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Approve 12 Master Services Agreements for the Department of General Services to provide as-needed professional technical support services for approved Capital Facilities Improvement Projects for a three-year term starting July 1, 2025; and Delegate Authority to the County Administrator or designee to execute the agreements, any subsequent amendments, and adjusted services authorizations, with County Counsel concurrence, within the approved project budgets
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of General Services recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve 12 Master Services Agreements for the Department of General Services to provide as-needed professional technical support services for approved Capital Facilities Improvement Projects for a three-year term starting July 1, 2025 (Attachment A); and
2. Delegate Authority to the County Administrator or designee to execute the agreements, any subsequent amendments, and adjusted services authorizations, with County Counsel concurrence, within the approved project budgets.
SUMMARY:
The Department of General Services recommends the Board of Supervisors approve 12 Master Services Agreements (MSAs) with professional consultant firms selected through a competitive, qualifications-based selection process conducted in accordance with County Purchasing Policy. These agreements will enable the County to obtain as-needed architectural, engineering, and related professional technical services over the next three years to support approved and funded capital improvement projects.
This procurement approach streamlines project delivery by allowing the County to issue work authorizations under pre-negotiated agreements, improving efficiency and responsiveness to project needs.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the MSAs does not obligate the County to assign any specific work. These are as-needed contract, and services will be authorized individually (on a project-by-project basis) through Adjusted Services Authorizations (ASAs), which will incrementally increase the total contract value as work is assigned.
Funding for the services will come from existing appropriations in individual capital improvement project budgets and/or applicable departmental operating budgets.
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2024/25 Working Budget.
DISCUSSION:
To support the delivery of capital improvement projects, the County relies on external professional expertise for a range of technical disciplines. On March 3, 2025, the Department of General Services issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit qualified firms for on-call Architectural, Engineering, and Related Professional Technical Support Services (Attachment B).
The RFQ was publicly advertised through the OpenGov Procurement platform. In addition, the County conducted direct outreach to firms that had previously expressed interest in doing business with the County. Approximately 10,690 firms were notified of the opportunity, resulting in 27 Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) received.
Services Requested
The requested consulting services cover a wide range of expertise necessary for successful project delivery. These include architectural and landscape architectural design; civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering; weatherproofing and building envelope analysis; construction cost estimating and constructability review; construction management; and real property related support services.
These types of professional services are commonly needed for a variety of capital improvement projects such as major building system replacements (e.g. roofing, fire alarm, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning), space reconfigurations, code upgrades, new construction, and feasibility studies. In some cases, support is also needed for real estate transactions.
Consultant Evaluation Process
A County Evaluation Committed (CEC), composed of staff from General Services and Resource Management, reviewed and scored all 27 SOQs received using the published evaluation criteria. These criteria include: Approach and Management Plan; Qualifications, Experience and References; Work Plan and Sequence, Quality Control, and Cost Control; Representative Projects and Work Efforts; and Fee Schedules.
Beyond technical qualifications, the evaluation process also considered each firm’s capacity to provide consistent, scalable support across multiple projects and disciplines. Firms demonstrating the ability to quickly respond to evolving workload demands and provide depth of staffing were prioritized to help ensure service continuity and minimize project disruptions.
Recommended Firms
At the conclusion of the evaluation, 12 firms were selected as the best qualified to provide services within their respective areas of expertise. The selected firms include:
Architecture and Engineering:
Dewberry Architects of Sacramento,
DLR Group Inc. of San Francisco,
Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc. of South San Francisco,
Noll & Tam Architects of Berkeley,
Robinson Mills + Williams of San Francisco,
SmithGroup Inc. of San Francisco
Civil Engineering:
CSWST2 of Novato
Construction Management:
Gilbane Building Company of Sacramento,
Vanir Construction Management, Inc. of Sacramento
Mechanical-Electrical-Plumbing Engineering:
Salas O’Brien Engineers, Inc. of San Jose
Real Property Support Services:
Associated Right of Way Services, Inc. of Walnut Creek
Weather/Waterproofing Engineering:
RDH Building Science, Inc. of Oakland
These firms have demonstrated strong capabilities and experience with public agencies and possess the organizational resources needed to support the County’s capital improvement projects.
Approval of these 12 MSAs will ensure the County has timely access to experience, responsive consultants while maintaining compliance with the County’s Purchasing Policy and relevant public contract requirements. The selected firms support flexibility, efficient, and accountable project delivery.
The General Services Department has prepared corresponding contracts for Board approval. See links to Master Services Agreements attached.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. The Board could elect to award no, or fewer MSAs. This action is not recommended, as the selected firms provide a comprehensive range of licensed technical and professional services necessary to support County’s capital improvement projects. Without these MSAs, the County would need to issue separate RFQs and execute individual contracts for each project or service need, which would delay project timelines and potentially increase overall project costs.
2. The Board could elect not to delegate authority to the County Administrator or designee to execute all agreements, any subsequent amendments, or ASAs, with County Counsel concurrence, within approved project budgets. This action is not recommended as Board meeting schedules may not align with project timelines. Without delegated authority, the execution of time-sensitive documents could be delayed, potentially impacting project progress and delivery.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Resource Management Department participated in the evaluation process. County Counsel provided legal guidance throughout the RFQ and selection and has approved the Agreements as to form.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION