $105,000 for
thr ee years with two one -year renewal options in the amount of $35,000, on
the same terms and conditions for a total amount not to exceed $175,000
over a five -year period, with future year funding contin gent on Council
budget approval; and
b) Ninyo & Moore Geote chnical and Environmental Sciences Consultants in an
amount not to exceed $105,000 for three years with two one -year renewal
options in the amount of $35,000, on the same terms and conditions for a
total amount not to exceed $175,000 over a five -year perio d, with future year
funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Executive Summary
Certain areas within the City are defined as geo -hazard areas. Geo -hazard areas
include areas that are susceptible to landslides, near earthquake fault lines, have
exces sive water in the soil, and/or expansive soils. When construction projects take
place with a geo -hazard area, the owner is required to provide a Soils Report as part of
the plan check process outlining mitigation measures to address the geological
condit ions. Cotton, Shires & Associates and Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical and
Environmental Sciences Consultants provide geotechnical engineering services to the
Building and Safety Division. Services include review of the Soils and provide the
necessary professi onals for certain reviews that require specific geotechnical and
geologic expertise that the Building and Safety division does not possess in -house.
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Background
At its October 28, 2014 meeting, Council authorized the City Manager to negotiate and
execut e modifications to Professional Service Agreements with Cotton, Shires &
Associates, Inc. and Koury Geotechnical Services, Inc. due to an increase in the volume
of plan checks. The original agreements were below the thresholds for Council
approval, howeve r, the contract amounts approved as part of the first modification
required Council approval. (See Attachment A)
Discussion
The Building and Safety Division went to bid in 2012 and contracted with two
consultants to perform Soils Report reviews. The cu rrent existing contracts are set to
terminate on June 30, 2017, at which time new contracts should be in place to prevent a
lapse in service.
Applications for commercial projects, multi -family dwellings, and all projects proposed in
geo -hazard areas, as i dentified within the Santa Monica GIS map system, are required
to be submitted to a third party consultant for review due to the lack of qualified
personnel within the Building and Safety division. Geo -hazard areas include those
susceptible to landslides, near earthquake fault lines, with a liquefaction risk (such as
excessive water in the soil), and/or with expansive soils. When determined necessary
by the Building Officer, he or she may also refer new construction projects that are
multi -story single fam ily homes of 5000 or more square feet and with complex
foundations or basements to the City’s third party consulting firm for review. The
Building and Safety division receives approximately 5 to 10 geo -hazard soils reports
monthly.
A fee is proposed in the FY2017 -19 budget that would allow for full cost recovery of the
external review.
Consultant Selection
In March 2017, the City published a Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide
geotechnical review services to the Building and Safety Division in ac cordance with City
specifications. The RFP was posted on the City’s on -line bidding site , and notices were
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advertised in the Santa Monica Daily Press in accordance with City Charter and
Municipal Code provisions. Ten proposals were submitted. Once respons es were
received and proposals were evaluated based on the criteria in SMMC 2.24.073 best
qualified person or firm, the respondents were ranked based on these evaluations and
the top firms were interviewed. After considering the proposals and subsequent
i nterviews, evaluators selected the top two firms based on overall qualifications.
These firms were: 1) Cotton, Shires & Associates, and 2) Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical
and Environmental Sciences Consultants. Both companies specialize in geotechnical
serv ices and excel in at least three of the four major evaluation criteria: engineering
experience, staff qualifications, record of success with past clients, and fee proposal.
Staff recommends that Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a
professional services agreement with Cotton, Shires & Associates, Inc., and Ninyo &
Moore Geotechnical and Environmental Sciences Consultants. Each agreement would
be for an amount not to exceed $175,000 over a five year period. Both companies
would be assigned to review soils reports submitted to the Building and Safety Division
as part of the Plan Check process.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The professional services agreements to be awarded to:
1. Cotton, Shires & Associates, Inc. is for an amou nt not to exceed $175,000; and
2. Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical and Environmental Sciences Consultants is for an
amount not to exceed $175,000.
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Funds of $70,000 are in the FY 2017 -18 proposed budget in the Planning and
Community Development Department. The ag reements will be charged to account
01321.555060. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval
Prepared By: Salvador Valles, Assistant Director of PCD
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. October 28, 2014 City Council Staff Report
B. Cotton Shires and Assoc - Oaks Initiative
C. Ninyo Moore - Oaks Initiative
REFERENCE:
Agreement No. 10470
(CCS)
&
Agreement No. 10471
(CCS)