ON-CALL PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
| Location: | California |
|---|---|
| Posted: | Jul 30, 2024 |
| Due: | Aug 30, 2024 |
| Agency: | City of Berkeley |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
|
| Solicitation No: | 24-11672-C |
| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
ON-CALL PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Due Date:
Friday, August 30, 2024 - 2:00 pm
| Spec # | Type | Post Date | Documents |
| 24-11672-C | Professional Services | 07/29/2024 |
Dear Proposer:
The City of Berkeley (City) is soliciting a statement of qualifications (SOQ) from qualified firms or individuals to assist Planning Department staff with on-call consulting services to provide development application review, environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and technical report preparation. As a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) this is not an invitation to bid. The City will review qualifications and create a list of qualified on-call consultants for services listed under Section II of this RFQ. The City is not seeking, or expecting, team responses or expertise in each type of service listed. As appropriate, the City may conduct an additional competitive process (e.g., solicit bids or issue Requests for Proposals) prior to awarding contracts. The City anticipates that all services will be on an as-needed or on-call basis. The project scope, content of proposal, and vendor selection process are summarized in this RFQ document.
Proposals must be received no later than 2:00 pm, on Friday, August 30, 2024. Proposals are to be sent via email with the “Specification No. 24-11672-C" and “ON-CALL PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES” clearly indicated in the subject line of the email. Please submit one (1) PDF of the technical Proposal with the filename saved as, “Proposal: No. 24-11672-C ON-CALL PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES.”
Email Proposals to:
City of Berkeley
Finance Department/General Services Division
purchasing@berkeleyca.gov
Proposals will not be accepted after the date and time stated above. Incomplete proposals or proposals that do not conform to the requirements specified herein will not be considered. Issuance of the RFQ does not obligate the City to award a contract, nor is the City liable for any costs incurred by the proposer in the preparation and submittal of proposals for the subject work. The City retains the right to award all or parts of this contract to several bidders, to not select any bidders, and/or to re-solicit proposals. The act of submitting a proposal is a declaration that the proposer has read the RFQ and understands all the requirements and conditions.
For questions concerning the
Attachment Preview
Finance Department
General Services Division
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)
Specification No. No. 24-11672-C
FOR
ON-CALL PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE OPENED AND READ PUBLICLY
The City of Berkeley (City) is soliciting a statement of qualifications (SOQ) from qualified firms or individuals to
assist Planning Department staff with on-call consulting services to provide development application review,
environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and technical report
preparation. As a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) this is not an invitation to bid. The City will review
qualifications and create a list of qualified on-call consultants for services listed under Section II of this RFQ. The
City is not seeking, or expecting, team responses or expertise in each type of service listed. As appropriate, the City
may conduct an additional competitive process (e.g., solicit bids or issue Requests for Proposals) prior to awarding
contracts. The City anticipates that all services will be on an as-needed or on-call basis. The project scope, content
of proposal, and vendor selection process are summarized in this RFQ document.
Proposals must be received no later than 2:00 pm, on Friday, August 30, 2024. Proposals are to be sent via
email with the “Specification No. 24-11672-C" and “ON-CALL PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL
SERVICES” clearly indicated in the subject line of the email. Please submit one (1) PDF of the technical Proposal
with the filename saved as, “Proposal: No. 24-11672-C ON-CALL PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL
SERVICES.”
Email Proposals to:
City of Berkeley
Finance Department/General Services Division
purchasing@berkeleyca.gov
Proposals will not be accepted after the date and time stated above. Incomplete proposals or proposals that do not
conform to the requirements specified herein will not be considered. Issuance of the RFQ does not obligate the City
to award a contract, nor is the City liable for any costs incurred by the proposer in the preparation and submittal of
proposals for the subject work. The City retains the right to award all or parts of this contract to several bidders, to
not select any bidders, and/or to re-solicit proposals. The act of submitting a proposal is a declaration that the
proposer has read the RFQ and understands all the requirements and conditions.
For questions concerning the anticipated work, or scope of the project, please contact Claudia Garcia, Principal
Planner, via email at cgarcia@berkeleyca.gov no later than Tuesday, August 13, 2024. Answers to questions will
not be provided by telephone or email. Answers to all questions or any addenda will be posted on the City of
Berkeley’s site at Bid & Proposal Opportunities page. For general questions concerning the submittal process,
contact purchasing at 510-981-7320.
We look forward to receiving and reviewing your proposal.
Sincerely,
Dennis Dang
Interim General Services Manager
2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 Tel: 510.981.7320 TDD: 510.981.6903 Fax: 510.981.7390
E-mail: finance@berkeleyca.gov Website: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/finance
City of Berkeley
Specification No. 24-11672-C
On-Call Planning and Environmental Services
Page 2 of 22
Release Date: 07/30/2024
I. INTRODUCTION
Incorporated in 1878, the City covers 10.5 square miles, with another 7.2 aquatic square miles. Centrally
located within the San Francisco Bay Area in Alameda County, the City is easily accessed via three (3)
Bay Area Rapid Transit Stations (BART): Downtown Berkeley, North Berkeley and Ashby stations; and a
robust number of Alameda-Contra Costa (AC) transit lines. Land within the City limits is largely built-out
with high density development located along Priority Development Areas (PDAs). This includes the
Downtown and associated corridors: Telegraph Avenue, Shattuck Avenue, University Avenue, and San
Pablo Avenue. Medium to low-density development is concentrated in established residential
neighborhoods that surround the urban core. Consistent with the programs outlined in the 6th Cycle
Housing Element Update, adopted in January 2023, these areas may soon experience growth.
The City’s Land Use Planning Division (LUP) is responsible for researching and implementing land use
policy and regulations for the City of Berkeley. Comprised of 28 full-time staff across projects and policy,
LUP processed 170 development applications in 2023 that varied in size from small residential additions to
16-story mixed-use buildings. To support staff with review of development applications, LUP seeks to pre-
qualify consultants to assist with application review, conduct environmental review pursuant to the CEQA,
prepare and peer review technical reports, and lead professional development/training services.
Consultants are invited to respond to all or portions of the following Scope of Services. The response
should clearly indicate which services can be provided. Please note that direct experience with the City of
Berkeley is not required for consideration.
II. SCOPE OF SERVICES
The City will compile a list of pre-qualified Planning Consultants (Consultants), who would be available
on short-term notice to provide planning and environmental services as needed. The contract for planning
and environmental services would establish the parameters for future project-specific work as described
herein.
The selected Consultants shall provide services on a task-order basis for specific development applications.
At such time when the Consultants’ services are required, staff will forward a request for services,
including a project description, any pertinent supporting information and technical studies, and copies of
the proposed application. The Consultant(s) may be requested to provide additional services such as the
preparation of supporting technical reports and studies for the project application, or a peer review of
applicant-submitted materials. The Consultant(s) would respond with a scope of work (SOW) detailing an
estimate of time allocation for the various tasks and costs for the specific project based on the hourly
charges previously submitted with the response to this RFQ. The City would review the SOW with the
Consultant(s) and negotiate a schedule and not-to-exceed cost. A Notice to Proceed could then be issued
with the full scope of work and cost identified.
The initial contract term shall be three (3) years. Proposals should indicate how costs would be adjusted
after the first year. Upon mutual agreement, the contract may be extended for two (2) years. The maximum
amount for a contract with an individual consultant shall be up to $500,000 or $1,000,000 over a three-year
period, with the larger not-to-exceed amounts reserved for firms which can be called upon to perform a
broader range of services (e.g., required environmental review work as well as project-specific expedited
review services, technical support, etc.).
Requested services and the process for typical projects within each category are detailed below.
Consultants are invited to respond to all or portions of the following scope of services.
1. Planning Services and Application Review
Provide dedicated project management services for development applications (i.e., Use Permits and
Administrative Use Permits) for consideration by the Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB), including
completeness review of application materials, identifying the appropriate CEQA pathway, and staff report
RFQ Revised Nov2022
City of Berkeley
Specification No. 24-11672-C
Page 3 of 22
On-Call Planning and Environmental Services
Release Date: 07/30/2024
preparation. Essentially, a selected Consultant would serve as an extension of staff. Specific tasks may
include:
• Development Application Review. Permit processing and review of development application
materials in compliance with the City’s General Plan, Municipal Code, applicable Specific Plan,
and the Subdivision Map Act
• Staff Reports. Preparation of staff reports for review by the Design Review Committee (DRC),
Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), ZAB, and City Council
• Density Bonus Projects. Review of density bonus development applications in compliance with
state regulations and the City’s affordable housing requirements
• Public Meetings. Attendance at staff and public meetings, including public hearings (this may
require in-person attendance)
• Telecommunications. Review of telecommunication facility applications and radio frequency
engineering services
• Mills Act. Review and processing of Mills Act Program applications in compliance with City
requirements
• Peer Review of Technical Studies. Conduct peer review of applicant prepared technical reports
submitted as part of a development application (e.g., air quality, biological resources/arborist
reports, historic resources evaluation/project impact analysis, geotechnical reports, Phase I/II
environmental site assessments, and transportation analysis)
• Mitigation Monitoring. Construction monitoring and oversight of mitigation implementation and
compliance with conditions of approval
• Training. Provide training and professional development services (i.e., case law updates,
legislative updates, professional coaching, project management, etc.)
2. Environmental Review and Technical Report Preparation
Prepare environmental review documents pursuant to CEQA and National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) (as needed) to evaluate potential impacts associated with development applications. This may also
include drafting of stand-alone technical reports to support a CEQA pathway determination. Specific tasks
may include:
• CEQA Review. Preparation of initial studies, (mitigated) negative declarations, environmental
impact reports (EIRs), addenda to previous environmental documents, subsequent/supplemental
EIRs, CEQA notices, and exemptions to evaluate invocation of Assembly Bill (AB) 1633.
• Notice Preparation. Preparation of CEQA required notices, and filing services (e.g., Alameda
County Clerk Recorder and State Clearinghouse)
• Technical Environmental Studies. Preparation of issue-specific environmental studies (e.g., air
quality, biological resources, cultural and historic resource evaluations, noise assessments, and
transportation analysis)
• Public Meetings. Attendance at staff and public meetings, including scoping meetings and/or
public hearings
The work products developed by the Consultant must be adequate to meet the requirements of the State
CEQA Guidelines, the City of Berkeley CEQA Guidelines, State Planning and Zoning law, NEPA,
National Historic Preservation Act, and/or requirements of any reviewing agency. Work submitted that
fails to meet legal requirements shall be corrected by the Consultant without additional cost to the City of
Berkeley.
III. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All proposals shall include the following information, organized as separate sections. The SOQ should be
concise and to the point, and not exceed 25 pages in length. Staff resumes can be included as an appendix
to the SOQ, appendices do not count toward the overall page count.
RFQ Revised Nov2022
City of Berkeley
Specification No. 24-11672-C
On-Call Planning and Environmental Services
A. Cover Letter/Statement of Interest:
Page 4 of 22
Release Date: 07/30/2024
Provide a brief overview summarizing the key points of interest and qualifications, relevant areas
of expertise, and key individuals responsible for the work to be performed. Please specify the type
of services to be delivered by the consultant team, refer to the list provided in Section II of this
RFQ. Please provide the telephone number, e-mail address, and office location (address, city, zip
code) of the project manager who will serve as the primary contact person for this on-call contract.
The cover letter shall also include the company tax identification number.
B. Project Understanding and Approach:
Clearly describe the proposing consultant’s understanding of the type of services requested.
Describe the manner and methods the consultant will employ to manage and facilitate the work,
including approaches and methodologies which the consultant proposes to undertake in order to
meet the stated objectives of the City. Provide a work plan with as much detail as needed to
describe how the required services and scope of work will be performed. The work plan should
address any QA/QC program the consultant has established or proposes to establish and utilize
throughout this project.
C. Firm Qualifications and Experience:
Provide the following information:
• Brief firm profile including number of employees, location of company headquarters and
branch offices, number of years in business and organization, disciplines/areas of
expertise, and staffing.
• Provide a list of relevant projects and examples of experience working in similar urban
communities. Each example should be recent, completed by the firm within the last five
(5) years, include a brief description of each project, the location, date, and (if possible)
the address and telephone number of a contact person.
• Identify key personnel who will be assigned to this on-call contract, areas of expertise, and
background information demonstrating their capabilities and qualifications to perform the
assigned task. For each individual, provide current professional registrations, related
experience, educational background, and years of experience with the team.
• For proposals that will include subconsultants, provide or indicate examples of projects
where the prime and subconsultant have previously teamed, and the capacity in which
those services were provided.
D. Cost:
Provide a comprehensive fee schedule, including hourly billing rates for all personnel/positions
potentially assigned to a project under this on-call contract (including any subconsultants), typical
markup/overhead rates, and reimbursable expenses. Indicate any projected annual rate increases to
occur over the course of the contract term.
E. Client References:
Provide a minimum of three (3) client references. References should be in California cities or other
large public sector entities. Provide the designated person's name, title, organization, address,
telephone number, and the project(s) that were completed under that client’s direction.
F. Contract Terminations:
If your organization has had a contract terminated in the last five (5) years, describe such
incident. Termination for default is defined as notice to stop performance due to the vendor’s non-
performance or poor performance and the issue of performance was either (a) not litigated due to
RFQ Revised Nov2022
City of Berkeley
Specification No. 24-11672-C
Page 5 of 22
On-Call Planning and Environmental Services
Release Date: 07/30/2024
inaction on the part of the vendor, or (b) litigated and such litigation determined that the vendor
was in default.
Submit full details of the terms for default including the other party’s name, address, and phone
number. Present the vendor’s position on the matter. The City will evaluate the facts and may, at
its sole discretion, reject the SOQ on the grounds of the past experience.
If the firm has not experienced any such termination for default or early termination in the past
five (5) years, so indicate.
IV. CONSULTANT SELECTION PROCESS
Evaluation will include, but is not limited to the criteria below:
A. Understanding of the City’s needs and issues to be addressed; overall quality of the response and
conformance with the RFQ requirements for content (25 points).
B. Qualifications, relevant experience, and abilities of the overall team (principals, project
managers and other key personnel), and of the specific personnel assigned to this on-call
contract (30 points).
C. Demonstrated expertise and ability to provide the type of services identified in this RFQ (refer to
the list provided in Section II); respond to requested requests for proposals on short notice, and
complete assigned tasks on time and within budget (25 points).
D. Client References (20 points).
E. Local Vendor Preference. – Up to five (5) additional points may be awarded for Berkeley-based
businesses (see the table in section VII.F. – Local Vendor Preference)
A selection panel of City staff will be convened to evaluate all proposals received. At the City’s
discretion, a list of the best qualified firms may be established and virtual interviews may be conducted
prior to staff’s contract award recommendations, which are subject to approval from the Berkeley City
Council. If the City is unable to reach agreement with the selected respondents, the City will repeat the
negotiation process with the next highest respondent, and so on, if necessary.
The City reserves the right to reject any and all submissions.
V. PAYMENT
Invoices: Invoices must be fully itemized, and provide sufficient information for approving payment and
audit. Invoices must be accompanied by receipt for services in order for payment to be processed. Email
invoices to Accounts Payable and cc’ the assigned Project Manager (List on invoice, Attn: Project
Manager Name/Department) and reference the contract number.
City of Berkeley
Accounts Payable
P.O. Box 700
Berkeley, CA 94710-700
Email: AccountsPayable@berkeleyca.gov
Phone: 510-981-7310
Payments: The City will make payment to the vendor within 30 days of receipt of a correct, approved
and complete invoice.
VI. CITY REQUIREMENTS
A. Non-Discrimination Requirements:
Ordinance No. 5876-N.S. codified in B.M.C. Chapter 13.26 states that, for contracts worth more than
RFQ Revised Nov2022
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
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