TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Bob Moehling, Public Works Director
PREPARED BY: Anita Agyeman, Management Analyst - Public Works
SUBJECT:
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Agreement for Consulting Services for the Storm Drain Master Plan, CIP No. 19002
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ABSTRACT
This item approves an Agreement for Professional Services (Agreement) for the preparation of the Storm Drain Master Plan, CIP No. 19002 (Project). The Project will evaluate the City’s existing storm drain system, identify deficiencies, and develop a prioritized Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project list to address current and future drainage needs. The Project is partially funded through existing CIP appropriations, with additional funding subject to City Council approval if services are authorized. The Storm Drain Master Plan will provide a comprehensive framework to guide long-term infrastructure planning, improve system performance, and enhance flood protection throughout the City.
RECOMMENDATION
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Amend the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 Capital Improvement Plan Budget to establish an additional appropriation of $511,000 of Storm Drain Development Impact Fees (DIF) into CIP Project No. 19002;
Approve the Agreement for Professional Services to develop a Storm Drain Master Plan, CIP No. 19002, with Rick Engineering Company, Inc., in the amount of $564,600;
Authorize a 10% contingency of $56,400; and
Authorize the City Manager to execute the Agreement and any amendments to the Agreement, not-to-exceed 10% of the contract amount.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On June 3, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 25-4836, approving the Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Year 2025/26 to 2029/30, which included the Storm Drain Master Plan, CIP No. 19002 (Vote: 5-0).
On February 26, 2026, the City Council held a workshop to conduct a comprehensive review of the City’s top priorities. The development of the Storm Drain Master Plan, CIP No. 19002, was upgraded to a Tier 1 Small Scale Project from Tier 2 on Agenda Item No. WS1.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
This item aligns with the City Council goal of: planning, programming and creating infrastructure development relating to priority Tier 1.
DISCUSSION
Development of a Storm Drain Master Plan consists of preparing a comprehensive, citywide planning document to evaluate, model, and improve the City’s storm drain infrastructure system. The Project includes assessing existing drainage facilities, identifying deficiencies, and developing prioritized CIP project lists to address current and future drainage needs throughout the City of Murrieta (City).
The Project encompasses all major drainage systems within the City, including storm drainpipes, culverts, channels, inlets, manholes, and related facilities that are part of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4). The majority of the City is located within the Santa Margarita River Watershed, with drainage conveyed through facilities such as Murrieta Creek, Warm Springs Creek, and various local drainage lines identified in Riverside County Flood Control District (RCFCD) master drainage plan for Murrieta Creek.
The Project proposes to develop a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based inventory of existing drainage infrastructure and to perform hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to evaluate system performance under various storm events. The analysis will identify undersized or deficient facilities, flood-prone areas, and gaps in the existing drainage network. Based on this analysis, the Project will provide recommendations for repairs, upgrades, and new storm drain facilities, along with prioritization and planning-level cost estimates for implementation.
The Project will also evaluate future conditions, including projected development and land use changes, to ensure the storm drain system can accommodate long-term growth. The final Storm Drain Master Plan will include a prioritized CIP project list, identifying projects for near-term (5-year) and long-term (20-year) implementation, as well as potential funding sources, including local, state, and federal programs.
On October 15, 2025, the City issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for professional engineering services to prepare the Storm Drain Master Plan. The City received eleven statements of qualifications (SOQ) from qualified consultants. A short list was established of the three best-qualified firms, and interviews were held. Rick Engineering Company (REC) was selected by the City’s panel. REC is highly experienced in the preparation of storm drain master plans for agencies throughout Southern California. Work is expected to commence in July 2026 and has an estimated project duration of 22 months.
Staff reviewed REC’s proposal for preparation of the Storm Drain Master Plan and found it consistent with current market pricing for similar types of work. The cost of the plan is $495,000, with optional tasks increasing the total potential cost to $564,600. Staff recommends approving a 10% contingency in the event of minor additions that would be subject to approval by the City Manager for a total amount of $621,000.
The current budget for CIP No. 19002 is $250,000. The total Agreement amount, including contingency, is $621,000. Additional funding for this project is necessary to fund staff time associated with this project (instead of the General Fund), as well as the potential for additional specialty consulting services which may be needed to complete the Storm Drain Master Plan; the recommended amount for these items is $140,000. Combined, the total estimated cost for this project is $761,000. Therefore, an additional appropriation of $511,000 in Storm Drain Development Impact Fee (DIF) funds is needed for CIP No. 19002.
PUBLIC NOTICING
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
CEQA AND REGULATORY OVERVIEW
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total fiscal impact of approving the contract is $495,000, with optional tasks increasing the total potential cost to $564,600. Staff is recommending a 10% contingency, or $56,400, for a total of $621,000. In addition, staff recommends allocating another $140,000 to the CIP project budget to cover charging staff time to this project rather than the General Fund and to address any need for specialty consulting services related to completing the Storm Drain Master Plan. Combined, this makes the estimated total project cost $761,000.
The Project is currently funded in the amount of $250,000 from Fund 134, Storm Drain Development Impact Fee (DIF). An appropriation of $511,000 is necessary from Storm Drain DIF into CIP Project No. 19002.
If the City Council approves the agreement, staff recommends that City Council approve an amendment to the FY 2025/26 Capital Improvement Plan Budget to establish an additional appropriation of $511,000 of Storm Drain Development Impact Fees (DIF) into CIP Project No. 19002.
ATTACHMENTS
ATT 1 - Agreement with Rick Engineering Company, Inc.