TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Brian Ambrose, Director of Community Services
PREPARED BY: Lea Kolek, Parks and Community Service Manager
SUBJECT: Parks and Recreation and Trails Master Plans Contract Award
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RECOMMENDATION
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Award the contract to RJM Design Group, Inc. in the amount not to exceed $478,965 for
updates to the existing Parks and Recreation Master Plan and drafting of Trails Master Plan;
Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement; and
Amend the Parks and Recreation Master Plan CIP No. 22028 to appropriate an additional
$9,570 from Measure T Unassigned Fund Balance.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On September 4, 2007, the Board of Directors adopted Resolution CSD 07-117 awarding a contract to RJM Design Group, Inc. to update the Parks and Recreation Master Plan (Vote 5-0).
On April 14, 2009, the City of Murrieta hosted a workshop with the City Council, acting as the CSD Board of Directors, the Community Services Commission, and the Planning Commission to review the draft update to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan (Non-Action item).
On May 7, 2009, the Community Services Commission approved the final revisions to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan update and recommended adoption by the Board of Directors (Vote: 3-0).
On June 3, 2009, the Planning Commission approved the amendments to the General Plan based on the updates to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and found the document to be consistent with the General Plan (Vote: 3-0).
On June 16, 2009, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 09-2306, approving the amendments to the General Plan based upon the revisions to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and finding the Parks and Recreation Master Plan update consistent with the General Plan (Vote: 5-0).
On June 16, 2009, the Board of Directors for the Community Services District, adopted Resolution No. CSD 09-147, approving the final version of the updated Parks and Recreation Master Plan (Vote: 5-0).
CITY COUNCIL GOAL
Plan, program and create infrastructure development.
BACKGROUND
The City of Murrieta adopted its original Parks and Recreation Master Plan (Master Plan) in 1999. At that time, the City of Murrieta (City) had a population of 41,650 residents with 25 parks and maintained over 600 acres of open space, streetscape, slope, and parkland. Additionally, the Community Services Department (CSD) had limited facilities, with no Community, Senior, or Youth Centers yet constructed. The City then adopted an update to the 1999 Master Plan in 2009. At that time, the City had a population of 97,257, a Community Center and a Senior Center, 44 parks in its inventory, and maintenance oversight of over 1,300 acres of open space, streetscape, slope, trails, and parkland.
With the adoption of each of these earlier Master Plans, the City defined the existing and proposed physical facilities used by the public for passive and active parks as well as recreation in the community. Staff based the Master Plans on detailed demographic analysis and assessments of facility needs for City and community use, as well as youth and adult sports groups. The Master Plans became the implementation tool for determining what types of amenities to include in future park designs.
Since it has been almost fourteen years since the last Parks Master Plan Update, staff will use the forthcoming Master Plan to continue to set the framework for decision-makers in the planning and rehabilitation of the City’s parks and recreation facilities as well as a planning tool that will establish park and facility standards. Furthermore, the proposed Master Plan will provide a systematic and prioritized approach to the implementation of needed parks and facilities. The new Trails Master Plan will be drafted alongside the update to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and it will identify routes, resources, and conditions currently existing in the City’s inventory of trails, develop plans for local and regional connectivity, and establish goals and objectives for future trail projects.
Both of the Master Plan final documents are to include evaluations, analysis, findings, and recommendations of all elements necessary to meet the City’s short-term, mid-term, and long-term vision. Each Master Plan document will include the following:
1. An executive summary outlining the process taken to create the report;
2. Written goals, plans, objectives, and policy statements articulating a clear vision, guide, and model for the CSD’s future;
3. Charts, graphs, maps, and other data to support both of the Master Plans;
4. Survey results;
5. A financial plan;
6. An action plan; and
7. Performance measurement standards.
On March 20, 2023, the CSD issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to update the current Parks and Recreation Master Plan and to draft the City’s first Trails Master Plan. Staff’s goal was to retain the services of a consultant specializing in parks, recreation, and trail planning, with experience in preparing a wide variety of recreation planning documents but tailoring the needed Master Plans to the City’s specific needs.
Four (4) consulting firms submitted proposals in response to the RFP. CSD staff formed an evaluation team to review and score the submittals. Evaluation criteria included experience; vision; creativity, quality, and initiative; technical competence; and cost. Staff invited the three highest-scoring consultants to participate in an interview with the evaluation team, which also included a representative from the Planning Division. After careful consideration and further evaluation, CSD staff is recommending contracting with RJM Design Group, Inc. (RJM) for the drafting of both the update to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the City’s first Trails Master Plan (Attachment 1-2).
Established in 1987, RJM has over 35 years of experience in park and recreation planning and analysis. RJM not only completed the City’s 2009 updated Master Plan document, but they have recently completed the Parks and Recreation Master Plan for the City of Temecula. Other notable agencies for which RJM completed similar parks and trails master plans include the cities of Menifee, Santa Clarita, Laguna Woods, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, Costa Mesa, and Irvine. RJM and their team stand ready to lead the City through multiple outreach opportunities to engage the community, including a project website, surveys, stakeholder interviews, questionnaires, and in-person community workshops. Through their multi-phased project approach, RJM will develop strategies to address each of their facility, program, and trail recommendations.
FISCAL IMPACT
RJM provided a cost estimate of $209,570 for their services related to the update of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The project CIP (No. 22028) currently allocates $200,000 for these services, funded via Measure T. A budget appropriation of $9,570 from Measure T Unassigned Fund Balance to account 1117500-60480 22028111-100 is necessary to fund the full cost of this Agreement.
RJM provided a cost estimate of $269,395 for the Trails Master Plan. Funding is available from CIP No. 10038, account number 1327500-60480 10038132-100.
The total contract award to RJM is $478,965.
ATTACHMENTS
1) Agreement with RJM Design Group, Inc.
2) RJM Design Group, Inc Proposal