Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager, or Designee, to Execute a Third Amendment with Cultivate LLC to Increase Compensation by $75,000, for a Total Aggregate Compensation Not to Exceed $145,500, to Continue Providing Technical Planning Support to the City of Alameda General Plan Update. (Planning Building and Transportation 209)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council approved 2019 Biannual Budget and 2019 Annual Report on the Status of the General Plan identify the need and priority for a comprehensive update of the 1991 General Plan.
The work began in 2019 with a number of Planning Board (Board) workshops and study sessions at which the Board discussed the overall approach and schedule for the update, the initial draft of an updated Land Use Diagram and system of land use classifications, and the initial draft of the Introduction Chapter of the General Plan. In 2020 work will continue, with the goal of presenting the City Council with a Board recommended Draft General Plan update by the end of the calendar year.
In November 2018, the Department of Planning, Building and Transportation (Department) entered into a contract for $10,500 with Cultivate LLC (Cultivate) to assist the Department with general, on call planning services. In January 2019 the Department amended the contract to increase compensation by $60,000 to assist with the General Plan update. At this time, the Department would like to amend the contract to increase compensation by $75,000 to complete the work in 2020. The necessary funds are available and budgeted for this use in the Planning & Building Department Biannual Budget.
BACKGROUND
Every city and county in the State of California is required to adopt and maintain an up-to-date General Plan, which establishes the local development and conservation policies necessary to guide physical development and protect the general health, safety and welfare of the community. The General Plan should be an “integrated, internally consistent and compatible statement of policies for the adopting agency.” (Government Code section 65300.5.) The City of Alameda (City) General Plan is available at: https://www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Planning-Building-and-Transportation/Planning-Division/General-Plan
DISCUSSION
Maintenance of an up-to-date and internally consistent General Plan is a requirement of State Law. With a concerted effort by the Planning Board, community members, and City staff, the City can complete and the City Council can consider adopting a comprehensive update in 2020, which is intended to serve the City from 2020 through 2040. (The 1990 General Plan was designed to serve the City through 2010.)
Cultivate has provided important technical and graphic support to the General Plan update process to date. Staff will not be able to complete the update without this support. The revenues for a General Plan update have been collected annually over the last 10 years to fund this effort.
Staff recommends amending the Cultivate contract to authorize an additional $75,000, for total compensation not to exceed $145,500 to support City efforts through the completion of the General Plan update process (adoption hearing are anticipated at the end of this calendar year).
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve contract amendment and continue General Plan update.
2. Do not approve contract amendment and direct staff to solicit alternative consultant services.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The necessary funds are available and budgeted for this use in the Planning & Building Department Biannual Budget as part of the Community Development Fund (209). The City previously approved the original contract and the contract amendments as presented below:
|
Contract |
Approval Date |
Authorized Amount |
Expended to [Date] |
|
Original Contract |
11/13/2018 |
$10,500 |
$10,500 |
|
1st Amendment |
1/17/2019 |
$60,000 |
$57,000 |
|
2nd Amendment |
12/19/2019 |
Time Extension only |
Not Applicable |
|
3rd Amendment (proposed) |
2/18/2020 |
$75,000 |
$0 |
|
Total |
|
$145,500 |
$67,500 |
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
General Plans must be regularly updated as required by State Law Government Code section 65300.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A decision to enter into a contract for planning assistance is not a project subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
CLIMATE IMPACTS
The General Plan will include a Climate Change Element in support of the 2019 Climate Action Plan.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute a Third Amendment with Cultivate LLC to increase compensation by $75,000, for a total aggregate compensation not to exceed $145,500, to continue providing technical planning support to the City of Alameda General Plan update.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager requests authorization to execute a third amendment with Cultivate LLC.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Original Contract
2. 1st and 2nd Amendments
3. 3rd Amendment
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager