Request for Proposal - Stormwater Program Funding & Proposition 218 Balloting Support

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR
Stormwater Program Funding & Proposition 218 Balloting Support
RFP Issue Date:
September 23, 2025
Email Proposal Submittal Due Date:
Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
Proposals via Email
sperez@sanleandro.org
copy: kparker@sanleandro.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 3
II. BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................... 3
III. PROJECT OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES ........................................................ 4
IV. SCOPE OF SERVICES & PROJECT SCHEDULE ............................................... 4
V. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................... 7
VI. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................. 8
VII. ESTIMATED SCHEDULE ....................................................................................... 9
VIII. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS ............................................................................ 9
IX. DELIVERABLES REQUIRED OF SUCCESSFUL CONSULTANT ................ 10
X. CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................... 11
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A-1 - Consulting Services Agreement
Attachment A-2 - Living Wage Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Attachment A-3 - Living Wage Self Verification Form
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR
Stormwater Program Funding & Proposition 218 Balloting Support
The City of San Leandro desires to solicit qualified proposals for Consulting Services in support
of the Stormwater Program Funding and Proposition 218 Balloting Support in accordance with
this Request for Proposals (RFP).
Award and Contract Term: The City anticipates awarding a contract in late 2026 and authorizing
the Consultant to commence work immediately following contract execution.
I. INTRODUCTION
The City's stormwater program is funded in part by a parcel-based Stormwater Fee that has not
been comprehensively updated in many years and whose purchasing power has declined
substantially with inflation, even as regulatory mandates and infrastructure rehabilitation needs
have grown. The City has completed prior planning work, including a Storm Drain Master Plan
and an associated stormwater fee analysis, documenting infrastructure condition, capital priorities,
and potential rate structures, and has previously conducted a property-related fee proceeding in
2024. The City wishes to build upon that body of work, refine it as needed, and, subject to City
Council direction, carry an updated funding measure through the Proposition 218 process, with a
target of completing a ballot proceeding in calendar year 2027.
II. BACKGROUND
A. The City and Its Stormwater System
San Leandro is a full-service city of approximately 90,000 residents occupying approximately
fifteen (15) square miles in Alameda County, between the Cities of Oakland and Hayward, and
bordered on the west by San Francisco Bay. The City owns and maintains a municipal separate
storm sewer system ("MS4") consisting of storm drainage pipes, inlets, outfalls, culverts, pump
stations, and perimeter levees that collect and convey stormwater runoff from City streets and
parcels to local creeks and San Francisco Bay. Portions of the City's system interconnect with
facilities owned and operated by the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation
District.
B. Regulatory Context
The City is a co-permittee under the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board's
Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit ("MRP"), together with Alameda County, the
Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and other Alameda County
municipalities participating in the Alameda Countywide Clean Water Program. The MRP imposes
an expanding set of trash-capture, pollutant-control, green-infrastructure, monitoring, and
reporting obligations that continue to increase the cost of the City's stormwater program.
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III. PROJECT SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
The following describes the scope of services sought for this engagement, which includes
community opinion research, a cost-of-service and rate/fee study, Proposition 218 noticing and
balloting implementation, and community outreach and education. Proposers are encouraged to
recommend refinements, additional tasks, or alternative sequencing based on their experience with
comparable California engagements, provided that the core deliverables described below are
addressed. The City may authorize the tasks as a single engagement or in phases, at its discretion.
IV. SCOPE OF SERVICES & PROJECT SCHEDULE
Task 1 - Project Initiation and Program Review
The Consultant shall meet with City staff to review the City's existing Storm Drain Master Plan,
prior stormwater fee report, current fee structure, MRP compliance obligations, capital
improvement needs, reserve policies, and available parcel and GIS data. The Consultant shall
confirm project goals, schedule, communication protocols, and deliverables, and shall identify any
additional data required from City staff, Alameda County, or regional partners. As part of this
review, the Consultant shall assess the City's most recent property-related fee proceeding,
including the results, the rate levels tested, and the factors that may have affected the outcome, and
shall identify lessons learned to inform the approach, rate design, engagement strategy, and
schedule for the current effort.
Deliverables: kick-off meeting; project management plan and schedule; prior-measure review and
lessons-learned memorandum; data-needs memorandum.
Task 2 - Evaluation of Financial Needs and Funding Structure
The Consultant shall analyze current and projected stormwater program revenues and
expenditures, including operations and maintenance, capital rehabilitation, MRP compliance, and
administrative costs, over a multi-year planning horizon, and shall assess the extent to which
existing funding sources meet those needs. The Consultant shall:
a. Review and, as needed, update the cost-of-service and revenue-requirement analysis
prepared in prior City studies;
b. Evaluate the current fee methodology (e.g., impervious-area / Single-Family Equivalent
basis, or other appropriate methodology) for consistency with the proportionality
requirements of Article XIII D, Section 6, and with industry best practice;
c. Identify and evaluate funding-source options, with the property-related fee as the primary
anticipated mechanism for storm drainage services and including, for comparison, benefit
assessments, special taxes, and other mechanisms, together with the legal, administrative,
political, and revenue considerations of each; and
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d. Prepare a Funding Analysis Memorandum summarizing findings and recommendations for
City Council consideration.
Deliverables: Funding Analysis Memorandum; supporting revenue/expenditure model;
presentation to City staff, Finance Committee and/or City Council.
Task 3 - Rate Structure Development and Proposition 218 Fee Report
Upon City direction, the Consultant shall prepare a Proposition 218-compliant engineering and
rate report supporting the proposed fee, including:
a. A parcel-level fee calculation methodology consistent with Article XIII D, Section 6
proportionality requirements, incorporating impervious surface area, parcel size, and/or
land-use classification as appropriate;
b. Consideration of credits, exemptions, or rate adjustments to incentivize on-site stormwater
management, where feasible and legally supportable;
c. A multi-year revenue plan and an inflation-adjustment methodology (e.g., a Consumer
Price Index-based annual adjustment) to support long-term rate stability; and
d. A final Fee Report suitable for City Council adoption and consistent with applicable law.
Deliverables: draft and final Proposition 218 Fee Report; parcel-level rate database; Finance
Committee and/or City Council presentation.
Task 4 - Community Opinion Research
The Consultant shall design and administer statistically valid community opinion research (for
example, a mailed survey, or an alternative or hybrid methodology recommended by the
Consultant and approved by the City) tailored to San Leandro's specific parcel mix, demographics,
and communication preferences. The research shall gauge support for a potential fee and inform
the appropriate fee level, and shall test messages, priority projects and services, and likely
arguments for and against the measure. The research approach shall be tailored to San Leandro,
reflecting the City's geographic districts, community composition, and mix of residential,
commercial, and industrial property types, and shall take into account the City's fee history and
any lessons learned from prior outreach.
Deliverables: research plan and survey instrument(s); statistically valid community survey
(including printing, addressing, mailing, and return postage); community opinion report with
findings by property type and geography and recommendations on feasibility, fee level, timing,
messaging, and structure of a subsequent ballot proceeding.
Task 5 - Proposition 218 Noticing, Hearing, and Balloting Implementation
The Consultant shall provide implementation assistance consistent with Proposition 218 and
applicable Government Code provisions, including:
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a. Preparation of the Proposition 218 notice, public-hearing materials, and City Council
resolutions and staff reports;
b. Coordination of the mailing of notices to all affected property owners not less than forty-
five (45) days prior to the public hearing;
c. Support for the public protest hearing, including receipt and tabulation of written protests;
d. If a majority protest is not received, preparation, mailing, and tabulation of property-owner
ballots, with tabulation conducted by or under the supervision of a disinterested third party
in a location accessible to the public; and
e. Support for certification of results and preparation of the levy roll for submission to the
Alameda County Auditor-Controller, including first-year levy administration if the
measure is approved.
Deliverables: complete notice and ballot packages; printing, addressing, mailing, and return
postage; hearing support; ballot tabulation and certification support; levy roll.
Task 6 - Public Outreach and Education
The Consultant shall assist the City in developing and implementing a public information and
education program to help property owners understand the purpose of the proposed funding
measure, the services and improvements it would fund, and the Proposition 218 process. All
outreach materials shall be factual and educational and shall be developed so as not to constitute
advocacy for or against a measure, consistent with applicable restrictions on the use of public
funds. The Consultant shall propose an outreach approach appropriate to San Leandro's
neighborhoods and stakeholder groups, which may include fact sheets and FAQs, presentations to
community groups and City boards and commissions, website and social-media content, and
coordination with the City's Public Information Officer.
Deliverables: outreach plan; outreach materials (FAQs, talking points, presentations, digital
content, etc.); coordination and implementation support.
PROJECT SCHEDULE:
The Consultant shall propose a detailed project schedule identifying meetings, deliverables, and
milestones for each task, taking into account all applicable Proposition 218 procedural
requirements, including the required notice period preceding the protest hearing, any applicable
balloting requirements, and the City Council meeting calendar.
The City's target is to complete community opinion research, finalize the rate structure, and carry
a property-related fee measure through the Proposition 218 process in calendar year 2027. Because
a fee must be certified and the levy roll submitted to the Alameda County Auditor-Controller in
advance of the County's deadline for the applicable fiscal-year tax roll, the Consultant shall present
a schedule planned backward from the intended first fiscal year of collection, expressly identifying
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the latest dates by which opinion research, the fee report, noticing, the protest hearing, balloting,
tabulation, and County roll submission must occur.
The schedule shall include an adequate public outreach and education runway in advance of
noticing and balloting and shall identify any key dependencies, procedural constraints, or schedule
risks.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
The City seeks a firm or team with demonstrated qualifications in the following areas:
* Direct experience preparing Proposition 218-compliant property-related fee and/or benefit-
assessment engineering reports for California municipal or special-district stormwater,
drainage, or comparable utility programs;
* Experience managing the complete Proposition 218 notice, protest-hearing, and balloting
process, including ballot design, mailing, and public tabulation;
* A documented, statistically valid opinion-research methodology with a demonstrated
record of reliably predicting property-related fee or benefit-assessment ballot outcomes;
* GIS and parcel-level data-analysis capability sufficient to support impervious-area or land-
use-based rate structures;
* Working knowledge of NPDES Municipal Regional Permit (MRP) requirements and their
funding implications, or the ability to team with a firm or subconsultant providing that
expertise; and
* A track record of successful, legally defensible property-related fee measures for California
public agencies of comparable size and complexity.
Because the City's prior funding measure did not achieve majority support, the City will place
particular weight on a Proposer's demonstrated ability to improve the likelihood of a successful
outcome through rigorous opinion research, sound rate design, and effective community
engagement. Proposers are encouraged to describe their opinion-research methodology and to
demonstrate its reliability; one useful way to do so is to provide, for one or more prior property-
related fee or benefit-assessment engagements, a comparison of pre-ballot survey projections to
actual certified ballot results.
V. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Questions regarding the proposal are due by Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Questions
shall be submitted by e-mail to Kerry Parker at kparker@sanleandro.org and copy Sally Perez, at
sperez@sanleandro.org. Staff anticipate posting answers by October 12, 2026.
Successful proposals shall include:
1. Firm/team history and description of Firm's Experience on similar projects
Qualifications of key personnel who will be assigned to the project, including sub-
consultants. Include information that demonstrates a knowledge of working on
similar projects. Organizational chart and staff resumes may be included.
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2. Approach to work and refinements to scope
Provide a summary methodology of how the firm will pursue the work. Include
methods of management, coordination and quality control. Suggest any refinements
in scope and discuss past use of any suggested refinements.
3. References
Include contact information for past clients. References on similar and recent
projects, in particular with other municipalities, are highly desirable.
4. Estimated level of effort
Include a table indicating estimated level of effort, in hours, for each discipline/task.
5. Proposed Fee
A fee schedule, concealed in a separately sealed envelope.
6. Exceptions to Specifications/Agreement language
Either state that the Firm has no reservations with the agreement language
(attachment A-1) or list items that Firm takes exception to.
7. Non-Collusion Affidavit
The Consultant declares, by signing and submitting a proposal, that the proposal is not
made in the interest of, or on behalf of, any undisclosed person, partnership, company,
association, organization, or corporation; that the proposal is genuine and not collusive
or sham; that the Consultant has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other
Consultant to put in a false or sham proposal, and has not directly or indirectly colluded,
conspired, connived, or agreed with any Consultant or anyone else to put in a sham
proposal, or that anyone shall refrain from proposing; that the Consultant has not in any
manner, directly or indirectly, sought by agreement, communication, or conference
with anyone to fix the proposal price of the Consultant or any other Consultant, or to
fix any overhead, profit, or cost element of the proposal price, or of that of any other
Consultant, or to secure any advantage against the public body awarding the contract
of anyone interested in the proposed contract; that all statements contained in the
proposal are true; and, further, that the Consultant has not, directly or indirectly,
submitted his or her proposal price or any breakdown thereof, or the contents thereof,
or divulged information or data relative thereto, or paid, and will not pay, any fee to
any corporation, partnership, company association, organization, proposal depository,
or to any member or agent thereof to effectuate a collusive or sham proposal.
VI. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
Consultants shall submit Items 1-7 as stated in Section V. - PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS.
Consultant is required to indicate the Designated Contact in the proposal package. Include the
designated contact individual's name, address, phone number(s) and email address.
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Proposals are to be submitted electronically to Sally M. Perez, Purchasing Technician, at
sperez@sanleandro.org. The subject line of the email shall be "RFP City of San Leandro
Stormwater Funding & Proposition 218 Balloting Support", with your company's name
filled in.
Pricing information is considered confidential and must be submitted as a separate PDF file.
Electronic copies of the proposals shall be received by no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday,
October 15, 2026. The email date/time stamp will be proof of receipt. Late proposals will not be
considered under any circumstance. Every attempt will be made to send a confirmation email to
firms responding to this RFP; however, it may not be possible for City staff to respond in a timely
manner to emails sent just prior to the stated deadline. It is the responsibility of the sender to
confirm proposals were delivered and received.
Failure to provide all required submittals in completed form and/or a clearly marked original with
original signatures may result in a proposal being found non-responsive and given no
consideration. Proposals must be neat, complete, and fully address all information specified in
Section V.
For information concerning RFP procedures and regulations (i.e., submission deadline, forms
required, etc.) interested parties must contact the City's Purchasing Agent. All questions shall be
submitted via email.
CITY OF SAN LEANDRO
Sally Perez, Purchasing Technician
Finance Department
Email: SPerez@sanleandro.org
VII. ESTIMATED SCHEDULE
RFP Issue Date September 23, 2026
Proposal Submittal Due Date October 15, 2026, by 5:00 p.m.
Deadline to Submit Questions October 6, 2026 by 5:00 p.m.
Posting of Q&A October 12, 2026
Selection and Notification (Tentative) October 28, 2026
Award of Contract (Tentative) December, 2026
VIII. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
Proposals must fully address the evaluation factors, contain complete technical submittals,
references and data to verify qualifications and experience and include a statement that the City
contract can be executed, listing any exceptions. Proposals without sufficient submittal data to
provide a complete evaluation will be considered non-responsive. As part of the technical proposal,
Consultants must evaluate the City's proposal terms and conditions. Any exceptions taken to the
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proposal specifications and/or the City's Consulting Services Agreement must be listed as a
separate item as Exceptions to Specifications.
All proposals will be reviewed for compliance with specifications including documented capability
to perform the prescribed work in a satisfactory manner. Proposals, which appear to be compliant,
will be evaluated on a point system (0-100 points, with 100 being the best possible score) in
accordance with the following:
CRITERIA MAXIMUM POINTS
Firm and Team Qualifications / Relevant Experience 30
References 10
Project Understanding and Work Plan 30
Cost Proposal 20
Value-added Services / Innovative Approach 10
TOTAL 100
The City reserves the unilateral right to amend this RFP in writing at any time. The City also
reserves the right to cancel or reissue the RFP at its sole discretion. Additionally, the City may
seek clarification or additional information from Consultants. All Consultants shall verify if any
addendum for this project has been issued by the City and shall respond to the final written RFP
and any exhibits, attachments and amendments. It is the Consultant's responsibility to ensure that
all requirements of contract addendum are included in their submittal. To receive courtesy notices
and receipt of submittals, Consultants are encouraged to register, by email with the Purchasing
Technician. This RFP does not commit the City of San Leandro to sign an agreement, award a
contract, or to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFP. All documents,
conversations, correspondence, etc. with the City are subject to the laws and regulations that
govern the City. All Proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the City
and public records, and as such may be subject to public review.
The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and the right to waive minor irregularities in
any proposals. Waiver of one irregularity does not constitute waiver of any other irregularities.
Because this proposal is negotiable, all pricing data will remain confidential until after award
is made, and there will be no public opening and reading of proposals.
IX. DELIVERABLES REQUIRED OF SUCCESSFUL CONSULTANT
1. The successful Consultant(s) shall enter into a Consulting Services Agreement (attachment
A) with the City of San Leandro and submit the following items within ten (10) days of
notice of award:
a) City of San Leandro business license; to be maintained throughout length of contract
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