REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 21, 2024
FROM
MARK WARDLAW, Director, Land Use Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Contract Amendments for Various Planning Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 4400023035 with Harris & Associates, Inc., for the continued provision of on-call environmental, habitat conservation, planning and zoning, civil engineering and land development planning services, increasing the total not-to-exceed amount by $500,000, from $200,000 to $700,000, with no change to the total term of September 23, 2023, through September 22, 2026.
2. Approve Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 4400024498 with Freedom Support Services, Inc., for the continued provision of Planning Director services, increasing the total not-to-exceed amount by $200,000, from $130,000 to $330,000, and extending the term by one year, for a total term of March 18, 2024, through March 17, 2026.
3. Approve Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 4400024820 with Freedom Support Services, Inc., for the continued provision of Planning Manager services, increasing the total not-to-exceed amount by $100,000, from $70,000 to $170,000, and extending the term by one year, for a total term of March 18, 2024, through March 17, 2026.
(Presenter: Mark Wardlaw, Director, 387-4431)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the utilization of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). As of April 15, 2024, approximately $89,978 of the initial $200,000 has been expended for services provided since September 23, 2023, under the Harris & Associates, Inc. (Harris) contract. The proposed increase of $500,000 is based on an estimate of $20,000 monthly to ensure the availability of continued services for future anticipated planning projects.
No funds have been expended on the Freedom Support Services, Inc. (FSS) contracts as of April 15, 2024, as the first invoices are currently pending. With an anticipated invoice amount of $5,000, an increase of $200,000 (estimated minimum of $13,000 per month) is requested for Planning Director services, and with an anticipated invoice amount of $5,000, an increase of $100,000 (estimated minimum of $7,000 per month) is requested for Planning Manager services to ensure operational continuity. Adequate appropriation has been allocated in the Land Use Services Department (LUS) Planning Division’s 2023-24 budget for the Harris and FSS contracts and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
LUS is the designated planning agency for San Bernardino County (County) and is responsible for guiding the urban and rural development in the unincorporated areas of the County. This is done through the administration of policies and codes adopted by the Board of Supervisors and in compliance with various state laws.
On September 23, 2023, under the authority of the Purchasing Department (Purchasing), LUS entered into Contract No. 4400023035 with Harris to provide on-call services related to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), habitat conservation, planning and zoning, civil engineering, and land development services. Due to severe staffing shortages in the Planning Division, LUS opted for these services from this vendor based on specialized expertise and familiarity with County processes. LUS foresees a doubling in the volume of CEQA review performed by Harris, resulting in the requested increase of the total contract amount. This increase is attributed to the decision to outsource the majority of this work, necessitated by the high number of projects mandated by the state and limitations in staffing capacity. The amendment to Contract No. 4400023035 with Harris will ensure the continued availability of eligible planning services through September 22, 2026.
On March 18, 2024, under the authority of Purchasing, LUS entered into Contract No. 4400024498 with FSS for the provision of Planning Director services in the amount of $130,000, followed by issuance of Contract No. 4400024820 for the provision of Planning Manager services in the amount of $70,000, both for the term of March 18, 2024, through March 17, 2026. These contracts were initially procured as purchasing contracts to address the urgent need resulting from the departure of senior-level division leadership including Planning Director and Planning Manager. The department expects to utilize these contracts for well over a year due to challenges in filling positions, and in supporting the transition process. The extension and increase of these contracts are essential to maintain ongoing stability and expertise within the LUS Planning Division. Amendments to these contracts will ensure uninterrupted operations during this transition period, as LUS works towards recruiting permanent replacements for the Planning Director and Planning Manager positions.
PROCUREMENT
Per County Policy 11-04, a formal bidding process was not pursued for the contracts listed above. Based on severe staffing shortages in the Planning Division, LUS opted for these services from the respective vendors due to specialized expertise and familiarity with County processes.
Purchasing continues to support the non-competitive nature of these contracts.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Jason Searles, Supervising Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 6, 2024; Purchasing (Jessica Barajas, Supervising Buyer, 387-2065) on May 8, 2024; Finance (Penelope Chang, Administrative Analyst III, 387-4886) on May 8, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on May 9, 2024.