REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Planning and Development Department
BY: DALTON BENNETT, Projects Administrator
Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the Sixth Amendment to the consultant services agreement with Ascent Environmental, Inc., extending the contract performance period to December 31, 2023, and authorizing additional compensation in the amount of $211,310 for the South Central Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve the amendment to the consultant services agreement with Ascent Environmental, Inc. to extend the contract performance period to December 31, 2023, and to increase compensation by $211,310, and to authorize the City Manager or her designee to sign the agreement.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Planning and Development Department proposes to extend the contract performance period of the consultant agreement with Ascent Environmental, Inc. to December 31, 2023, to complete the technical studies necessary to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) related to the Preferred Alternative for the South Central Specific Plan (SCSP) Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Two of the alternatives considered under CEQA have been proposed by residents of the area and by businesses in the area. This Amendment adds additional funding of $211,310, bringing the total contract amount to $991,401 and increases the timeline to complete to December 31, 2023.
BACKGROUND
2018. The City and Ascent entered into an Agreement, dated November 29, 2018, for professional environmental consulting services for the South Industrial Priority Area Specific Plan (SIPA) Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The SIPA Specific Plan was a compilation of policies from the past forty years of land use planning and the purpose of the EIR was to assess the cumulative impact of complete build-out of these land uses and to propose appropriate mitigation measures.
2019. Prior to issuing a Notice of Preparation, the City conducted public outreach to those within the study area and it was determined that additional outreach should be conducted to include a broader conversation regarding planning goals, policies, and land use. On November 14, 2019, Council adopted Resolution 2019-235 which appropriated up to an additional $250,000 to the project and directed staff to organize additional community engagement, as well as consider new or revised land use designations, policies and implementation actions through the community engagement process. The resolution also encouraged formation of an advisory committee to meet and advise the Mayor and City Council’s ad hoc committee and to rename the plan to the South Central Specific Plan (SCSP).
2020. The City held additional community outreach events on January 13, 14, 15; and February 12, and 25. The City also hosted a 9-person Advisory Committee to discuss the plan area and serve as advisory to the Mayor and City Council’s ad-hoc committee. Meetings of the Advisory Committee were held February 6, 18; March 2, 10, 17; May 19; and July 7.
Several recommendations were provided by the ad-hoc committee including the adoption of a vision, guiding principles, and policies. Additionally, several iterations of a land use map were presented by staff and stakeholder groups for consideration. It was recommended by the committee to study the proposed map as well as the two stakeholder-provided maps.
2021/2022. A new Notice of Preparation (NOP) was issued in the spring of 2021. This NOP announced the initiation of the environmental study and established the scoping period through May 14, 2021. The NOP described the project and new project description-including the three CEQA alternatives. The environmental analysis commenced; however, it became apparent that in order to assess the preferred alternative and two community presented alternatives, additional technical studies were necessary. Additional time was needed to complete these studies before the environmental analysis could resume.
The proposed scope amendment of $211,310 will complete the CEQA standard EIR with one preferred alternative, a no-build scenario, and two community proposed alternatives. The release of the Draft EIR is anticipated in summer of 2023, with completion of the final EIR scheduled for fall of that same year. Planning Commission and Council consideration of the South Central Specific Plan and EIR would occur in October/November of 2023.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This approval is not a project for the purposes of CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because this item is an amendment to an existing contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding is appropriated in the Fiscal Year 22-23 budget
Attachment:
Exhibit A - Sixth Amendment
Exhibit B - Scope of Work