RFQ for On Call CEQA-NEPA Services

City of Malibu
Request for Qualifications
On-Call CEQA/NEPA
Professional Services
Date Issued: June 10, 2026
Date Due: July 10, 2026
Statements of Qualifications must be received no later than 4:00 PM on
Thursday, July 10, 2026, via email at the following email address:
City of Malibu Community Development Department
Attn: Rebecca Nelson-Brown, Senior Management Analyst
rnelson@malibucity.org

INTRODUCTION
The City of Malibu (City) Community Development Department (CDD) is soliciting a
Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) from qualified consultants (Respondents) to provide
as-needed environmental review services with expertise in the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As the entire City is
in the California Coastal Zone (Coastal Zone), preferred Respondents should be
experienced with evaluating development in the Coastal Zone and have a strong working
knowledge of coastal resource goals and policies of the Coastal Act and implementation
through Local Coastal Programs (LCPs) in coastal jurisdictions. For purposes of this
Response for SOQ (RSOQ), "Respondent" includes the prime consultant and any
subcontractors, if included.
The primary services requested include preparation of environmental review documents
and technical studies for applicant-sponsored and City-sponsored projects that meet the
mandates of CEQA, NEPA, and any other applicable laws, regulations, plans, or
procedures. The City is responsible for preparing its environmental documents, not a
project applicant. Additional services may include peer review of technical studies
prepared by others; preparation of standalone environmental studies; review of
environmental statements and/or analysis prepared by others; legislation tracking and/or
trainings related to CEQA/NEPA; development of mitigation measures, monitoring, and
tracking; support for grant applications; and assisting in tribal consultation, as needed.
The types of projects that may require environmental review consulting services include:
single-family and multi-family residential; landform alteration, remedial, and civil
engineering; commercial including hotel/motel and retail; institutional and public facilities;
infrastructure improvements including streets, stormwater, and utilities; signage and
parking; public recreation and parks; habitat restoration; shoreline preservation; tribal
consultation and outreach; ordinances and policies to implement development programs,
processes, and regulations; and other developments or redevelopments. The majority of
anticipated work assignments will be related to CEQA; however, the City desires NEPA
services in the event a project also requires NEPA review.
Under the Agreement, selected Respondent(s) will perform the required services under
the direction of the City. The City may select multiple Respondents to provide professional
services and those selected are not guaranteed to receive any work from the City.
Respondents may wish to assemble a team or partnership to provide a broader scope of
services to the City as outlined in the Scope of Services. In this case, a single prime
consultant must be identified and all other associated firms must be identified as
subcontractors. A sample Agreement is attached for reference (Attachment 1). Selected
Respondent(s) shall be prepared to accept the terms and conditions as stated in this
RSOQ and the sample Agreement.
CITY BACKGROUND
The City is in the northwestern portion of Los Angeles County (County) and covers
approximately 21 miles along the coast. The City is a general law city incorporated under
California law in 1991. It operates under the Council/Manager form of government. The

five members of the City Council are elected at-large and serve staggered four-year
terms, with the Mayor being selected from among the Councilmembers. Land use
decisions are made by the Planning Commission comprising five members, each of which
is appointed by a Councilmember individually.
The City is administered by various departments, with the CDD managing services related
to Planning, Building Safety, Environmental Health, Geology, Biology, and Coastal
Engineering. As part of the CDD, the Planning Division is the steward of the City's General
Plan, Malibu Municipal Code (MMC) Title 17 (Zoning), and the Local Coastal Program
(LCP). The City's LCP was certified by the California Coastal Commission (CCC) in 2002
and is comprised of a Land Use Plan (LUP) and Local Implementation Plan (LIP). The
entire City is in the California Coastal Zone (Coastal Zone) and subject to the LCP.
The City contracts with the County for law enforcement, fire, and water. Law enforcement
is provided by the County Sheriff's Department operating from the Lost Hills Sheriff's
Station. Fire services within the City and the unincorporated County areas around Malibu
are provided by the County Fire Department (LACFD) through four local fire stations. The
entire City is in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFSZ). Water service is
provided by the County Waterworks District 29 (WD29). Wastewater is handled via
different methods throughout the City including public treatment facilities, private package
plants, and onsite wastewater treatment systems. Certain other services are provided by
contract, such as the City Attorney and garbage collection services.
In addition to the County, the City interacts with numerous other government agencies
such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Park Service
(NPS), the CCC as the City is located entirely within the Coastal Zone, California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans), California State Water Resources Control
Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, State Lands Commission (SLC),
California Department of Parks and Recreation, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality
Control Board, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC), and the Mountains
Recreation Conservation Authority (MRCA).
SCOPE OF SERVICES
Respondents must demonstrate experience and familiarity with CEQA and NEPA.
Preferred Respondents should be experienced with evaluating development in the
Coastal Zone and have a strong working knowledge of coastal resource goals and
policies of the Coastal Act and implementation through LCPs in coastal jurisdictions.
Respondents must be capable of producing quality, legally defensible environmental
documents and deliverables that are well-written and easily understood by the general
public and void of any unnecessary repetitive information. Respondents must ensure their
conclusions in all environmental sections are based on supportive analysis and/or
justifications. Respondents must also have publishing capabilities for preparation of high-
quality graphics, as the City should not be expected to provide graphics support.
Respondents must have the ability to produce documents in hard copy and electronically
in a format suitable for electronic transmittal and posting on websites, including
compliance with Section 508 Accessibility standards (minimum of WCAG 2.1 AA).

Respondents must have the ability to share and access files and documents with the City
on a secure cloud-based system, such as Microsoft SharePoint.
The City is requesting the following professional services:
1. Environmental Review Document Support
Prepare environmental review documents and associated public notices for projects as
required under CEQA, including Initial Studies (IS), Negative Declarations (ND), Mitigated
Negative Declarations (MND), Environmental Impact Reports (EIR), and Addendums.
Peer review technical studies prepared by others, prepare standalone environmental
studies at the direction of the City, and review environmental statements and/or analysis
prepared by others. In the event of a project requiring NEPA review, prepare
Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) jointly with
federal agency partners, when applicable, in accordance with NEPA.
2. Technical Analysis
Thoroughly evaluate a wide range of environmental issues at technical levels of detail
commensurate with the requirements of CEQA/NEPA in the following areas:
a) Aesthetics; and preparation or peer review of Visual Resources Technical Reports.
b) Agriculture and Forestry Resources.
c) Air Quality; and preparation or peer review of Air Quality Technical Reports and
Air Health Risk Assessments (construction, haul route, and operations).
d) Biological Resources; and preparation or peer review of Biological Resources
Technical Reports (terrestrial and aquatic).
e) Cultural Resources Tribal Cultural Resources; and preparation or peer review of
Cultural Resources Technical Reports, and assistance with AB52 and tribal
consultation.
f) Energy; and preparation or peer review of Energy Use Technical Reports.
g) Geology and Soils; and preparation or peer review of Geology and Soils Technical
Reports.
h) Greenhouse Gas Emissions; and preparation or peer review of Greenhouse Gas
Technical Reports.
i) Hazards and Hazardous Materials; and preparation or peer review of Phase I
Environmental Site Assessments.
j) Hydrology and Water Quality; and preparation or peer review of Preliminary
Drainage Studies and Stormwater Management Plans.
k) Land Use and Planning; and assistance in evaluating consistency with applicable
LCP, MMC, and General Plan policies.
l) Mineral Resources.
m) Noise; and preparation or peer review of Noise and Vibration Technical Reports.
n) Population and Housing.
o) Public Services; and assistance with will-serve coordination with LACFD, County
Sheriff, WD29, City Public Works, and various utilities.
p) Recreation; and assistance in evaluating construction and operational impacts on
public parks and public parking, including consistency with applicable LCP, MMC,

and General Plan policies.
q) Sea Level Rise; and preparation or peer review of Sea Level Rise Technical
Reports.
r) Transportation; and preparation or peer review of Vehicle Miles Traveled Analyses
(utilizing the SCAG Regional Transportation Demand Model) and Transportation
Impact Studies.
s) Utilities and Service Systems; and preparation or peer review of Utility
Infrastructure Studies (wastewater and water) and Water Supply Assessments.
t) Wildfire; and preparation or peer review of Wildfire Reports and Wildfire
Evacuation Analyses.
3. Project Coordination, Meetings, and Quality Control
Provide project coordination, meeting support, and quality control for work assignments
as follows.
a) Assign a dedicated Project Manager who has extensive experience managing the
preparation of an environmental document and environmental analysis.
b) Attend regular project management meetings and calls with City staff and/or City
consultants (may be in-person and/or virtual).
c) Attend working review sessions associated with the environmental document
preparation (may be in-person and/or virtual).
d) Attend stakeholder meetings (may be in-person and/or virtual).
e) Provide public hearing agenda report support and PowerPoint preparation
assistance to City staff and/or City consultants.
f) Attend public hearings.
g) Effectively manage work assignments, schedules, and budget.
h) Provide the City with a monthly status report documenting the work performed
during the prior month and the work expected to be completed in the next month.
i) Provide comprehensive and diligent Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control
(QC) of all documents prepared, including technical studies and appendices; and
ensure an adequate level of information, explanation, and conclusions in all
documents as required by CEQA and NEPA.
j) Ensure that the QA/QC process addresses all issues with document formatting,
consistency of terms, grammar, abbreviations, and typographical issues.
k) Implement measures to ensure version control is maintained by all reviewing
parties and to ensure that tracked changes/comments are managed and
addressed adequately.
l) Diligently work to ensure that all environmental sections of a document are
efficient, organized, and formatted for ease of review by the general public, and
void of unnecessary repetitive information.
m) Ensure the conclusions in all environmental sections are based on supportive
analysis and/or justifications, include clear and concise statements of thresholds
and methodologies, and adequately describe a project's impact on each threshold.
n) For MNDs and EIRs, ensure that all mitigation measures proposed are legally
sufficient and defensible, as required by CEQA, including: 1) an explanation why
the mitigation measure is needed; 2) who would be responsible to perform the
mitigation measure; 3) timing for when the mitigation measure should be

completed; and 4) monitoring provisions and/or who would be responsible for
completing the monitoring.
o) For EIRs, facilitate the public scoping meeting in coordination with City staff and/or
City consultants, including preparation and delivery of a PowerPoint presentation,
obtaining comments, and keeping of meeting notes.
4. Mitigation Measures Development, Monitoring, and Tracking
Assist in the development, monitoring, and tracking of mitigation measures and/or special
conditions for development projects.
5. Tracking and Analysis of CEQA/NEPA Legislation, Regulation, Case Law, and
Guidance Updates
Perform review and analysis of existing, proposed, or potential federal, state, and local-
related laws, regulations, and guidance and their applicability to the City and development
projects in the City. Tasks may include preparation of comments, summaries, and/or
detailed descriptions of findings and recommendations; and attendance/participation at
public meetings, hearings and workshops in support or on behalf of City staff.
6. Environmental Review Support for Grant Applications
Prepare environmental review documents and/or technical studies to support City-
prepared applications for state and federal grants and/or projects for which the City has
been awarded grant funding, in accordance with the funding agency's procedures and
guidance, including, but not limited to FEMA, Caltrans, Ocean Protection Council, CCC,
South Coast Air Quality Management District, and the California Energy Commission.
7. Training Sessions, Workshops, and Presentations
Prepare and/or provide training sessions, workshops, or presentations to City staff and
City consultants related to CEQA/NEPA policies, assessments, and methodologies.
CONTENTS OF STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS
SOQs must be succinct, well-organized, include all of the components below, and must
not exceed 35 pages, inclusive of figures and tables. A title page and table of contents
may be provided. Components exempt from the page limit include a title page, cover
letter, table of contents, key personnel resumes, and rate sheets. Boilerplate promotional
materials are discouraged.
1. Cover Letter
a) Acknowledge receipt of this RSOQ and all addendums, if any.
b) Include the name, title, address, telephone number, and email address of the
individual to whom correspondence should be directed to.
c) Succinctly summarize why the Respondent believes it should be selected by the
City to provide services described in this RSOQ.
d) Address the Cover Letter to Rebecca Nelson-Brown, Senior Management Analyst

in the Community Development Department.
e) Cover Letter will not count towards the 35-page limit.
2. Corporate Qualifications
a) Provide a brief overview of the prime consultant, including location of the main and
any branch offices. Indicate the designated project office for the Agreement.
b) Provide a brief overview of any subcontractor(s) in sufficient detail to assess their
capabilities for the Agreement.
c) Identify which services would be provided by the prime consultant and subcontractors,
if proposed. Respondent must include an organizational chart with this information.
d) Provide a summary of active and former public agency clients within the last five years
where similar services were provided with this RSOQ (prime and subcontractors).
3. Key Personnel Qualifications and Experience
a) Provide brief profiles of key personnel who would be assigned to City projects,
including relevant experience in their discipline, any professional licenses and
certifications, length of service with the firm, a list of any EIRs they contributed to
in the last five years, and a summary of the geographical location (i.e., office) of
each assigned personnel (prime and subcontractors).
b) Identify the prime Project Manager and/or Principal-in-Charge for City projects.
c) Include resumes of key personnel as an appendix (prime and subcontractors).
Resumes will not count towards the 35-page limit.
4. Approach to Project
a) Present a well-conceived work plan that establishes the Respondent's
understanding of, and ability to satisfy, the City's objectives with the RSOQ and
Scope of Services.
5. Capability to Perform
a) Provide a summary of the Respondent's availability to work on assignments and
continuity of key personnel during the course of an assignment.
b) Include a well-organized summary of the Respondent's overall experience with the
environmental issues and areas outlined in the Scope of Services.
c) Provide a list of relevant CEQA projects over the last five years as follows:
i. Identify relevant CEQA documents that were completed or contributed to by
the Respondent for public agencies over the last five years.
ii. Describe the type of CEQA document, a brief summary of the project
associated with the CEQA document, and the document's status (e.g.,
adopted, completed but not adopted, circulated but not completed, etc.).
iii. Identify if the project was in the Coastal Zone.
iv. Include a brief summary of the following:
1. Work performed by Respondent.
2. Assigned Project Manager.
3. Respondent's contract cost.

4. Respondent's scheduled timeframe for work performed.
5. State if work performed was within the contract cost or exceeded the
contract cost. State if work performed was within the scheduled
timeframe or exceeded the schedule timeframe. If either exceed,
summarize the reason(s) why.
v. Provide a link to the CEQA document, if available.
vi. Provide a current reference for each project listed, including the project
name, the agency or company responsible, phone number, and email. This
information should be readily available for the City to contact if necessary.
d) Provide a list of relevant NEPA projects over the last five years following a similar
outline as above (may be more succinct than CEQA descriptions).
6. Acknowledgements
Respondents are to provide an acknowledgement for each of the following:
a) Agreement: If selected for an Agreement, Respondents shall use and comply with
the terms and conditions of the City's standard Professional Services Agreement
as attached to this RSOQ.
b) Compliance: Provide a written statement that Respondent shall comply with the
California Labor Code pursuant to said regulations entitled: Federal Labor
Standards provisions; Federal Prevailing Wage Decision; State of California
Prevailing Wage Rates, and the City of Malibu's Minimum Wage Ordinance
respectively.
c) Use of Artificial Intelligence:
i. Disclose current use of AI tools (e.g., generative AI, LLMs) in CEQA/NEPA
deliverables (list tools and scope of use).
ii. Include a statement guaranteeing that if AI is used in a CEQA/NEPA
deliverable, it would be disclosed prior to the commencement of the work
assignment and that any deliverable to the City will be thoroughly reviewed
and validated by a human for accuracy, bias, and compliance with project
requirements. As part of the statement, warrant that: 1) Respondent is
solely responsible for the accuracy of the final deliverables, regardless of
whether AI was used in the creation process; and 2) no confidential,
proprietary, or sensitive data provided by the City will be input into any
public or third-party generative AI tool that stores data or uses it for model
training.
d) Conflict of Interest: Respondents shall disclose any financial, business, or other
relationships that may have an impact on the outcome of this Agreement or any
resulting work assignment.
e) Litigation: Respondents are required to list past, current, or pending litigation
resulting from professional services rendered over the past five years. If a court or
an arbitrator rendered a decision, state the results.
7. Fair and Reasonable Cost
Respondent's entire rate sheet shall be submitted as part of their SOQ. A complete
breakdown shall be included of the hourly charge rates of professional and support

personnel by labor category (e.g., Principal-in-Charge, Senior Project Manager, Senior
Technical Specialist, Technical Editor, Administrative Assistant, etc.). The titles in the
Labor Category shown on the rate sheet must correspond to the key personnel titles
identified in their SOQ. Other expense costs shall be provided. *The agreement is for a
two-year term and as such will not accept a Cost of Living Adjustments.
The Consultant shall bill only for time spent performing assigned professional services.
Activities associated with contract administration or general business operations are
considered overhead and are included within the hourly rates and are therefore non-
billable. Non-billable activities include, but are not limited to, discussions regarding
service costs or billing disputes, meetings related to work performance or contract
matters, travel time to and from the City of Malibu, invoice preparation and other clerical
tasks, contract amendment administration, and time spent addressing revisions or
corrections resulting from the Consultant's work.
PROCEDURE FOR STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS
Clarifications: The City will respond to requests for clarification to the RSOQ in written
Addendum(s) as needed. Inquiries should be directed by email only to
rnelson@malibucity.org. No verbal requests will be accepted. All requests for clarification
must be received by 1:00 PM on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
SOQ Deadline: Submit an electronic copy of the complete SOQ to:
Rebecca Nelson-Brown, Senior Management Analyst
City of Malibu, Community Development Department
23825 Stuart Ranch Road
Malibu, CA 90265
rnelson@malibucity.org
All SOQs are due no later than 4:00 PM on Thursday, July 10, 2026. The City reserves
the right to extend the deadline or accept a late submittal with good cause shown.
Anticipated Schedule of Events: These dates are estimates and subject to be changed
by the City.
Event Date
Release RSOQ June 10, 2026
SOQs Due July 10, 2026 / 4:00 PM PST
Respondent Interviews TBD
Respondent Evaluations Complete Week of July 13, 2026
Finalists Notified Week of July 13, 2026
Agreement Finalized July 20, 2026
Signed Agreement Due to City July 22, 2026
Agreement to City Council August 10, 2026

Evaluation Criteria: SOQs will be evaluated on a 100-point basis of the following factors:
Criteria Evaluated Points Possible
1. Cover Letter Provided / Not Provided
2. Corporate Qualifications 15
3. Key Personnel Qualifications and Experience 25
4. Approach to Project 10
5. Capability to Perform 40
6. Acknowledgements Provided / Not Provided
7. Fair and Reasonable Cost 10
The City reserves the sole right to evaluate SOQs received, waive any irregularity therein,
approve subcontractors, select one or more Respondents, or reject any and all
Respondents, should such action be deemed in the best interests of the City.
Response Preparations: No reimbursement will be made by the City for costs incurred
in the preparation of the response to this RSOQ. Submitted materials will not be returned
and become the property of the City.
The City reserves the right to select Respondents without interviews; however, shortlisted
Respondents may be invited to meet with the selection committee (either virtual or in-
person). The presentation portion of the interview will be limited to no more than 15
minutes, with up to another 45 minutes set aside for questions and answers. The
presenters must include the Project Manager and/or Principal-in-Charge and limit the
number of attendees to no more than five.
Agreement Execution: Agreement(s) will require City Council authorization at a public
meeting. Upon execution, the selected Respondents will be part of the City's on-call list
for environmental services.
Right to Reject SOQs: Submission of an SOQ indicates acceptance by the Respondent
of the conditions contained in this RSOQ unless clearly and specifically noted in the SOQ
submitted and confirmed in the Agreement between the City of Malibu and the
Respondent selected. This RSOQ in no way commits the City to purchase all, or part, of
the services described in this RSOQ. All costs incurred by Respondents to prepare the
SOQs will be the responsibility of the Respondents. The City also reserves the right
without prejudice to accept or award any portion of the SOQs received or reject any, or
all, of the SOQs received. SOQs are public information and are the property of the City.
SOQs may be returned only at the City's option.
Confidential Material: Prior to the award of an Agreement(s), all SOQs will be
designated confidential to the extent permitted by the Public Records Act. After award of
the Agreement(s), or if not awarded, after rejection of all SOQs, all responses will be
regarded as public records and will be subject to review of the public. Any language
purported to render confidential all or portions of the SOQs will be regarded as non-
effective and will be disregarded.