HomeMy WebLinkAboutCM Sea Level Rise Planning Services Agreement____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting: January 16, 2024
Disposition: Resolution 15268
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: City Manager, Sustainability Division
Prepared by: Kate Hagemann Climate Adaptation and Resilience Planner
City Manager Approval: ___
TOPIC: SEA LEVEL RISE PLANNING SERVICES AGREEMENT
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND
ENTER INTO A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH MOFFAT
AND NICHOL FOR SEA LEVEL RISE PLANNING SERVICES IN AN AMOUNT
NOT TO EXCEED $520,000
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt the resolution authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and enter into a Professional
Services Agreement with Moffat and Nichol for sea level rise planning services in an amount not
to exceed $520,000
BACKGROUND:
The City of San Rafael is part of a collaborative planning effort exploring the feasibility of different
adaptation actions to respond to rising sea levels (project). This work is funded through grants
received from the State Coastal Conservancy ($700,000), the Marin Community Foundation
($62,000), and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research ($644,200).
On November 21, 2022, the City Council voted to accept the grant funding for the project from
the State Coastal Conservancy and Marin Community Foundation. Similarly, on July 17, 2023,
the City Council voted to accept the grant funding from the Office of Planning and Research.
While the City of San Rafael is formally the grantee, the project is a collaborative effort with many
partners including, the County of Marin, Canal Alliance, the Multicultural Center of Marin, and
researchers at the University of California Berkeley (“Project Team”). The project budget and work
are distributed across the team, and implementation of many tasks are underway. The Project will
conduct a technical feasibility study that considers a range of sea level rise adaptation measures
within the Project Study Area. It will also develop recommended policy language that can inform
other city plans and guiding documents. The intention is to create a collaborative planning process
that elevates the community’s role in decision-making throughout the process.
Several tasks require support and subject matter expertise from planning and engineering
consultants. These tasks are focused on supporting a community-informed technical feasibility
study of sea level rise options along the greater Canal District shoreline of San Rafael, which is
Agenda Item No: 4.b
Meeting Date: January 16, 2024
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
approximately the shoreline areas between the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and McNears Beach
(Project Study Area).
The consultant team will evaluate the technical feasibility of options that can increase community
resilience to sea level rise and flooding in the Project Study Area. The options will reflect
community priorities and technical feasibility, with at least one option identified along with specific
recommendations for further development and implementation (i.e., considerations for landowner
approval, project lead for CEQA and permitting, etc.).
The consultant team will also complete a more detailed vulnerability assessment focused on
short-term life-safety risks and cascading impacts from infrastructure failures. This work will
engage the agencies responsible for critical infrastructure, including below-ground assets. Based
on the community's expressed priorities and the findings from the vulnerability analysis, the
consultant will then rank and prioritize adaptation measures where they are most needed to
ensure that infrastructure can continue to provide essential services. Finally, the consultant will
work with the project partners to develop the final recommendations, presenting a prioritized set
of actionable adaptation actions. The consultant will be responsible for gathering better data on
the physical, ecological, and social conditions which serve as the basis for sound design.
ANALYSIS:
The City issued a request for proposals on August 21, 2023. There was significant interest in the
RFP, with hundreds of views on the webpage, more than 1200 views on the LinkedIn post, and
more than 50 attendees at the optional pre-submittal briefing call. In total, six proposals were
submitted with broad teams. These proposals were reviewed by an 8-person panel (four from the
City as well as representatives from the County of Marin’s Department of Public Works, UC
Berkeley, Canal Alliance, and the Multicultural Center of Marin). The review committee reviewed
the proposals and ranked them to identify four finalist firms who were invited for interviews.
The Moffat and Nichol team received the highest score for their proposed approach to the sea
level rise planning project. Their proposal included a large team, including CMG Landscape
Architecture, Environmental Science Associates, Deltares, ENGEO, Cinquini & Passarino, Inc.,
and The San Francisco Estuary Institute.
This proposed team demonstrated a broad and deep level of subject matter expertise across a
range of disciplines that would support the successful completion of the sea level rise study.
Additionally, their proposal outlined a strong understanding of the challenges of adapting to sea
level rise and very relevant prior experience in other communities facing similar issues.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The scope of work for the consultants will be funded entirely by grant funds. There is no negative
General Fund impact, as the City will receive funding from these grant funds for indirect expenses
associated with managing the grants.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider relating to this item:
1.Adopt the resolution authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and enter into a Professional
Services Agreement with Moffat and Nichol for sea level rise planning services in an amount
not to exceed $520,000
2.Adopt the resolution with modifications.
3.Do not adopt the resolution at this time and direct staff to come back with more information.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and enter into a Professional Services
Agreement with Moffat and Nichol for sea level rise planning services in the amount of $520,000.
ATTACHMENT
1. Resolution
RESOLUTION NO. 15268
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AUTHORIZING
THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
AGREEMENT WITH MOFFAT AND NICHOL FOR SEA LEVEL RISE PLANNING SERVICES
IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $520,000
WHEREAS, the City is part of a collaborative sea level rise planning project that has received grant
funds from the State Coastal Conservancy, the Marin Community Foundation, and the Governor’s
Office of Planning and Research; and
WHEREAS, the City requires outside professional sea level rise planning services to
successfully complete the grant-funded activities; and
WHEREAS, the City has completed a competitive selection process for professional services
and the selection committee has recommended Moffat and Nichol as the most qualified team;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of San Rafael
hereby authorizes the City Manager to execute an Agreement for Professional Services between the
City and Moffat and Nichol for sea level rise planning services, in an amount not to exceed $520,000.
I, Lindsay Lara, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution
was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the San Rafael City Council
held on the 16th day of January 2024, by the following vote to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers: Bushey, Hill, Kertz, Llorens Gulati & Mayor Kate
NOES: Councilmembers: None
ABSENT: Councilmembers: None
____________________________
Lindsay Lara, City Clerk