SR 06-28-2022 5E
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: June 28, 2022
Agenda Item: 5.E
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director, Building & Safety
Subject: Award Request for Proposal and Enter into Agreement with Cotton, Shires
and Associates, Inc. for Geotechnical Engineering Services
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP# 323 to Cotton, Shires and Associates, Inc. for geotechnical
engineering services for the Community Development Department, and
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Cotton,
Shires and Associates, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $45,000 (for one year,
with four-additional one-year renewal options in the amount of $45,000, on the
same terms and conditions) for a total amount not to exceed $225,000 over a
five-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Summary
The Building and Safety Division is required by local and State regulations to review
soils reports for qualifying projects submitted to the City as part of the plan review and
building permit process. These reports describe the geological conditions present at a
construction site and necessitate the review of a geotechnical engineer for approval of
the report. The Building and Safety Division does not staff any geotechnical engineers,
so the City has historically contracted with outside consultants who can perform these
reviews on behalf of the City.
In May 2022, the Building and Safety Division posted an RFP for a renewed request for
bids to provide geotechnical engineering services. As a result of this RFP, staff
recommends entering into a professional services agreement with Cotton, Shires and
Associates, Inc. (Cotton) to provide geotechnical review services to the Building and
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Safety Division. Plan review fees for geotechnical review services are collected from
building permit applicants, which are intended to cover the cost of the consultant
services.
Background
The City has contracted with Cotton, Shires and Associates, Inc. (“Cotton”) since 2012
to provide geotechnical review services associated with the plan review/building permit
process. Professional Services Agreement (“PSA”) 2590 CCS for $70,000 was the
result of an informal Request for Proposal (“RFP”) that did not require Council Approval
due to the contract amount. A first modification to this contract was approved by Council
on October 28, 2014, to increase the contract amount to $135,000.
Following best practices, the City went out to bid again for geotechnical services in
2017, and again selected Cotton as the winning proposal. Council authorized a new
PSA (10470 CCS), with a not to exceed limit of $175,000 over five years, on June 13,
2017.
Discussion
Pursuant to local and State regulations, the review of geotechnical reports (i.e., soils
reports) is required in association with the review of certain development projects as
part of the plan review process prior to issuance of building permits. The City has
contracted out these services due to not having a geotechnical engineer on staff. The
most recent contract authorization for geotechnical review services was in 2017, in
accordance with best practices, the City is once again seeking to procure and maintain
the necessary geotechnical engineering services.
Based on prior experience with Cotton, as well as projected future volumes, staff
recommends increasing the annual budget for this agreement to $45,000 per fiscal
year. Plan review fees for geotechnical review services are collected from building
permit applicants, which are intended to cover the cost of the consultant services.
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To this end, the Building and Safety Division posted a Request for Proposal for
geotechnical review services on May 9, 2022. Four proposals were received. Pursuant
to SMMC § 2.24.190, staff is recommending the selection of Cotton based on the firm’s
expertise in the area of geotechnical engineering, the experience of their staff, familiarity
with City processes, familiarity with local geologic conditions, and their history of
successful completion of similar geotechnical review projects.
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified Person/Firm Cotton, Shires and Associates, Inc.
Evaluation Criteria Training/credentials/experience, competence/skill, capacity/ability to
perform services promptly, character/reputation, ability to provide future
services as needed and price.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
RFPs Received
Converse Consultants Cotton, Shires & Assoc. Smith-Emery Lab. Willdan Engineering
RFP Data
Posted On Posted On
Advertised In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
05/09/2022 City's Online
Bidding Site Santa Monica Daily Press 33 05/09/2022
Justification to Award
Based on this criteria and criteria in SMMC 2.24.190, staff recommends Cotton as the
best qualified firm to provide geotechnical engineering services based on the firm’s
expertise in the area of geotechnical engineering, the experience of their staff, familiarity
with City processes, familiarity with local geologic conditions, their history of successful
completion of similar geotechnical review projects, and their cost proposal.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
10/28/14
(attachment A)
Council authorizes the first modification to Professional
Services Agreement 2590 (CCS) with Cotton, Shires and
Associates
06/13/2017
(attachment B)
Council authorizes Professional Services Agreement 10470
(CCS) with Cotton, Shires and Associates
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Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the General Fund to award an agreement
with Cotton, Shires and Associates, Inc. for geotechnical engineering services. Funds
are included in the Proposed FY 2022-23 Biennial Budget pending Council adoption.
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Agreement Request
FY 2022-23
Request Amount Account # Future Years
Amount
Total Contract
Amount
$45,000 01700004.552010 $180,000 $225,000
Prepared By: Kevin Purcell, Principal Administrative Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. October 28, 2014 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. June 13, 2017 Staff Report (Web Link)
C. Cotton Oak Disclosure
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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 # ___________________________
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Packet Pg. 140 Attachment: Cotton Oak Disclosure (5131 : Geotechnical Engineering Services)