REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
January 14, 2025
FROM
MARK WARDLAW, Director, Land Use Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Contract for On-call Civil Engineering Professional Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve agreements, including non-standard terms, for the provision of on-call land development civil engineering professional services with the following vendors, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $3,600,000, for the period of January 14, 2025, through January 13, 2028, with two one-year options to extend:
1. Albert A. Webb Associates
2. Bureau Veritas North America, Inc.
3. CSG Consultants, Inc.
4. Freedom Support Services, Inc.
5. Geocon West, Inc.
6. Ghazal Engineering
7. Harris & Associates, Inc.
8. HR Green Pacific, Inc.
9. NV5, Inc.
10. Valued Engineering, Inc.
(Presenter: Mark Wardlaw, Director, 387-4431)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Provide for the Safety, Health, and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this recommendation will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Expenditures with each contractor will vary depending on the type and frequency of services needed to meet civil engineering requests. The annual cost is estimated to be $1,200,000 for an aggregate total not to exceed $3,600,000 for the period of January 14, 2025, through January 13, 2028. These costs will be partially recovered through project billings and service fees approved annually by the Board of Supervisors (Board). Work not funded by service fees would only be done if there is available funding for such services within the Land Development budget limits. Sufficient appropriation and revenue to fund these contracts is included in the Land Use Services Department (LUS) Land Development Division (LND) 2024-25 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
LND is responsible for reviewing local area drainage plans and ensuring that grading plans are prepared in conformance with the California Building Code. Approval of this item will allow LUS to utilize on-call professional service providers to complete Civil Engineering Plan Review requests on an as-needed basis to support County staff during times of increased workload or staffing shortage to ensure compliance with all local and State laws and standards for the protection of public health, safety, and welfare in the County’s unincorporated areas. The on-call service providers shall be utilized to maintain consistent and uninterrupted service levels.
PROCUREMENT
On July 2, 2024, Request for Proposal (RFP) No. LUSD24-LUS-5480 was released through the County’s Electronic Procurement Network (ePro) to identify qualified vendors for on-call civil engineering professional services. On July 23, 2024, LUS received proposals from the following vendors:
|
Vendor |
Location |
|
Albert A. Webb Associates |
Riverside, CA |
|
Bureau Veritas North American, Inc. |
Pasadena, CA |
|
CASC Engineering and Consulting, Inc. |
Colton, CA |
|
CSG Consultants, Inc. |
Orange, CA |
|
Freedom Support Services, Inc. |
Yucaipa, CA |
|
Geocon West, Inc. |
Loma Linda, CA |
|
Ghazal Engineering |
Redlands, CA |
|
Harris & Associates, Inc. |
Ontario, CA |
|
HR Green Pacific, Inc. |
Corona, CA |
|
NV5, Inc. |
Riverside, CA |
|
Valued Engineering, Inc. |
Upland, CA |
A three-member committee of subject matter experts from LUS evaluated 11 proposals for qualifications and experience, technical review, references, and costs. Based on this evaluation, LUS has determined that 10 of the 11 proposals met the RFP requirements and are most qualified to provide the needed services. On January 2, 2025, Notice of Intent to Award letters were sent to all selected vendors. No protests were received during the 10-day appeal/protest period.
The vendor Harris & Associates, Inc. (Harris) would not agree to all County standard terms, so the parties negotiated certain non-standard modifications to the County standard terms. The non-standard terms include the following:
1. Modified indemnification and defense obligations by excluding claims arising from the County’s active and passive negligence.
• The County standard contract requires contractors to indemnify and defend the County from any and all claims arising out of the contract, including claims that involve the County’s own contributory negligence.
• Potential Impact: The exclusions of the County’s contributory negligence will result in the County’s inability to recover damages that arise out of the contract but that are determined to be caused by the County.
LUS recommends the Board award agreements, including the agreement with non-standard terms, with the vendors listed in the Recommendation section. LUS will utilize vendors based on expertise, availability, and specific project needs to provide the required services in order to ensure the County maintains a sufficient number of qualified vendors to meet the needs of County residents in cases of high workload and emergency response.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Jason Searles, Supervising County Counsel, 909-387-5455) on November 15, 2024; Purchasing (Jessica Barajas, Supervising Buyer, 387-2065) on November 19, 2024; Finance (Penelope Chang, Administrative Analyst III, 387-4886) on November 21, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on November 22, 2024.