Request for Proposals - Public Works Director Recruitment Services

Request for Proposal (RFP) for
Public Works Director
Recruitment Services
Date: August 21, 2026 Department: Administrative Services
Proposal Due Date: September 11, 2026, Time: 2:00 P.M.
Proposals must be submitted along with any relevant attachments in PDF format by email to:
Office of the City Clerk
Crystal Mui, City Clerk
Email: cmui@cityofsancarlos.org
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Proposal Information - Format
Proposals will be received by the City of San Carlos, hereinafter called the "City", by email until
2:00 P.M., PDT September 11, 2026.
Questions regarding the Request for Proposal should be submitted in writing by email no later
than August 28, 2026 to:
Rebecca Mendenhall
Administrative Services Director
Email: rmendenhall@cityofsancarlos.org
or
Angie Rodriguez
Human Resources Manager
Email: arodriguez@cityofsancarlos.org

I. Introduction
The City of San Carlos ("City") is soliciting proposals from qualified executive search firms to assist in
the recruitment for the City's next Public Works Director, due to a pending retirement and may seek
to recruit for additional Management level positions over the next 12 months. The firm selected will
work closely with the City Manager and designated staff to conduct a search and selection process
for this key leadership position. Materials submitted by respondents are subject to public inspection
under the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sec. 6250 et seq.), unless exempt.
Overview of the City
The City of San Carlos is a fullservice, general law city, governed by a councilmanager form of
government. The City employs approximately 104 fulltime employees. Incorporated in June 1925, San
Carlos has a population of about 30,000. Encompassing approximately 5 square miles, San Carlos is
situated 25 miles south of San Francisco, on the San Francisco Peninsula, in San Mateo County.
The City utilizes a twoyear programbased operating budget. The total budget for the Fiscal Year
202627 is $150 million, with a General Fund Budget representing approximately $70 million. The
General Fund's appropriations support the main operations of the City including Community
Development, Planning and Building Services, Parks and Recreation Services, Park and Building
maintenance, Public Works Engineering and other General Government Services. The Fiscal Years
2025-2030 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget contains $274 million in spending over the
five-year period. The CIP Budget will fund improvements to the sewage system, the storm drainage
system, streets rehabilitation, traffic and transit projects, parks and recreation and other various
improvements and enhancements to the City's infrastructure.
II. SCOPE OF WORK
The successful consulting firm will be expected, at minimum, to perform the following:
1. Consultation & Needs Assessment
o Meet with the City Manager and designated staff to understand organizational culture,
needs, and expectations.
o Define qualifications, skills, and experience desired for the position.
2. Recruitment Strategy
o Develop and implement a recruitment strategy.
o Prepare and distribute recruitment materials.
o Advertise the position through appropriate channels, including professional associations
and publications.
3. Candidate Screening
o Receive and review all applications.
o Conduct preliminary screening and interviews.

o Present a list of qualified candidates to the City Manager and designated staff.
4. Candidate Evaluation & Selection
o Assist in coordinating both virtual and in-person interviews, including logistics, technical
setup, and candidate preparation.
o Facilitate background checks, reference checks, and verification of credentials.
o Assist with the development of interview questions and evaluation tools.
o Support the final selection and negotiation process.
III. REQUIRED CONTENT OF PROPOSAL
General Requirements
All costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of this proposal shall be wholly absorbed by the
consultant.
Proposals shall contain the following:
1. Firm Background
o Company history, size, location, and qualifications.
o Resumes of key personnel who will be assigned to the project.
2. Relevant Experience
o Description of past recruitments for similar positions, particularly in Public Works.
3. Work Plan & Timeline
o Detailed plan outlining how the recruitment process will be conducted.
o Estimated timeline for each phase.
4. Deliverable Expectations:
o Number of qualified candidates expected
o Frequency of progress updates
o Target timeline for shortlisting
5. Cost Proposal
o Total cost and fee breakdown (e.g., fixed fee, hourly rate, reimbursable expenses).
6. References
o Minimum of three (3) references from recent clients with similar engagements.
RFP Check List
Please provide a completed RFP Checklist (Attachment 1). Please include the official name, address,
phone number, fax number, email address of the vendor, as well as the name of the principal contact
person and the name of the person authorized to execute the contract.

Proposed Cost of the Project
1. Provide a detailed project budget.
2. Budget will include all additional options, priced separately for any services that the City
might request outside the scope of the items in the RFP.
3. Any incidental expenses, such as copying, mailing, travel type charges, must be clearly stated
in the proposal.
4. Prices quoted shall be firm and not subject to increases during the term of the contract that
the vendor and City may enter into as a result of the proposal.
Please confirm the consultant's ability to meet the minimum requirements. Please explain any
exception to the consultant's ability to meet these minimum requirements.
IV. EVALUATION CRITERIA
The City Manager, Administrative Services Director and/or staff review team will evaluate all
proposals received by the submission deadline. The evaluation will be based on a combination of
objective qualifications and subjective judgment, with the goal of selecting the firm that best aligns
with the City's needs and expectations. The following criteria will be considered in the selection
process:
* Experience and qualifications
* Understanding of scope and approach
* Prior success in previous recruitments for the position of Public Works Director.
* Proposed timeline including schedule and availability
* Cost and overall value
* References
Finalist firms may be invited to participate in an interview with City staff during the week of
September 21, 2026. If selected, firms should be prepared to:
* Provide a brief presentation (10 minutes) including the following:
o Outline of approach to recruitment, timeline, and proposed team members.
o Demonstrate familiarity with the role of Public Works Director and municipal
operations.
o Discuss capacity and availability to begin the engagement with an anticipated
placement of a candidate on or before February 2027.
* Respond to a structured Q&A session with City representatives focused on qualifications,
candidate sourcing strategies, and experience with similar recruitments.
The interview may be held in person or virtually, at the City's discretion. Specific format and
instructions will be provided to selected firms in advance.

V. GENERAL CONDITIONS
* All proposals must conform to the requirements of this RFP and must be submitted according to
the outline set forth in Section II and Section III.
* Proposers must also submit the California Levine Act Statement (Attachment 3)
* The City of San Carlos reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any defects in the
proposals received, and to select the consultant considered the most advantageous to the City.
* Proposals received after the deadline and/or received unsigned shall be considered void and will
NOT be considered.
* All proposals, responses, inquiries, correspondence or other documents relating to this RFP will
become the property of the City when received. The City reserves the right to use any or all ideas
presented in any proposal, whether amended or not; selection or rejection of a proposal does not
affect this right.
VI. RFP Timeline
Milestone Date
RFP Issue Date August 21, 2026
Deadline for Questions August 28, 2026
Questions & Answers to be Posted on the Website September 1, 2026
Proposal Due Date September 11, 2026
Interviews/Presentations Week of September 21, 2026
Award of Contract September 30, 2026
Anticipated Project Start Date October 2026
Anticipated Placement Date February 2027
All dates are subject to change at the discretion of the City.

VII. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The selected consultant will be required to sign a contract with the City, the form and substance of
which must be acceptable to the City. The City most likely will not agree to execute the consultant's
standard contract. Please see Attachment 2 for the City's standard Professional Services Agreement.
All necessary insurance, City of San Carlos business license, and other documents will need to be
provided as required.
VIII. REQUESTED RESPONSES
General Information
For a PROPOSER to be considered, the City must receive an electronic copy via PDF by 2:00pm on
September 11, 2026, at the following email address:
Crystal Mui, City Clerk
cmui@cityofsancarlos.org
Proposals must be clearly marked: "Sealed Proposal - Public Works Director Recruitment Services"
VII. PREPROPOSAL ASSISTANCE
Questions regarding this RFP or a proposal may be directed until August 28, 2026, to Administrative
Services Director, Rebecca Mendenhall via email at rmendenhall@cityofsancarlos.org, or Human
Resources Manager, Angie Rodriguez via email at arodriguez@cityofsancarlos.org.
The City of San Carlos is an equal opportunity employer, and any mandated Federal and State laws
and requirements will be followed.

City of San Carlos RFP: Recruitment Services
Attachment 1 - RFP Checklist
Company Name
Company Address
Primary RFP Contact Name
Primary RFP Contact Number
Primary RFP Contact Email Address
Person Authorized to Execute the
Contract (if different from primary
RFP contact)
The following proposal submission requirements are included in this proposal:
RFP Checklist
Vendor Qualifications
Proposed Methodology and Related Information Including Completion of the Minimum
Requirements List
Proposed Cost of Project
Service Agreement and Insurance Requirement Acknowledgement
California Levine Act Statement

City of San Carlos RFP: Recruitment Services
Attachment 2 - Agreement to Professional Services
AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
This Agreement is made and entered into as of by and between the City of San
Carlos hereinafter called "CITY" and hereinafter called "CONSULTANT".
RECITALS
This Agreement is entered into with reference to the following facts and circumstances:
A. That CITY desires to engage CONSULTANT to render certain professional services in the CITY;
B. That CONSULTANT is qualified to provide such services to the CITY and;
THEREFORE, the CITY has elected to engage the services of CONSULTANT upon the terms and conditions
as hereinafter set forth.
1. Services. The services to be performed by CONSULTANT under this Agreement shall
include those services set forth in Exhibit A, which is, by this reference, incorporated
herein and made a part hereof as though it were fully set forth herein.
Performance of the work specified in said Exhibit is hereby made an obligation of
CONSULTANT under this Agreement, subject to any changes that may be made
subsequently hereto upon the mutual written agreement of the said parties.
Where in conflict, the terms of this Agreement supersede and prevail over any terms set
forth in Exhibit A.
2. Term; Termination. (a) The term of this Agreement shall commence upon the date
hereinabove written and shall expire upon completion of performance of services
hereunder by CONSULTANT. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of (a) above, CITY may
terminate this Agreement without cause by giving written notice not less than ten (10)
days prior to the effective date of termination, which date shall be included in said notice.
In the event of such termination, CITY shall compensate CONSULTANT for services
rendered, and reimburse CONSULTANT for costs and expenses incurred, to the date of
termination, calculated in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3. In ascertaining
the services actually rendered to the date of termination, consideration shall be given
both to completed work and work in process of completion. Nothing herein contained
shall be deemed a limitation upon the right of CITY to terminate this Agreement for cause,
or otherwise to exercise such rights or pursue such remedies as may accrue to CITY
hereunder.
3. Compensation; Expenses; Payment. CITY shall compensate CONSULTANT for all services
performed by CONSULTANT hereunder in an amount based upon CONSULTANT's hourly
rates during the time of the performance of said services. A copy of CONSULTANT's hourly
rates for which services hereunder shall be performed are set forth in CONSULTANT's fee
schedule marked Exhibit B hereof, attached hereto and by this reference incorporated
herein.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the combined total of compensation and reimbursement
of costs payable hereunder shall not exceed the sum of _
($ ) unless the performance of services and/or reimbursement of costs
and expenses in excess of said amounts have been approved in advance of performing
such services or incurring such costs and expenses by CITY's City Manager (for contracts
less than $75,000 or authorized by City Council action for contracts $75,000 or more by
motion duly made and carried).
Compensation and reimbursement of costs and expenses hereunder shall be payable
upon monthly billing therefor by CONSULTANT to CITY, which billing shall include an
itemized statement, briefly describing by task and labor category or cost/expense items
billed.
4. Additional Services. In the event CITY desires the performance of additional services not
otherwise included within the services described in Exhibit A, such services shall be
authorized in advance of the performance thereof by CITY's City Manager (for contracts
less than $75,000 or authorized by City Council action for contracts $75,000 or more by
motion duly made and carried). Such amendment to this Agreement shall include a
description of the services to be performed thereunder, the maximum compensation and
reimbursement of costs and expenses payable therefor, the time of performance thereof,
and such other matters as the parties deem appropriate for the accomplishment of such
services. Any additional services causing the total contract price to exceed $75,000, shall
require approval by the City Council. Except to the extent modified by written
amendment, all other terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be deemed
incorporated in each such amendment.
5. Records. CONSULTANT shall keep and maintain accurate records of all time expended and
costs and expenses incurred relating to services to be performed by CONSULTANT
hereunder. Said records shall be available to CITY for review and copying during regular
business hours at CONSULTANT's place of business or as otherwise agreed upon by the
parties.
6. Authorization. This Agreement becomes effective when endorsed by both parties in the
space provided below.
7. Reliance on Professional Skill of CONSULTANT. CONSULTANT represents that it has the
necessary professional skills to perform the services required and the CITY shall rely on
such skills of the CONSULTANT to do and perform the work. In performing services
hereunder CONSULTANT shall adhere to the standards generally prevailing for the
performance of expert consulting services similar to those to be performed by
CONSULTANT hereunder. CONSULTANT acknowledges the importance to CITY of the skill,
competency, ability to appropriately work with CITY staff and expertise of individual staff
assigned to the project, and accordingly the individuals assigned to the Project must be
acceptable to CITY.

8. Documents. All documents, plans, drawings, renderings, and other papers, or copies
thereof, as finally rendered, prepared by CONSULTANT pursuant to the terms of this
Agreement, shall, upon preparation and delivery to CITY, become the property of CITY.
9. Relationship of Parties. It is understood that the relationship of CONSULTANT to the CITY
is that of an independent contractor and all persons working for or under the direction of
CONSULTANT are its agents or employees and not agents or employees of the CITY.
10. Schedule. CONSULTANT shall adhere to the schedule set forth in Exhibit A; provided, that
CITY shall grant reasonable extensions of time for the performance of such services
occasioned by governmental reviews of CONSULTANT's work product or other
unavoidable delays; provided, further, that such unavoidable delay shall not include
strikes, lockouts, work stoppages, or other labor disturbances conducted by, or on behalf
of, CONSULTANT's officers or employees.
CONSULTANT acknowledges the importance to CITY of CITY's Project schedule and agrees
to put forth its best professional efforts to perform its services under this Agreement in a
manner consistent with that schedule.
11. Indemnity. CONSULTANT shall indemnify and hold harmless City, its officers, employees,
agents and volunteers from and against all liability, loss, damage, expense, and cost
(including, without limitation, reasonable legal counsel fees, expert fees and all other
costs and fees of litigation) of every nature arising out of or in connection with
CONSULTANT's negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct in the performance of
work hereunder, or its failure to comply with any of its obligations contained in this
Agreement, except such loss or damage caused by the active negligence or willful
misconduct of the City. It is expressly understood and agreed that the foregoing
provisions are intended to be as broad and inclusive as is permitted by the law of the State
of California and will survive termination of this Agreement. Nothing herein contained
shall be construed to require CONSULTANT to indemnify CITY its officers, employees,
agents and volunteers against any responsibility or liability in contravention of Section
2782 of the California Civil Code.
12. Insurance. CONSULTANT shall acquire and maintain Workers' Compensation, employer's
liability, commercial general liability, owned and nonowned and hired automobile
liability, and professional liability insurance covering risks relating to CONSULTANT's
services to be performed hereunder in form subject to the approval of the City Attorney
and/or CITY's Risk Manager. The minimum amounts of coverage corresponding to the
aforesaid categories of insurance per insurable event, shall be as follows:
Insurance Category Minimum Limits
Workers' Compensation statutory minimum
Employer's Liability $1,000,000 per accident for bodily injury or