TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: David Chantarangsu, AICIP, Development Services Director
PREPARED BY: Valerie Mendoza, Management Analyst
SUBJECT:
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Approval of a Three-Year Agreement Not to Exceed $100,000 per Fiscal Year for Landscape Plan Check and Inspection Services Between Architerra Design Group and Van Dyke Landscape Architects.
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RECOMMENDATION
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Authorize the City Manager to execute agreements with Architerra Inc. and Van Dyke Landscape Architects for on-call landscape plan check review and inspection services.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
None.
CITY COUNCIL GOAL
Coordinate and deliver responsive, effective community services.
BACKGROUND
The Development Services Department currently has a contract with Architerra Design Group (Architerra, Inc.) and Van Dyke Landscape Architects (VDLA) to provide as-needed landscape plan review and inspection services which will be expiring soon. To ensure the City obtains the most competitive pricing and flexibility for its customers, as well as for the City’s own needs, the Planning Division of the Development Services Department issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) soliciting bids on March 13, 2024, from qualified individuals and firms to provide on-call, as-needed landscape review and inspection services. The need primarily comes from landscaping activities resulting from new development. The following four firms responded to the City’s RFP:
• Architerra, Inc.;
• VDLA;
• RJM Design Group; and
• Ladayu Consulting Group.
Each firm’s proposal was evaluated and scored based on how the firm expressed its ability to demonstrate expertise in each category, as described below:
• Demonstration of a clear project understanding/project approach to the scope of work;
• Experience with similar work and the team’s relevant planning/zoning experience with adequate references;
• The professional qualifications, technical ability, and capability of the team assigned to the project;
• The consultant’s ability to dedicate available personnel resources within the timeframe of the project; and
• An overall subjective evaluation.
Based on the review of each of these areas, the proposal from Architerra, Inc. scored the highest overall.
An evaluation of the Architerra, Inc. proposal indicates a clear understanding of the scope of work, relevant experience, qualifications, and availability of personnel. Architerra Inc. was determined to meet the City’s needs for the desired work outlined in the RFP. The Architerra Inc. team has the requisite experience required by the City, having worked with many jurisdictions across California. To provide the most flexibility for staff and the City’s clients, staff selected a second firm, VDLA, to provide on-call, as-needed landscape plan check and inspection services. Staff’s evaluation of VDLA’s proposal demonstrated their commitment to providing plan check and inspection services to jurisdictions similar to the City of Murrieta and having well-qualified staff it can allocate to City projects.
The proposed cost is $100,000 per year, which would include services provided by both firms. The agreements with Architerra, Inc., and VDLA are for project management for landscape plan check and inspection services for three years and may be extended for one year based on the satisfactory performance of services.
FISCAL IMPACT
The adopted Fiscal Year 2024/25 Operating Budget includes $100,000 in General Ledger account 1104400-60480. The cost of the remaining years of the agreement will be included in the normal biennial budget process. The cost of these services is expected to be fully recovered since the inspection and plan check costs charged by the consultants are passed through to applicants.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Agreement between the City of Murrieta and Architerra Design Group
2. Proposal from Architerra Design Group
3. Agreement between the City of Murrieta and Van Dyke Landscape Architects
4. Proposal from Van Dyke Landscape Architects