Request for Proposals: On-Call Engineering Services

CITY OF DESERT HOT SPRINGS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
FOR
ON-CALL ENGINEERING SERVICES
The City Clerk of the City of Desert Hot Springs, California will receive at the Office of the
City Clerk, City Hall, 11999 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240 until 2:00PM,
September 28, 2026 sealed proposals for the performance of the described services.
Published
September 15, 2026
On-Call Engineering Services Page 1 of 14 City of Desert Hot Springs

TABLE OF CONTENTS
On-Call Engineering Services
I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 3
II. PROJECT BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................... 3
III. SCOPE OF SERVICES ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
IV. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 5
V. SELECTION CRITERIA .................................................................................................................................................... 7
VI. SELECTION PROCESS ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
VII. SUBMISSION DEADLINE ................................................................................................................................................ 8
VIII. REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................................ 8
IX. TAXES AND LICENSES ................................................................................................................................................... 9
X. PAYMENT TO CONSULTANT ........................................................................................................................................ 9
XI. INSURANCE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9
XII. TERMINATION, RIGHTS, AND OPTIONS FOR CONVENIENCE OF THE CITY..................................................... 12
XIII. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR .................................................................................................................................... 13
XIV. CONTRACT ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13
XV. GENERAL CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................................................... 13
XVI. PREVAILING WAGES .................................................................................................................................................... 14
PROPOSAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM ................................................................................................................. Exhibit A
SAMPLE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT ................................................................................................. Exhibit B
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I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND INTRODUCTION
The City of Desert Hot Springs ("City") is requesting proposals from qualified consultants to
provide On-Call Engineering Services.
The City anticipates selecting multiple qualified Consultants through this solicitation and entering
into separate on-call Professional Services Agreements with each selected Consultant. The number
of Consultants selected will be determined by the City based upon the qualifications of the firms
submitting proposals and the needs of the City.
Proposals must conform to the requirements of this Request for Proposal (RFP) and proposals
must be submitted in a sealed envelope to the Department of Public Works and Engineering
no later than 2:00 p.m. on Monday, September 28, 2026. The consultant contract is anticipated
to be awarded at an October City Council meeting. The City reserves the right to waive any
irregularity in any proposal, or to reject any proposal that does not comply with this RFP. The
City, using the criteria set forth herein, will select the most qualified Consultants.
Each selected Consultant will be required to enter into a separate agreement with the City, which
will include the requirements of this RFP, as well as other requirements to be specified at a later
date.
By submitting a proposal, the Consultant agrees to all of the terms of this RFP.
Please direct any questions regarding this RFP to Elias Garcia, City Engineer, via email at
EGarcia@cityofdhs.org, by the deadline specified in Section VIII, Requests for Additional
Information.
II. PROJECT BACKGROUND
The City of Desert Hot Springs is located in the Coachella Valley in Riverside County, California.
The City encompasses approximately 30 square miles and is comprised of residential, commercial,
industrial, and public properties, as well as significant areas of undeveloped land experiencing
continued growth and development.
The activities and operations of the City regularly require professional engineering services that
must be performed by California State licensed engineers and other qualified professionals. These
services may include civil, traffic, transportation, drainage, utility, development, surveying, and
construction-related engineering support. Certain assignments may be limited in scope, require
specialized expertise, or require a rapid response, making the traditional project-specific "RFP-
Proposal-Award" process impractical. Accordingly, the City may utilize qualified on-call
engineering consultants to provide professional services on an as-needed basis.
The selected Consultants shall provide professional engineering services as needed throughout the
duration of individual task orders or assignments issued by the City. All work performed shall
comply with applicable codes, regulations, standards, and requirements.
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III. SCOPE OF SERVICES
The selected Consultants shall perform engineering and administrative services as necessary to
complete individual assignments authorized by the City. Services may include, but are not
necessarily limited to, the items noted below. Additional services may be authorized by the City
as necessary for individual assignments.
1. Engineering Design for City Capital Improvement Projects, and other City projects.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
a. Street Rehabilitation Project Design
b. City Park Design and Upgrade
c. Minor City Building Facilities Improvements
d. Minor grading and drainage for City Facilities
e. Preliminary estimates for projects to assist the City in scoping and budgeting
f. Storm Drain Rehabilitation and/or Installation, generally following the
recommendations of the City's Master Drainage Plan, its updates, and applicable
Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District standards and
requirements.
g. Peer-reviews of reports and studies submitted to the City by other Engineering firms
h. Provide engineering drafting services to the City at a reasonable rate
i. Coordination with designs teams including architects, structural engineers,
geotechnical engineers, etc.
2. Traffic and Transportation Engineering. Examples include, but are not limited to:
a. Studies and analyses
b. Traffic signal design, modification, and operational analysis
c. Signing and striping plans
d. Pedestrian and bicycle facility design and improvements
e. Traffic control plans and work zone traffic control review
f. Traffic signal timing and coordination
g. Review of traffic impact studies and transportation studies submitted to the City
h. Parking and circulation studies
i. Traffic data collection and analysis
j. Coordination with Caltrans, Riverside County, CVAG, and other agencies as
applicable
k. Other traffic and transportation engineering services as directed by the City Engineer
3. Land Surveying Services. Examples include, but are not limited to: topographic surveys,
boundary and right-of-way surveys, construction staking, monumentation, preparation of
legal descriptions and plats, record research, and other surveying and mapping services as
directed by the City Engineer.
4. Perform engineering design services, either under the direct supervision of the City
Engineer or independently.
5. Prepare conceptual plans, exhibits, sketches, maps, and other preliminary engineering
drawings as directed by the City, including materials necessary to support project scoping,
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planning, budgeting, grant applications, and funding requests.
6. Prepare conceptual and preliminary engineering cost estimates as directed by the City,
including estimates necessary to support project scoping, budgeting, grant applications,
and funding requests.
7. Perform engineering analysis review as directed by the City
8. Construction Support. Examples include, but are not limited to:
a. Bidding Support
b. Response to RFIs and technical assistance
c. Submittal Reviews
d. Construction Management
e. On-site inspections
f. Attendance at meetings with City staff, consultants, contractors, regulatory agencies,
utility agencies, and other project stakeholders, as required.
9. Preparation of plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E)
10. All services shall be performed in accordance with applicable local, State, Federal, and
City laws, regulations, ordinances, standards, and requirements, including, but not limited to, the
Subdivision Map Act and the Professional Engineers Act.
COMPENSATION and LENGTH OF AGREEMENT
Each selected Consultant will be offered a contract with an annual NOT-TO-EXCEED amount of
$150,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars and no cents). Services will be authorized
by the City on an as-needed basis through individual task orders or written authorizations and will
be applied against the overall annual not-to-exceed amount. The award of an agreement does not
guarantee any minimum amount of work or compensation. The anticipated duration of the
agreement will be three (3) years.
IV. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Proposals and all other information and documents submitted in response to this RFP are subject
to the California Public Records Act, which generally mandates the disclosure of documents in the
possession of the City upon the request of any person, unless the content of the document falls
within a specific exemption category.
Three (3) copies of the Proposal must be submitted containing the following elements:
* Proposers must submit three (3) bound copies of their proposal to the City for review.
* 81/2" x 11" sheet sizes should be used for the text, with 11" x 17" sheet sizes for any fold
out drawings.
* The proposal shall be limited to twenty-five (25) pages. Resumes for proposed personnel,
tabs, and cover/back pages will not be counted towards the page limit.
* Proposals should be concise and specific to the services requested in this RFP.
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
A Letter of Transmittal shall be addressed to Elias Garcia, P.E., T.E., City Engineer, and, at a
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minimum, must contain the following information:
* Identification of the proposing Consultant who will have contractual responsibility with
the City. Identification shall include the legal name of the company, corporate address,
telephone number, and email address of the contact person identified during the period of
proposal evaluation.
* A statement representing that the Consultant has thoroughly examined and become familiar
with the work required in this RFP and is capable of performing quality work to achieve
the objectives of the City.
* Acknowledgement of receipt of all addenda, if any.
* A statement to the effect that the proposal shall remain valid for a period of not less than
ninety (90) days from the date of submittal.
* Signature of the official authorized to bind Consultant to the terms of the proposal.
* Signed statement attesting that all information submitted with the proposal is true and
correct.
WRITTEN PROPOSAL
The Proposal shall consist of the following sections:
1. Letter of Transmittal. Contents of the Letter of Transmittal listed above.
2. Firm Structure and History. Including the firm's experience managing projects similar
in magnitude and scope, key personnel and structure (organization chart), credentials,
background, and ownership of the firm.
3. Key personnel. List qualifications of personnel with resumes and a breakdown of
responsibilities. The Firm's project manager, who will be responsible for coordinating
services under the on-call agreement, must be identified. The City must approve changes
to key personnel identified in the proposal subsequent to award of the agreement. Resumes
must be submitted for key personnel proposed to perform services under the agreement.
4. A narrative briefly describing the proposed approach using general descriptions for the
activities.
5. A list of proposed sub-consultants, sub-contractors, suppliers, and manufacturers,
including their qualifications pertinent to this project.
6. A client reference list from previous City / Government Agency projects of similar scope
and magnitude. List should include key personnel-contacts and their position with the
agency.
7. A Fee Schedule of the Consultant's Hourly / Standard Rates.
8. Evidence of compliance with City insurance requirements.
9. Exceptions and Deviations. Contractor shall state any exceptions or deviations from the
requirements of this RFP, segregating "technical" exceptions from "contractual"
exceptions. Where the Consultant wishes to propose alternative approaches to meeting the
City's technical or contractual requirements, these shall be thoroughly explained. If the
Consultant has no exceptions or deviations to the contract requirements set forth in
EXHIBIT B, "Sample Professional Services Agreement," the Consultant shall so state in
its proposal.
10. Proposal Acknowledgement Form. Contractor shall complete and submit EXHIBIT A,
"Proposal Acknowledgement Form." Failure to submit this signed form will result in the
disqualification of the Consultant's proposal.
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V. SELECTION CRITERIA
Submitted proposals will be evaluated based on the following factors, but may not be limited to
just these factors:
Approximate
Criteria
Weight
Staffing Capabilities / Technical Competence. Demonstrated technical competence in the
engineering disciplines applicable to the Scope of Services; availability and qualifications of
proposed personnel; resources available to perform requested services; and knowledge of 30%
applicable laws, regulations, codes, standards, and requirements governing municipal public
works and engineering projects.
Approach to Work. Methodology to be implemented to address and coordinate the various
30%
elements within the program.
Past Performance Record. Experience in completion of services of similar complexity and
scale for the City of Desert Hot Springs and other public agencies is desirable. Efficiency and 35%
timeliness in completion of program requirements.
Exceptions and deviations from the City's standard Professional Services Agreement. 5%
VI. SELECTION PROCESS
Per California law, the procurement of Professional Services must be selected on the basis of
qualifications, or Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) in accordance with Public Law 92-582.
The procurement of Professional Services can be one-time or multi-year. Professional services
contracts have provisions for specific terms, compensation amounts, and scopes of services.
The City reserves the right to conduct interviews with the highest-ranked Consultants, if deemed
necessary, following evaluation of the written proposals. The number of Consultants invited to
participate in interviews shall be determined by the City based upon proposal rankings and the
City's needs. The City reserves the right to select one or more Consultants for award based upon
proposal rankings, qualifications, and the City's needs.
Each proposal will be reviewed to determine if it meets the submittal requirements contained
within this RFP. Failure to meet the requirements of this RFP may be cause for rejection of the
proposal. The city may reject any proposal if it is conditional, incomplete, or contains
irregularities. The City may waive an immaterial deviation in a proposal, but this shall in no way
modify the proposal document or excuse the Consultant from compliance with the contract
requirements if the Consultant is awarded the contract.
Each selected Consultant shall, within ten (10) days after being notified, enter into a contract with
the City in accordance with the requirements of this RFP and shall furnish all required documents
necessary to enter into said contract. Failure of a selected Consultant to execute the contract within
the ten (10)-day period shall be just cause for the City to proceed with another qualified Consultant.
On-Call Engineering Services Page 7 of 14 City of Desert Hot Springs

VII. SUBMISSION DEADLINE
In order to be considered, the Consultant must submit three (3) copies of the Service
Proposal to the following office:
City of Desert Hot Springs
Public Works & Engineering Department
11999 Palm Drive
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
Attention: Elias Garcia, City Engineer
The proposal outer envelope shall be labeled:
PROPOSAL FOR ON-CALL ENGINEERING SERVICES
The proposal must be received at the office listed above no later than the date and time listed on
the cover.
There is no expressed or implied obligation for the City to reimburse firms for any expenses
incurred in preparing proposals in response to this request.
Materials submitted by respondents are subject to public inspection under the California Public
Records Act (Government Code Sec. 7920.000 et seq.). Any language purporting to render the
entire proposal confidential or proprietary will be ineffective and disregarded.
The City reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted, and to use any idea in a proposal,
regardless of whether the proposal was selected. Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by
the firm of the conditions contained in the RFP, unless clearly and specifically noted in the
proposal submitted and confirmed in the contract between the City and the selected firm.
All property rights, including publication rights of all reports produced by the selected firm in
connection with services performed under this agreement, shall be vested in the City.
VIII. REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
All questions and/or inquiries regarding this RFP shall be directed to:
Elias Garcia, City Engineer
City of Desert Hot Springs
11999 Palm Drive
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
Email: EGarcia@cityofdhs.org
All questions and/or inquiries shall be submitted no later than Monday, September 21, 2026. Any
addenda issued by the City in response to questions or clarifications regarding this RFP are
anticipated to be issued by Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Consultants shall verify receipt of
any addenda issued by the City. Any addenda issued shall become part of this RFP, and
acknowledgement of addenda shall be included in the Proposal Acknowledgement Form.
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IX. TAXES AND LICENSES
All taxes, licenses, registrations, and certifications required to perform the services, including, but
not limited to, a City of Desert Hot Springs Business License and applicable professional licenses,
shall be obtained and maintained at the sole expense of the Consultant.
X. PAYMENT TO CONSULTANT
Services will be authorized on an as-needed basis through individual task orders. Prior to
commencing an assignment, the Consultant shall provide the City with a scope of work and fee
proposal based upon the approved hourly rate schedule. Each task order shall establish a not-to-
exceed amount unless otherwise authorized by the City in writing.
The City will pay the Consultant for work completed as authorized under the applicable task order.
Progress payments shall be based on services performed as identified in the applicable task order.
Monthly invoices will specifically identify job title, person-hours, and costs incurred by each task.
Sub-categorization of task is permitted to better define the task for payment.
Reimbursement costs such as mileage, printing, telephone, photographs, postage and delivery, are
to be included in the "Not-to-Exceed Fixed Fee."
All tasks including labor and reimbursable costs such as mileage, printing, telephone, photographs,
postage, and delivery shall be supporting documentation presented at the time payment is
requested.
The City will pay the Consultant for all acceptable services rendered in accordance with the
"Agreement for Professional Consultant Services."
Work beyond the scope or not-to-exceed amount of an authorized task order shall not be performed
without prior written authorization from the City.
Payment will be based on hourly rate for work completed associated with each applicable task as
identified in the consultant's proposal.
XI. INSURANCE
a. Policies. Contractor, at Contractor's sole cost and expense, shall procure and maintain, for
the duration of this Agreement, the following insurance policies:
(1) Worker's Compensation Coverage. Contractor shall maintain Worker's Compensation
Insurance and Employers' Liability Insurance for its employees in accordance with the
laws of the State of California, of an amount not less than one million dollars
($1,000,000) per accident and for Employers' Liability Insurance in amounts not less
than $1,000,000 each accident for bodily injury by accident, $1,000,000 policy limit
for bodily injury by disease, and $1,000,000 each employee for bodily injury by
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disease. In addition, Contractor shall require each subcontractor to similarly maintain
Worker's Compensation Insurance and Employers' Liability Insurance in accordance
with the laws of the State of California for all of the subcontractor's employees. If any
class of employees employed by Contractor pursuant to this Agreement is not protected
by the California State Worker's Compensation Law, Contractor shall provide
adequate insurance for the protection of such employees to the satisfaction of the City.
This provision shall not apply if Contractor has no employees performing work under
this Agreement. Contractor agrees to waive its statutory immunity under any worker's
compensation or similar statute, as respecting the City, and to require any and all
subcontractors and any other person or entity involved in the Services to do the same.
(2) General Liability Coverage. Contractor shall maintain commercial general liability
insurance in an amount not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence,
combined single limit coverage for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage
associated with work contemplated in this Agreement. If a commercial general liability
insurance form or other form with a general aggregate limit is used, either the general
aggregate limit shall apply separately to the work to be performed under this Agreement
or the general aggregate limit shall be at least twice the required occurrence limit.
Contractor shall provide insurance on an occurrence, not claims-made basis. Contractor
acknowledges and agrees that, for purposes of clarification with the intention of
avoiding gaps in coverage with any umbrella or excess coverage, personal and
advertising injury coverage shall be triggered by an "offense" while bodily injury and
property damage coverage shall be triggered by an "occurrence" during the policy
period. The coverage required in this paragraph shall provide at least as much coverage
as that provided by ISO form CG 00 01 12 07 or any updated form thereof.
(3) Automobile Liability Coverage. Contractor shall maintain commercial automobile
liability insurance covering bodily injury, personal injury and property damage for all
activities of the Contractor arising out or of in connection with the work to be
performed under this Agreement, including coverage for owned, hired and non-owned
vehicles, in an amount of not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) combined
single limit for each occurrence, and two million dollars ($2,000,000) in the aggregate.
As an alternative, Contractor shall be permitted to obtain a non-owned automobile
endorsement to its comprehensive general liability insurance providing the same
protection and coverage as though Contractor were to provide separate commercial
vehicle liability insurance as set forth in this paragraph. The coverage required in this
paragraph shall provide at least as much coverage as that provided by ISO form CA 00
01 or any updated form thereof.
(4) Professional Liability Coverage. Contractor shall maintain professional errors and
omissions liability insurance for protection against claims alleging negligent acts,
errors or omissions which may arise from Contractor's Services, whether such Services
are performed by Contractor or by its employees, subcontractors, or sub-contractors, to
the extent such persons other than Contractor are permitted to perform any of the
Services under this Agreement. The amount of this insurance shall not be less than one
million dollars ($1,000,000) per claim, and two million dollars ($2,000,000) in the
aggregate.
On-Call Engineering Services Page 10 of 14 City of Desert Hot Springs