21-0615_INTERWEST CONSULTING GROUP_Agenda Report_E18City of San Juan Capistrano
Agenda Report
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Benjamin Siegel, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Thomas Toman, Public Works Director
PREPARED BY: Joe Parco, City Engineer
Jeremy Hohnbaum, Senior Civil Engineer
DATE: June 15, 2021
SUBJECT: Professional Services Agreement for Traffic Engineering and
Professional Engineering Services (Interwest Consulting Group).
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement
with Interwest Consulting Group to perform traffic and professional engineering services
for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2023, for an annual
amount not-to-exceed the amount of available funding in the annual operations and
capital improvement budgets.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The current agreement for Traffic Engineering and Professional Engineering Services
with Interwest Consulting Group expires on June 30, 2021. This service is needed to
support various capital projects and provide on-call traffic engineering assistance and
operations. Following a competitive proposal process, staff is recommending that the
City Council approve a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Interwest Consulting
Group for a term of two years beginning July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2023
(Attachment 1). Interwest Consulting Group has provided traffic engineering and
professional engineering services to the City since 2013 and has demonstrated a superior
ability to execute projects in a timely manner while providing consistent technical support
to staff. Additionally, Interwest unit pricing is consistent with local and current industry
pricing.
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City Council Agenda Report
June 15, 2021
Page 2 of 3
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
On May 14, 2021, staff issued a Request for Proposals for Traffic Engineering and
Professional Engineering Services. Two proposals were received on June 3, 2021. A
selection committee comprised of Public Works engineering staff evaluated the proposals
based on experience, unit pricing and the ability to effectively support the City’s needs.
The committee identified Interwest as the highest-ranking firm based on the following:
• Quality of proposal and detailed responsiveness to the City’s RFP and scope of
work.
• Quality and experience of the engineering team.
• Familiarity with the City’s traffic and transportation program(s) and the City’s
design requirements.
Interwest has provided traffic engineering and professional engineering services to the
City since 2013. The Interwest team has demonstrated a superior ability to execute
projects in a timely manner while providing consistent technical support to staff.
Additionally, Interwest unit pricing is consistent with local and current industry pricing.
Under the proposed contract, compensation would be based on unit pricing as noted in
Exhibit “B” of the proposed PSA, and would not exceed the available funding amount in
the operating and capital improvement budgets. Staff is recommending that the City
Council approve a PSA with Interwest Consulting Group for a term of two years beginning
July 1, 2021, and ending June 30, 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is sufficient funding in the approved Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Operating and Capital
Budgets to provide for these services. Unit costs as proposed would result in an increase
of 5% over the current pricing in the first year of the new term, with an increase in year
two tied to an All Urban Consumers Price Index (CPI-U) adjustment as determined and
approved by the City (October to October of the prior year).
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the recommended
action is exempt from CEQA per Section 15061(b)(3), the general rule that the CEQA
applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the
environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the
activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not
subject to CEQA. A Professional Services Agreement with Interwest Consulting Group
to perform traffic engineering and professional engineering services would not be an
activity with potential to cause significant effect on the environment and is therefore
exempt from CEQA.
City Council Agenda Report
June 15, 2021
Page 3 of 3
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW:
• On May 21, 2019, the City Council approved the Fifth Amendment to the Personal
Services Agreement (PSA) with Interwest Consulting Group for Professional
Engineering Services, extending the agreement term through June 30, 2021, and held
the hourly rates the same as the prior agreement, $145 per hour for Traffic/City
Engineer services.
• On June 20, 2017, the City Council approved the Fourth Amendment to the Personal
Services Agreement (PSA) with Interwest Consulting Group for Professional
Engineering Services, extending the agreement term through June 30, 2019, and
increasing the hourly rate to $145 per hour for Traffic/City Engineer services.
• On April 19, 2016, the City Council approved the Third Amendment to the PSA with
Interwest Consulting Group for Professional Engineering Services as City
Engineer/Traffic Engineer to extend the agreement through June 30, 2017.
• On March 1, 2016, the City Council approved the Second Amendment to the PSA with
Interwest Consulting Group to add Building and Grading Inspection Services.
• On July 15, 2014, the City Council approved the First Amendment to the PSA with
Interwest Consulting Group to extend the term within the provision of the original PSA
and increased the total compensation to not exceed the amount of available funding
in the approved Fiscal Years 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 Operating and Capital
Improvement Budgets for these services.
• On October 1, 2013, the City Council approved the PSA with Interwest Consulting
Group.
COMMISSION/COMMITTEE/BOARD REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
This item does not require commission, committee, or board review.
NOTIFICATIONS:
Jim Ross, Interwest Consulting Group
Sayed Fakhry, TJKM Transportation Consultants
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Proposed Professional Services Agreement (Interwest Consulting)
Interim Chief Financial Officer
Avner Alkhas