SR 03-08-2022 3E
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: March 8, 2022
Agenda Item: 3.E
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director, Building & Safety
Subject: Award Request For Proposal to Engineering Solutions Services, Inc. for
Seismic Grant Management Services
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP #299 to Engineering Solutions Services, Inc. for grant management
services for the Community Development Department;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with
Engineering Solutions Services, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $669,330
(including a $66,933 contingency) for a total amount not to exceed $736,263 over
a three-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget
approval.
3. Authorize budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
section of this report.
Summary
The City was awarded a FEMA-funded Hazard Mitigation Grant in September 2021
totaling up to $6.75M to fund a Seismic Retrofit Grant Program to provide qualifying
property owners with reimbursable funds to complete the seismic retrofit of buildings
required by the City’s Seismic Retrofit Program. The grant stipulates many requirements
and conditions for funding eligibility and close management of the Grant Program is
critical to ensure funds are awarded. The Building and Safety Division is seeking to
contract with Engineering Solutions Services, Inc. to oversee and manage the Grant
Program and provide improved assurance of compliance with FEMA requirements.
Limited staff resources in Building and Safety preclude the ability to implement the
Grant Program in a timely and effective manner with existing staff. Pursuant to FEMA
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regulations, grant money may be used to cover Grant Program management costs,
including costs associated with an outside consultant.
Discussion
FEMA grant funds will provide qualifying property owners with reimbursable funds to
complete the seismic retrofit of their building(s) required by the City’s Seismic Retrofit
Program.
FEMA grant funding will be awarded in two phases. Phase 1 funding was awarded in
October of 2021. Phase 1 allocates funding of $1,930,860 for Grant Program
development and management. In this phase, the Grant Program manager would be
the point of contact between the City, FEMA, CalOES, and applicants. Phase 1 consists
of establishing the Grant Program’s internal processes, community outreach, structural
review analysis, project design/engineering, plan review, and selection of projects for
submittal to FEMA. Approved projects would be eligible for reimbursement of up to 75%
of engineering and design costs.
If Phase 1 is completed successfully, FEMA will then award Phase 2 funding in the
amount of $4,819,140. Phase two consists of continued Grant Program management
and coordination, building permit issuance, construction/inspection, and selection of
projects for submittal to FEMA. Approved projects would be eligible for a reimbursement
of a portion of the seismic retrofit construction costs and would also fund the oversight
costs for this second phase of the Grant Program.
Pursuant to FEMA requirements, the Grant Program must be completed within three
years of the September 2021 grant award date. Tasks involved in the implementation of
the Grant Program include reaching out to as many as three hundred owners of soft
story buildings identified as being in need of a seismic retrofit, tracking the progress of
their applications through the entire life of the Grant Program, maintaining
communications between all involved parties, and managing millions of dollars in
federal grant funding. The Building and Safety Division does not have sufficient staffing
to successfully manage and complete such an expansive program in less than three
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years. Therefore, an outside agency is necessary to provide management services in
support of this vital effort that seeks to ensure a clean and safe Santa Monica. Staff will
provide oversight of and direction to the consultant, and the program in general, as well
as aid in the execution of the program whenever necessary.
To this end, the Building and Safety Division posted a Request for Proposals for grant
management services on November 8, 2021, and Engineering Solutions Services, Inc.
(‘ESS’) was the best and only bidder. ESS was selected to manage a similar grant
program for the City of West Hollywood and demonstrated strong familiarity with FEMA
and CalOES requirements. All work performed by ESS will be completely reimbursed by
grant funding. Local match requirements of the grant will be met by staff time devoted
to the project, as well as permit/plan check fees collected as part of the project. Staff
time will be tracked and reported.
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified Person/Firm Engineering Solutions Services
Evaluation Criteria
(include all that apply)
Training/credentials/experience, competence/skill, capacity/ability to
perform services promptly, character/reputation, and price.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
RFPs Received
Engineering Solutions Services
RFP Data
Posted On Posted On
Advertised In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
11/08/2021 City's Online
Bidding Site Santa Monica Daily Press 24 11/08/2021
Justification to Award
Engineering Solutions Services, Inc. was the only submittal received in response to
the RFP. Engineering Solutions Services’ proposal identifies staff members that have
managed local hazard mitigation plans for other governmental agencies in California
and have worked closely with FEMA and CalOES. Based on the submittal, experience
provided, and the criteria listed in SMMC Section 2.24.190, staff recommends
Engineering Solutions Services as the best qualified person or firm to provide grant
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management services based on their years of experience in the field, the
qualifications of their staff, and their experience successfully performing the same
service for other jurisdictions.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Description
June 25, 2019
(attachment C)
Council authorization to apply for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant
to support the City’s Seismic Retrofit Program
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Phase 1 grant funding was awarded in October of 2021. Staff recommends the addition
of the following accounts to the budget. If grant renewals are awarded, the new
accounts will be included in subsequent year budgets, contingent on Council budget
approval.
FY 2021-2022 Grant Budget Changes
Establish Revenue Budget Appropriate Funds
Account Number(s) Amount Account Number(s) Amount
20700004.4XXXXX $1,930,860 20700004.5XXXXX $1,930,860
Total $1,930,860 Total $1,930,860
All work performed by Engineering Solutions Services will be entirely reimbursed by
seismic grant funding received from FEMA. Staff seeks authority to approve funding
from the Miscellaneous Grants Fund to award an agreement with Engineering Solutions
Services for grant management services.
Contract/Agreement/Purchase Order Request
FY 2021-22
Budget
Request Amount
Department/CIP Account # Total Contract
Amount
$736,263 20700004.5XXXXX $736,263
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Prepared By: Kevin Purcell, Principal Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Resolution 11179 - Retrofit Grant Program Authorization
B. Oaks Intiative Disclosure Form (ESS)
C. June 25, 2019 Staff Report
http://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=30&ID=25994
&MeetingID=1184 (Web Link)
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City Council Meeting June 25, 2019 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER 11179 (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO SUBMIT
A LETTER OF COMMITMENT OF MATCHING FUNDS AND ALL OTHER
NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FOR A HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT APPLICATION
FOR THE RETROFIT GRANTS PROGRAM TO THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA) AND SUBJECT TO ITS AWARD TO ACCEPT THE
GRANT AND ALL GRANT RENEWALS AND EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS
NECESSARY TO ACCEPTANCE
WHEREAS, as a result of the declaration of major federal disaster DR-4407 due
to 2018 wildfires in Northern and Southern California, the State of California is eligible for
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding aimed at reducing the risk of loss of
life and property from future disasters; and
WHEREAS, federal funding is provided under the Robert T. Stafford Emergency
Assistance and Disaster Relief Act (Stafford Act) through FEMA and the California
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES); Cal OES is responsible for
identifying program priorities, reviewing applications and forwarding recommendations for
funding to FEMA; FEMA has final approval for activity eligibility and funding; and
WHEREAS, the federal regulations governing HMGP Projects are found in Title 44
of the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR) Part 206, and the Uniform Administrative
Requirements for Federal Awards are found in 2 CFR Part 200; and
DocuSign Envelope ID: 29BA150A-8D0C-4DD9-A42F-43E3C3329807 3.E.a
Packet Pg. 350 Attachment: Resolution 11179 - Retrofit Grant Program Authorization (4947 : Award Bid for Seismic Grant Management Services)
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WHEREAS, a letter committing at least 25% matching funds is required as part of
the grant application; the matching funds must be from a non-federal source and must be
in place at the time of application submittal; and
WHEREAS, the match would consist of an amount not to exceed $2.25 million
over the three-year grant period; a significant portion of this match would be provided by
eligible property owners who participate in the grant program in the form of owner-paid
design and construction costs; a portion of the required match would also be provided by
costs incurred by the City in administering the grant program, including time dedicated to
program management, plan review, permit-related services, and inspections; and
WHEREAS, the $6.75 million grant will be used to provide rebates for retrofit
design and construction costs to owners of soft-story buildings identified as Priority 2
(more than two stories and less than 16 units) and Priority 3 (16 or more units) building
types in the City’s Seismic Retrofit Program; a portion of the grant will also be used to
fund the City’s administrative and operating costs of managing the grant program
(separate from the administrative and operating costs counted towards the City’s match).
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The City Manager, or his or her designee, is authorized to submit a
Hazard Mitigation Grant application to FEMA in the amount of $6.75 million for the Retrofit
Grant Program, along with a letter of commitment to provide up to $2.25 million in local
matching funds and all other necessary documents, and subject to its award, to accept
DocuSign Envelope ID: 29BA150A-8D0C-4DD9-A42F-43E3C3329807 3.E.a
Packet Pg. 351 Attachment: Resolution 11179 - Retrofit Grant Program Authorization (4947 : Award Bid for Seismic Grant Management Services)
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the grant and all grant renewals and negotiate, enter into, and execute all documents
necessary to evidence, secure, and implement the award.
SECTION 2. The City Manager, or his or her designee, is authorized to provide to
the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services such assurances and
agreements as are required in connection with the Hazard Mitigation Grant application
and, if awarded, its acceptance.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and
thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
LANE DILG
City Attorney
DocuSign Envelope ID: 29BA150A-8D0C-4DD9-A42F-43E3C3329807 3.E.a
Packet Pg. 352 Attachment: Resolution 11179 - Retrofit Grant Program Authorization (4947 : Award Bid for Seismic Grant Management Services)
Adopted and approved this 25th day of June 2019.
__________________________
Gleam Davis, Mayor
I, Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby certify that Resolution No. 11179 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of the Santa
Monica City Council held on the 25th day of June 2019, by the following vote: AYES: Councilmembers Himmelrich, Jara, Morena, McKeown, Winterer Mayor Davis, Mayor Pro Tem O’Day
NOES: None ABSENT: None
ATTEST: _____________________________________
Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk
DocuSign Envelope ID: 29BA150A-8D0C-4DD9-A42F-43E3C3329807 3.E.a
Packet Pg. 353 Attachment: Resolution 11179 - Retrofit Grant Program Authorization (4947 : Award Bid for Seismic Grant Management Services)
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE NOTICE
NOTICE TO APPLICANTS, BIDDERS, PROPOSERS
AND OTHERS SEEKING DISCRETIONARY PERMITS, CONTRACTS,
OR OTHER BENEFITS FROM THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
Santa Monica’s voters adopted a City Charter amendment commonly known as
the Oaks Initiative. The Oaks Initiative requires the City to provide this notice and
information about the Initiative’s requirements. You may obtain a full copy of the Initiative’s
text from the City Clerk.
This information is required by City Charter Article XXII—Taxpayer Protection. It
prohibits a public official from receiving, and a person or entity from conferring, specified
personal benefits or campaign advantages from a person or entity after the official votes,
or otherwise takes official action, to award a “public benefit” to that person or entity. The
prohibition applies within and outside of the geographical boundaries of Santa Monica.
All persons or entities applying or receiving public benefits from the City of Santa
Monica shall provide the names of trustees, directors, partners, and officers, and names
of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation or revenue interest. An exception
exists for persons serving in those capacities as volunteers, without compensation, for
organizations exempt from income taxes under Section 501(c)(3), (4), or (6), of the
Internal Revenue Code. However, this exception does not apply if the organization is a
political committee or controls political committees. Examples of a “public benefit” include
public contracts to provide goods or services worth more than $25,000 or a land use
approval worth more than $25,000 over a 12-month period.
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by an
entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every person
who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten percent
interest in the entity. Therefore, if you are seeking a “public benefit” covered by the Oaks
Initiative, you must supply that information on the Oaks Initiative Disclosure Form. This
information must be updated and supplied every 12 months.
3.E.b
Packet Pg. 354 Attachment: Oaks Intiative Disclosure Form (ESS) (4947 : Award Bid for Seismic Grant Management Services)
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
3.E.b
Packet Pg. 355 Attachment: Oaks Intiative Disclosure Form (ESS) (4947 : Award Bid for Seismic Grant Management Services)