REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc. for Climate Action Plan Update Services [Council Pillar: Sustainability]
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara adopted its Climate Action Plan (CAP) on December 3, 2013, as required by the City’s 2010-2035 General Plan. The goal of the CAP is to establish policies that will reduce the City’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions consistent with the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32 or AB32). AB 32 required the California Air Resources Board to achieve a reduction of GHG emissions for the State to 1990 levels by the year 2020.
Senate Bill 32, passed in 2016, expanded upon AB 32 by requiring a further reduction in GHG emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Additionally, State Executive Orders were passed in 2005 and 2012 targeting reductions in GHG emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
The City needs to update the CAP to establish GHG reduction strategies that meet the 2030 and 2050 GHG emissions reduction targets. City staff has begun work on a comprehensive CAP update, completing an inventory of Citywide GHG emissions for the City’s 2018 Climate Action Plan Annual Report. Further work on the CAP update requires the technical assistance of a specialized consultant.
DISCUSSION
In June 2019, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Climate Action Plan Update Services using the City’s e-procurement system. The City received four proposals as follows:
• Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc. (Seattle, WA)
• Eastern Research Group, Inc. (Sacramento, CA)
• ICF Jones & Stokes, Inc. (San Francisco, CA)
• Integral Group (Oakland, CA)
Evaluation: A four-member evaluation team with representation from the Community Development, Electric, and Public Works Departments was formed to evaluate the proposals. Each team member independently evaluated and scored the proposals.
Proposal Responsiveness: Staff determined all proposals were responsive and met minimum qualifications as stated in the RFP.
Experience (25% weight): Each proposer’s experience was considered, including the number of years developing and updating climate action plans.
Technical Capabilities (25% weight): Proposals were evaluated for a variety of factors including their project approach for updating the City’s climate action plan, qualifications of proposed staff and subcontractors, and submitted examples of climate action plans prepared for other agencies.
Cost (20% weight): Cost proposals were opened and scored at the end of the technical proposal evaluation.
Oral Presentation (30% weight): On October 18, 2019, the three finalists, Cascadia, ICF and Integral Group, were invited to participate in oral presentations to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the City’s requirements and introduce key personnel who would be assigned to the project.
The evaluation results are summarized in the table below.
|
Criteria |
Maximum Points |
Cascadia Consulting Group |
Eastern Research Group |
ICF Jones & Stokes |
Integral Group |
|
Experience |
25 |
19 |
17 |
20 |
19 |
|
Technical Capabilities |
25 |
21 |
19 |
19 |
18 |
|
Cost |
20 |
14 |
9 |
14 |
20 |
|
Oral Presentation |
30 |
30 |
|
14 |
23 |
|
Totals |
100 |
84 |
45 |
67 |
80 |
Notice of Intended Award:
A Notice of Intended Award (NOIA) announcing the City’s recommended Consultant was published on October 22, 2019. The RFP process included a ten-day protest period; no protests were received.
Recommendation:
Staff recommends award of agreement to Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc. The evaluation team unanimously agreed that Cascadia’s expertise and project approach is the most advantageous and provides the best value to the City. The Consultant’s team is comprised of industry experts in the management of climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy efficiency and renewable energy, greenhouse gas reductions, recycling and materials management, and resource conservation. Additionally, their proposal included the following key attributes.
• Comprehensive understanding of the project requirements;
• Creative community engagement ideas; and
• Relevant experience in updating Climate Action Plans for other agencies.
References were checked with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (California), the City of Santa Monica (California), and the City of San Jose (California). The references checked positive.
Pending Council’s approval, the Agreement shall be executed to provide the required Climate Action Plan update services. The initial term of the Agreement shall be for two years ending on December 31, 2021, with two one-year options to extend the Agreement through December 31, 2023.
The agreement is fixed-price with payments tied to the successful completion of the milestones listed in the table below. The cost elements include the tasks from the scope of work that were identified in the RFP, as well as optional tasks identified by the Consultant in their RFP response.
|
COST ELEMENTS: |
|
|
Project Initiation |
$15,975 |
|
Analysis of 2013 Climate Action Plan |
$4,450 |
|
Recommended Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Targets |
$16,435 |
|
Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Sustainability Strategies |
$22,200 |
|
Conduct Public Engagement |
$35,940 |
|
Coordination with Related City Efforts |
$5,160 |
|
Draft Updated Climate Action Plan |
$22,820 |
|
Prepare Environmental Documents |
$28,780 |
|
Adoption of the Climate Action Plan and the General Plan Amendment |
$11,840 |
|
Administrative Draft of the Climate Action Plan |
$4,540 |
|
Final Draft of the Climate Action Plan |
$24,300 |
|
Services Subtotal |
$192,440 |
|
Contingency (10%) |
$19,244 |
|
Total Not-To-Exceed Amount |
$211,684 |
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Consultant’s proposed cost for the scope of work described above is $192,440. Additionally, the City has allocated a ten percent (10%) contingency for additional services, if needed. The total not-to-exceed amount of this Agreement, including contingency is $211,684. Funding for this agreement is included in the Community Development Department FY 2019/20 General Fund budget.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department and the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc. to provide Climate Action Plan Update Services for an initial two-year term ending December 31, 2021, for a maximum compensation not to exceed $211,684, subject to the annual appropriation of funds; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute two one-year options to extend the term of the Agreement after the initial term through December 31, 2023, subject to the annual appropriation of funds.
Staff
Reviewed by: Andrew Crabtree, Director of Community Development
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Agreement with Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc.