REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
April 27, 2017
FROM: DANIEL ZACK, AICP, Assistant Director
Development and Resource Management Department
BY: SOPHIA PAGOULATOS, Planning Manager
Development and Resource Management Department
AMBER PIONA, Planner II
Development and Resource Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
Approve an amendment to the contract with Wallace, Roberts and Todd, LLC. for consulting services to augment the scope of the Parks Master Plan and to authorize the Development and Resource Management Department Director or designee to execute documents
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Approve an amendment to the contract with Wallace, Roberts and Todd, LLC., (WRT) in an amount not to exceed $250,000 for consulting services to augment the scope of the Parks Master Plan to include Urban Greening planning grant goals and to authorize the Development and Resource Management Department Director or his or her designee to execute documents.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
WRT is the consulting firm that was approved by the City Council on May 19, 2016, to work with the community and staff in the preparation of the Parks Master Plan. The original contract was in the amount of $436,701. In 2014 the City was awarded an Urban Greening planning grant of $250,000 to create an Urban Greening Plan. Because of the close alignment of the goals of a Park Master Plan and an Urban Greening Plan, a contract amendment in the amount of $250,000 is now being requested to incorporate the scope of the Urban Greening Plan into the scope of the Parks Master Plan. New services that would not otherwise be provided by the Parks Master Plan include: a formal condition assessment of the additional 50+ parks not included in the original Parks Master Plan scope, an analysis tool that connects the Parks Master Plan recommendations to the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore criteria, providing greater detail about implementation of high-level park goals for the purpose of being grant ready, and expanded outreach directly within the communities of the seven council districts across each of the seven council districts.
BACKGROUND
In October of 2013 the City Council authorized the City to submit an application for an Urban Greening Planning Grant. The Urban Greening Grant Program is funded through the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 and administered by the California Natural Resources Agency; these funds are to assist in the development of a master urban greening plan, which will help guide the future development of parks, trails and green space to support the creation of healthy communities. The City was awarded an Urban Greening planning grant of $250,000 in June of 2014, but has not begun the urban greening planning process.
The Fresno General Plan was adopted on December 18, 2014. General Plan Policy POSS-1-b Parks Implementation Planning calls for an update to the Fresno’s Parks Master Plan. The City Council authorized staff to develop a scope for the Parks Master Plan in 2016, and then took subsequent actions to authorize the funding needed to pay for the planning. On May 19, 2016, the City Council approved a consultant contract with WRT in the amount of $436,701. During phase 1 of the planning process the City Council received two updates, first on December 1, 2016 where the Council accepted the Parks Vision document and second on February 9, 2017, where the City Council received a financial analysis workshop on park assets.
The proposed contract amendment will expand the scope of the Parks Master Plan to include goals that align with the Urban Greening planning grant and augment/enhance the original scope of the UGM grant. The grant is set to expire at the end of April 2017. However, the State has approved extending the deadline on the grant to allow the City to incorporate urban greening into the Parks Master Plan.
The contract amendment will allow the consultant to develop an analysis tool that connects the Parks Master Plan recommendations to the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore criteria, as well as expand the Park by Park condition assessment from 25 parks to include all City parks. The amendment will also support an expanded community engagement program that will include community workshops in each district; urban greening and the community health benefits of green spaces will form a part of the community engagement. The final document, the Parks Master Plan, will include an update to the City’s plant palette to conform to the state water mandates, and expand categories to address trails, parks, greenways and urban sites. The Parks Master Plan will also provide greater detail about implementation of high-level park goals for the purpose of being grant ready.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 the amendment of an agreement does not qualify as a “project” for the purposes of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because this item is an amendment to an existing contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the City’s General Fund. The grant has already been awarded by the California Natural Resources Agency to the City and there is no match component requirement.
Attachments:
Contract Amendment
Exhibit A: Scope and Budget