HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE SERVICES FOR THE 7TH CYCLE PLANNING PERIOD OCTOBER 2029 - OCTOBER 2037.pdf

CITY OF FILLMORE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

TO PROVIDE

Housing Element Update Services for the 7th Cycle Planning Period: October 2029-October 2037

RFP PCD 26-01

City of Fillmore

Planning and Community Development Department 250 Central Avenue, Fillmore, CA 93015

(805) 524-1500 Website: www.fillmoreca.gov

Contact:

Brian McCarthy, Assistant Community Services Director Email: bmccarthy@fillmoreca.gov

(805) 946-1846

Proposals will be accepted until 5:00 P.M., December 1, 2026

Proposals received after the specified date and time may be rejected without consideration or evaluation mailto:bmccarthy@fillmoreca.gov

Table of Contents

Note:

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 City of Fillmore

1.2 The Organization

1.3 Requesting Proposals

1.4 Objectives

1.5 Regional Housing Needs Allocation

2. SCOPE OF WORK

TASK 1 — PROJECT INITIATION AND MANAGEMENT

TASK 2 — REVIEW OF EXISTING DOCUMENTS

TASK 3 – 6TH CYCLE HOUSING ELEMENT

TASK 4 — COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

TASK 5 — HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT

TASK 6 — AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING

TASK 7 — HOUSING CONSTRAINTS ANALYSIS

TASK 8 — HOUSING SITES INVENTORY AND RHNA ANALYSIS

TASK 9 — REZONING AND ZONING IMPLEMENTATION

TASK 10 — HOUSING GOALS, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS

TASK 11 — ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW / CEQA

TASK 12 — ADMINISTRATIVE DRAFTS

TASK 13 — PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTS

TASK 14 — HCD REVIEW

TASK 15 — PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS

TASK 16 — FINAL ADOPTION AND CERTIFICATION

TASK 17 — OPTIONAL POST-ADOPTION SERVICES

3. REQUIRED DELIVERABLES

3.1 Project Management Deliverables

3.2 Review of Existing Documents Deliverables

3.3 6th Cycle Housing Element Review Deliverables

3.4 Community and Stakeholder Engagement Deliverables

3.5 Housing Needs Assessment Deliverables

3.6 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Deliverables

3.7 Housing Constraints Analysis Deliverables

3.8 Housing Sites Inventory/RHNA Deliverables

3.9 Rezoning and Zoning Deliverables

3.10 Goals, Policies and Programs Deliverables

3.11 6th Cycle Program Implementation Review

3.12 CEQA Deliverables

3.13 Housing Element Drafts (Admin, Public, HCD)

3.14 Public Participation Deliverables

3.15 HCD Review Deliverables

3.16 Final Adoption/Certification Deliverables

3.17 Optional Services

4. PROPOSAL CONTENT AND FORMAT

4.1 Letter of Transmittal

4.2 Firm Profile

4.3 Project Understanding

4.4 Proposed Approach

4.5 Project Team

4.6 Relevant Project Experience

4.7 References

4.8 Subconsultants

4.9 Project Schedule

4.10 Fee/Cost Proposal

5. CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS

6. CITY RESPONSIBILITIES

7. PROJECT SCHEDULE

8. BUDGET AND FEE PROPOSAL

8.1 Base Scope

8.2 Optional Services

8.3 Reimbursable Expenses

8.4 Fee Proposal

9. EVALUATION AND SELECTION

9.1 Interviews

9.2 Negotiations

10. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

10.1 Insurance

10.2 Conflict of Interest

10.3 Compliance with Laws

11. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

11.1 Pre-Proposal

12. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS AND FORMAT

12.1 Acknowledgment of Contract Documents and Exceptions

12.2 Litigation Disclosure

12.3 Additional Information

13. CITY RIGHTS AND RESERVATIONS

14. PUBLIC RECORDS

16. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

Existing 6th Cycle Housing Element

6th Cycle HCD Correspondence

Annual Progress Reports

General Plan and Zoning Documents

Fillmore Municipal Code

GIS DATA

STANDARD PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

CITY OF FILLMORE

Note:

Exhibit 1 is the City’s template consultant contract. The exhibits of this template will be modified to reflect the specific work to be undertaken when the contract is awarded. Any objections to any term, including the types and amounts of insurance, must be included in your proposal. This information is required for proposal evaluation. Failure to submit a proposal on all items will be sufficient reason to declare the proposal non-responsive and the failure to object to any term of the contract will preclude an objection later.

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 City of Fillmore

Known as “The Last Best Small Town in southern California” for its quaint small town, charming buildings, and historic downtown the City of Fillmore (population approximately 16,600) is a fantastic family-oriented community to live and work. With extraordinary opportunities for growth, a vibrant community, and an economy driven by agriculture and tourism, the City of Fillmore is conveniently located adjacent to Highway 126 in Ventura County midway between Santa Clarita and Ventura. The City is easily accessible from throughout Ventura County and western Los Angeles County. Being situated at the foot of the Topatopa Mountains in the Santa Clara River Valley, the City supplements great regional access to outdoor recreation with excellent local amenities and cultural events. The local parks, aquatic facility, nearby Pacific Ocean, and numerous hiking trails, including the Sespe Condor Sanctuary, provide year-round activities for residents and visitors alike.

The City also partners with the Fillmore Unified School District on matters of community coordination and emergency preparedness. The City has a total of three (3) parks, which may serve important roles in emergency preparedness, response, recovery, public information, sheltering, staging, or other emergency-management activities, as appropriate.

*Fun Fact: * The City of Fillmore, incorporated in 1914, was originally founded in 1887 with the arrival of the Southern Pacific Rail line. The City’s climate, groundwater, and fertile soil thereafter, led to its agriculture based economy that continues to the present day. Notable agriculture is orange, lemon and avocado orchard farming and packing, as well as specimen tree farming. Hollywood film makers have also found the City of Fillmore; recognizing its early 20th century architecture, a variety of successful films and television shows have been filmed in the City.

For more information about the City of Fillmore, please visit https://www.fillmoreca.gov/ https://www.google.com/search?q=topatopa+mountains&rlz=1C1UEAD_enUS1152US1154&oq=topatopa+mountains&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyCggAEAAY4wIYgAQyBwgBEC4YgAQyBwgCEAAYgAQyCAgDEAAYFhgeMggIBBAAGBYYHjIKCAUQABgKGBYYHjIGCAYQRRg8MgYIBxBFGD3SAQg2NTcyajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.ob&ie=UTF-8 http://www.fillmoregazette.com/front-page/fillmore-film-locations https://www.fillmoreca.gov/

1.2 The Organization

Working in the City of Fillmore is special; it is like no other. The City is a team of smart, fun, professional, responsive, flexible, nimble, innovative, and collaborative individuals that take pride in serving the public, achieving excellence, and providing quality service. The City is comprised of exceptional interdisciplinary, dedicated, mutually supportive, and talented individuals who are motivated, energetic, and hard-working while simultaneously enjoying their work and working together. Recognizing that ideas drive an organization forward, the City of Fillmore is an employer that encourages continuous learning for employees to build and maximize their skills, attributes and career for personal, professional and team success. The ideal employee of the City pushes boundaries, challenges the status quo, sees challenges as opportunities, and strives for excellence to realize their highest potential. In other words, the organizational culture embraces challenges, creativity, and discovery for new and better ways to provide services and achieving success.

The City of Fillmore is a general law city with a Council-Manager form of government. The City is successfully led by City Manager Erika Herrera-Terriquez who was appointed in 2025; Mrs.

Herrera-Terriquez serves as the City’s chief executive officer and is responsible for implementing the City Council’s policies and goals and public services collaboratively with 46 full-time personnel within the operational departments of administrative services, city attorney, finance, fire, parks and recreation, planning and community development, police, and public works.

Along with being a stable organization with long tenured personnel, the City is in an excellent financial position and is fiscally stable. With a focus on the key results and goals of Fiscal Management, Public Safety, Economic Development, Natural Resources, Arts and Culture, Smart Growth, Community Affordability, Community Engagement/Communication, Infrastructure and Organizational Excellence, the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget for all services, programs and capital projects is approximately $40 million.

The consultant will be expected to work collaboratively across departments and with appropriate regional, county, state, federal, nonprofit, private-sector, and public safety partners.

1.3 Requesting Proposals

The City of Fillmore invites proposals from qualified planning consultants, consulting firms, or multidisciplinary consultant teams (“Consultant”) to assist the City with preparation and adoption of the City of Fillmore 7th Cycle Housing Element Update for the 2029–2037 planning period. The City would like to complete this process within the earliest possible timeframe, requiring work to commence before the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is received.

The selected Consultant will provide professional planning, housing, community engagement, geographic information systems (GIS), environmental, legal/regulatory, and https://fillmoreca.gov/1340/City-Goals-and-Core-Values https://docaccess.com/docviewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffillmoreca.gov%2FArchive.aspx%3FADID%3D1084&url_hash=2d6d024da82bc9163c181114156cd1cc&domain=fillmoreca.gov&site=829bb63a-71e9-4e53-9773-8cb6936ef6c0&found_on=https%3A%2F%2Ffillmoreca.gov%2FArchive.aspx%3FAMID%3D36 related services necessary to prepare a Housing Element that complies with applicable California law (including California Housing Element Law and Government Code Sections 65580 et seq., as amended) and California Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) requirements and guidance.

The City intends to select the Consultant offering the best combination of demonstrated qualifications, technical approach, relevant experience, project team, schedule, community engagement strategy, and cost. The selected Consultant will be responsible for providing the professional planning, housing, technical, analytical, community engagement, environmental review coordination, document preparation, and HCD coordination services necessary to prepare, adopt, and obtain HCD certification of the City's 7th Cycle Housing Element within a timeframe established with City staff.

The Consultant will work closely with City staff and the City Attorney’s office, and collaboratively with the Planning Commission, City Council, community members, housing stakeholders, property owners, developers, regional agencies, SCAG, HCD, and other applicable governmental agencies throughout the process.

1.4 Objectives

The Housing Element will be prepared as an element of the City's General Plan and must demonstrate how the City will meet local housing needs. It will discuss the City's existing and projected housing needs, including the City's RHNA, housing constraints, adequate sites, governmental constraints, affirmatively furthering fair housing (“AFFH”), housing programs, and implementation measures. The Housing Element will provide a practical framework for facilitating housing production, preserving existing housing, addressing housing affordability and special housing needs, affirmatively furthering fair housing, and implementing the City's housing goals. The primary objectives of this assignment are to:

1. Prepare a legally compliant 7th Cycle Housing Element.

2. Address all applicable requirements of California Housing Element law.

3. Analyze Fillmore's existing and projected housing needs.

4. Incorporate the City's 7th-cycle RHNA allocation.

5. Identify adequate sites to accommodate the City's RHNA.

6. Evaluate housing opportunities on vacant, underutilized, and opportunity sites.

7. Evaluate governmental and non-governmental constraints to housing production.

8. Address the housing needs of extremely low-, very low-, low-, moderate-, and above-moderate-income households, and acutely low if included in the RHNA

9. Address the housing needs of special-needs populations.

10. Complete the required AFFH analysis.

11. Evaluate preservation and replacement of existing affordable housing.

12. Assess opportunities for accessory dwelling units (“ADUs”).

13. Develop realistic and measurable housing programs.

14. Conduct meaningful community engagement.

15. Coordinate with HCD during the review process.

16. Prepare the Housing Element for Planning Commission and City Council consideration.

17. Assist the City through HCD review and certification.

1.5 Regional Housing Needs Allocation

The 7th Cycle RHNA has not yet been received. Fillmore is in the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) region made up of the Counties of Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardin, and Imperial. Once HCD sets the regional total, SCAG is responsible for the allocation for each County and City in this region.

The SCAG draft allocations are expected to be released around April 2028 with a final allocation plan in October 2028. The 7th Cycle will cover the planning period from October 2029 through October 2037, with the final regional allocation plan expected in October 2028.

The Consultant shall independently confirm the City's applicable RHNA allocation and income-category requirements with SCAG and HCD.

The Consultant shall evaluate the City's ability to accommodate the RHNA through its housing sites inventory, existing development pipeline, available land, underutilized sites, accessory dwelling units, redevelopment opportunities, and rezoning or other land-use strategies, as appropriate. The Consultant shall also consider and advise on any potential for credits from the 6th cycle that exceeded the RHNA allocation for that planning period.

For reference, below is Fillmore’s 6th cycle RHNA.

Income Category 2021–2029 RHNA Very Low Income 73 Low Income 61 Moderate Income 72 Above Moderate Income 209 Total 415

This table is provided solely as background. The Consultant shall use the City's final 7th-cycle RHNA when preparing the 2029–2037 Housing Element.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

The following tasks represent the City's anticipated minimum scope of services.

Consultants may recommend additional tasks or modifications where they believe an alternative approach would better achieve a complete, legally compliant, and HCD-certified Housing Element. Consultants shall also identify deliverables for each task. Required products are summarized separately in Section 4; Consultants should use Section 4 as the deliverable checklist and Section 5 for proposal-submission requirements.

TASK 1 — PROJECT INITIATION AND MANAGEMENT

The Consultant shall:

• Conduct a kickoff meeting with City staff;

• Establish project roles and responsibilities;

• Identify required data;

• Prepare a detailed work plan;

• Prepare a project schedule (including milestones and decision points);

• Establish communication protocols;

• Establish document review procedures;

• Establish quality-control procedures;

• Identify critical path items;

• Identify potential schedule risks;

• Coordinate subconsultants;

• Maintain an action-item log;

• Track project schedule and budget;

• Provide regular project status reports that include task completion status and budget; and

• Coordinate with City staff, HCD, SCAG, Ventura County, and other agencies as appropriate.

The Consultant shall identify statutory deadlines and prepare and submit a schedule designed to achieve timely HCD certification.

TASK 2 — REVIEW OF EXISTING DOCUMENTS

The Consultant shall review all relevant City documents, including:

• Existing 6th Cycle Housing Element;

• HCD review letters and correspondence;

• General Plan;

• Zoning Code;

• Municipal Code;

• Specific Plans;

• Development standards;

• Housing-related ordinances;

• Annual Housing Element Progress Reports;

• Housing development applications;

• Approved and pending projects;

• ADU production;

• Development pipeline;

• Existing GIS data;

• Previous housing studies;

• Existing CEQA documents;

• Housing-related fees and exactions;

• Infrastructure information;

• Water and sewer information;

• Existing housing sites inventory;

• Programs that should be continued, modified, or replaced; and

• Other relevant documents.

TASK 3 – 6TH CYCLE HOUSING ELEMENT

The City’s existing certified 6th Cycle Housing Element is available through a link to the City webpage:

https://www.fillmoreca.gov/192/Housing-Element

Correspondence and documentation regarding its preparation, adoption, implementation, and HCD review are available upon request.

https://www.fillmoreca.gov/192/Housing-Element

One of the first tasks will be to evaluate and conduct a comprehensive review of the City's 6th Cycle Housing Element status and shall identify:

• Outstanding compliance issues;

• Sites inventory issues;

• Housing production accomplishments;

• Annual Progress Reports;

• Program implementation status and incomplete items;

• Outstanding statutory obligations;

• HCD correspondence; and

• Any other issues that may affect preparation of the 7th Cycle Housing Element.

The Consultant shall recommend an appropriate strategy for addressing any outstanding 6th Cycle obligations and address those obligations while awaiting the RHNA and in preparing the 7th Cycle Housing Element.

TASK 4 — COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

The Consultant shall develop and implement a meaningful community engagement program.

The program shall seek participation from all stakeholders including (but not limited to):

• Residents;

• Renters;

• Affordable housing residents: Moderate Income households, Lower-income households, Extremely low-income households, etc.

• Seniors;

• Persons with disabilities;

• Families with children;

• Farmworkers;

• People experiencing homelessness;

• Affordable housing providers;

• Developers;

• Property owners;

• Housing advocates;

• Service providers;

• Community organizations;

• Historically underserved communities; and

• Other relevant stakeholders.

The Consultant shall identify the anticipated number of public workshops and stakeholder meetings in its proposal.

TASK 5 — HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT

The Consultant shall prepare a comprehensive Housing Needs Assessment using the most current available data.

The analysis shall address:

• Population;

• Population trends;

• Household characteristics;

• Household income;

• Poverty;

• Tenure;

• Rental housing;

• Homeownership;

• Housing costs;

• Housing cost burden;

• Overcrowding;

• Vacancy;

• Housing stock;

• Housing age and condition;

• Development trends;

• Building permit activity;

• Housing production;

• Housing affordability;

• Displacement;

• Special housing needs;

• Extremely low-income households;

• Seniors;

• Persons with disabilities;

• Large households;

• Female-headed households;

• Farmworkers;

• Persons experiencing homelessness; and

• Other locally relevant populations.

The Consultant shall identify the City's most significant housing needs and translate those needs into appropriate policies and programs.

TASK 6 — AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING

The Consultant shall prepare an AFFH analysis consistent with current State requirements and HCD guidance.

The analysis shall evaluate, as applicable:

• Integration and segregation;

• Racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty;

• Racially and ethnically concentrated areas of affluence;

• Access to opportunity;

• Disproportionate housing needs;

• Displacement risk;

• Housing mobility;

• Barriers to housing choice;

• Public and private investment;

• Transportation;

• Employment;

• Education;

• Environmental conditions; and

• Other relevant fair housing issues.

The Consultant shall identify contributing factors and develop meaningful actions to address identified fair housing issues.

Where applicable, the Consultant shall coordinate with Ventura County and the appropriate regional agency regarding regional AFFH activities.

TASK 7 — HOUSING CONSTRAINTS ANALYSIS

The Consultant shall identify and evaluate governmental and nongovernmental constraints to housing development.

The analysis shall include, as appropriate:

• General Plan policies;

• Zoning;

• Development standards;

• Density;

• Height;

• Lot size;

• Setbacks;

• Parking;

• Design standards;

• Development review;

• Permit processing;

• Building codes;

• Fees;

• Exactions;

• Infrastructure;

• Water supply;

• Sewer capacity;

• Utility availability;

• Financing;

• Land costs;

• Construction costs;

• Environmental constraints;

• Accessibility;

• Emergency shelters;

• Transitional housing;

• Supportive housing;

• Farmworker housing;

• Accessory dwelling units; and

• Other relevant constraints.

The Consultant shall recommend specific programs and actions to remove or mitigate identified constraints.

TASK 8 — HOUSING SITES INVENTORY AND RHNA ANALYSIS

The Consultant shall prepare a complete and defensible housing sites inventory in compliance with all applicable laws and policies.

The Consultant shall:

• Review the existing sites inventory;

• Identify vacant sites;

• Identify underutilized sites;

• Evaluate previously identified sites;

• Evaluate pipeline projects;

• Evaluate approved but unbuilt projects;

• Evaluate redevelopment opportunities;

• Analyze parcel characteristics;

• Analyze zoning;

• Analyze General Plan designations;

• Evaluate realistic development capacity;

• Evaluate development feasibility;

• Evaluate environmental constraints;

• Evaluate infrastructure availability;

• Evaluate ownership and development patterns;

• Prepare parcel-level documentation;

• Prepare GIS mapping;

• Identify sites suitable for lower-income RHNA;

• Identify any RHNA shortfall; and

• Recommend strategies to address any shortfall.

The Consultant shall ensure that the sites inventory complies with current Housing Element Law and HCD requirements concerning adequate sites, realistic capacity, lower-income RHNA, previously identified sites, nonvacant sites, replacement requirements, and other applicable requirements.

TASK 9 — REZONING AND ZONING IMPLEMENTATION

If the sites inventory identifies a need for rezoning, the Consultant shall:

• Identify affected properties;

• Recommend appropriate zoning;

• Recommend appropriate densities;

• Prepare zoning amendments;

• Prepare General Plan amendments where necessary;

• Prepare overlay concepts where appropriate;

• Prepare development standards;

• Prepare required findings;

• Prepare draft ordinances;

• Prepare maps;

• Assist with public hearings; and

• Coordinate with HCD.

The Consultant shall identify all land-use changes necessary to satisfy Housing Element requirements.

TASK 10 — HOUSING GOALS, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS

The Consultant shall prepare an updated Housing Plan with goals, policies, programs, and quantified objectives.

Programs shall address, as appropriate:

• Housing production;

• Affordable housing;

• Extremely low-income housing;

• Rental housing;

• Homeownership;

• Accessory dwelling units;

• Housing rehabilitation;

• Preservation of affordable housing;

• At-risk housing;

• Special needs housing;

• Farmworker housing;

• Emergency shelters;

• Transitional housing;

• Supportive housing;

• Housing for persons with disabilities;

• Fair housing;

• Anti-displacement;

• Housing mobility;

• Funding;

• Development incentives; and

• Other locally appropriate strategies.

Each program shall identify:

• Specific actions;

• Responsible department;

• Funding source;

• Implementation timeline;

• Quantified objectives;

• Performance measures; and

• Monitoring requirements.

TASK 11 — ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW / CEQA

The Consultant shall coordinate preparation of the appropriate environmental documentation for the Housing Element update.

The Consultant shall evaluate the appropriate CEQA approach based on the City's specific project circumstances and prepare or oversee, as applicable, the applicable CEQA documentation.

The Consultant shall:

• Coordinate with City staff and the City Attorney;

• Coordinate with environmental consultants;

• Prepare required notices;

• Coordinate public review;

• Address comments;

• Prepare findings;

• Present the Housing Element at the public hearings; and

• File the required CEQA notices.

Consultants shall identify whether CEQA services are included in the base scope or will be performed by a subconsultant.

TASK 12 — ADMINISTRATIVE DRAFTS

The Consultant shall prepare an Administrative Drafts of Housing Element, for all sections of the document that do not depend on RHNA, for City staff review in July/August 2027. This task will rely on City staff and available information for locations for growth within the City.

Draft SCAG RHNA when available for Fillmore will be incorporated.

The Administrative Drafts shall include all required Housing Element components (minus RHNA items) and supporting technical information.

The Consultant shall meet with City staff to review comments and prepare revisions.

TASK 13 — PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFTS

The Consultant shall prepare the Public Review Draft Housing Element. City would like to have the first public review draft completed within 60 days of SCAG’s issuing the final RHNA for Fillmore.

The Consultant shall prepare all public draft required and provide each one to City staff in a bookmarked/indexed format suitable for posting on-line.

The Consultant shall assist the City in complying with applicable public participation requirements before each HCD submission.

Current HCD guidance requires the first draft to be made available for public comment for 30 days and, when comments are received, requires at least 10 business days to consider and incorporate those comments before submitting the draft to HCD.

The Consultant shall prepare a comment matrix documenting comments and responses.

TASK 14 — HCD REVIEW

The Consultant shall coordinate the City's Housing Element submission to HCD.

The Consultant shall:

• Prepare the HCD submission;

• Coordinate with HCD staff;

• Participate in HCD meetings;

• Track HCD comments;

• Prepare responses;

• Revise the Housing Element;

• Prepare revised drafts;

• Coordinate public transparency requirements;

• Assist City staff with HCD correspondence; and

• Continue through certification.

HCD currently states that its first review of a draft Housing Element may take up to 90 days, while subsequent reviews may take up to 60 days.

The Consultant shall include sufficient time for HCD coordination and revisions in its base proposal to reasonably complete the certification process as early as possible.

TASK 15 — PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS

The Consultant shall prepare all materials necessary for public hearings, including:

• Staff reports;

• Presentations;

• Resolutions;

• Ordinances;

• Findings;

• Exhibits;

• Maps;

• Comment responses; and

• Other supporting documents.

The Consultant shall attend and present at Planning Commission and City Council meetings identified in the approved project schedule.

Consultants shall identify the number of meetings included in their base proposal.

TASK 16 — FINAL ADOPTION AND CERTIFICATION

Following City Council adoption, the Consultant shall:

• Incorporate final revisions;

• Prepare the final Housing Element;

• Prepare final maps and exhibits;

• Prepare electronic files;

• Submit the adopted Housing Element to HCD;

• Submit the required sites inventory;

• Respond to final HCD comments;

• Assist with final certification; and

• Provide all final project materials to the City.

HCD currently requires an adopted Housing Element submission to include the adoption resolution and applicable electronic sites inventory.

TASK 17 — OPTIONAL POST-ADOPTION SERVICES

The City may authorize additional services, including:

• Annual Progress Report assistance;

• Housing Element implementation;

• Rezoning implementation;

• Zoning Code amendments;

• Housing program implementation;

• Grant applications;

• Housing policy development;

• Additional HCD coordination;

• GIS updates; and

• Additional community engagement.

Consultants shall provide hourly rates for optional services.

3. REQUIRED DELIVERABLES

The Consultant shall provide the deliverables identified below in accordance with the Scope of Work in Section 2. Section 3 defines the services to be performed; this section identifies the principal work products the City expects to receive.

Unless otherwise specified, deliverables shall be provided in editable electronic format and in accessible PDF format when appropriate. Draft deliverables shall be suitable for City review, and final deliverables shall be suitable for public distribution, HCD review, adoption, and long-term City use.

3.1 Project Management Deliverables

• Project Management Plan and work plan;

• Detailed project schedule and updates;

• Project team/contact list;

• Meeting agendas, materials, and notes;

• Action-item, decision, and issue logs, as appropriate;

• Regular project status reports;

• Budget and schedule tracking; and

• HCD coordination records and other project management documentation reasonably requested by the City.

3.2 Review of Existing Documents Deliverables

• Memorandum summarizing outstanding issues, data gaps, and recommended next steps.

3.3 6th Cycle Housing Element Review Deliverables

• Program-by-program status evaluation;

• Identification of outstanding 6th Cycle obligations

• Identification of programs requiring continuation, modification, or removal the 7th Cycle Housing Element; and

• Recommend an appropriate strategy for addressing any outstanding 6th Cycle obligations and address those while awaiting the RHNA and in preparing the 7th Cycle Housing Element.

3.4 Community and Stakeholder Engagement Deliverables

The Consultant shall:

• Prepare a Community Engagement Plan;

• Conduct public workshops;

• Conduct stakeholder interviews and/or focus groups;

• Conduct targeted outreach;

• Provide online engagement opportunities;

• Prepare outreach materials;

• Attend Planning Commission meetings;

• Attend City Council meetings;

• Document public comments; and

• Prepare an engagement summary.

3.5 Housing Needs Assessment Deliverables

• Housing Needs Assessment;

• Demographic, socioeconomic, housing-market, and housing-stock analyses;

• Special housing needs analysis;

• Housing affordability, tenure, overcrowding, overpayment, homelessness/housing instability, and other applicable needs analysis;

3.6 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Deliverables

• AFFH analysis consistent with applicable State law and current HCD guidance;

• Geographic analysis, maps, and supporting graphics;

• Identification of fair housing issues and contributing factors;

• Meaningful actions addressing identified fair housing issues; and

• Integration of AFFH findings and actions into the Housing Plan.

3.7 Housing Constraints Analysis Deliverables

• Housing Constraints Analysis addressing governmental and nongovernmental constraints;

• Infrastructure, public facilities, environmental, and other applicable constraint analyses; and

• Recommended actions and programs addressing identified constraints.

3.8 Housing Sites Inventory/RHNA Deliverables

• Complete Housing Sites Inventory;

• Parcel-level database, including APNs, acreage, existing uses, General Plan designation, and zoning;

• Development potential and realistic development capacity;

• Income-category capacity and lower-income RHNA capacity analysis;

• Infrastructure and environmental information;

• Ownership and development-pattern information, to the extent available;

• Previously identified and nonvacant-site analysis;

• Replacement housing analysis, where applicable;

• Sites inventory maps and GIS files;

• HCD-required electronic sites inventory; and

• Documentation supporting realistic-capacity assumptions.

• RHNA methodology review;

• Interim and final 7th Cycle RHNA allocation analysis, as applicable;

• Allocation by income category;

• Existing and remaining capacity analyses;

• Identification of any RHNA shortfall;

• Strategies to address any shortfall, including rezoning where necessary; and

• Documentation demonstrating consistency between the Housing Element and the City's final RHNA allocation.

3.9 Rezoning and Zoning Deliverables

If required by the Housing Element analysis:

• Recommended zoning, General Plan, Specific Plan, or overlay changes;

• Development standards and density recommendations;

• Zoning and rezoning maps;

• Draft zoning text and ordinances;

• Required findings;

• Implementation schedule; and

• Materials necessary for public hearings and HCD coordination.

3.10 Goals, Policies and Programs Deliverables

• Housing goals and policies;

• Housing programs and quantified objectives;

• Implementation responsibilities and timelines;

• Funding strategies;

• Performance measures and monitoring requirements;

• AFFH implementation actions;

• Housing production, preservation, affordability, special-needs, and anti-displacement strategies; and

• Program documentation identifying the specific action, responsible department or agency, funding source, timeline, quantified objective, performance measure, monitoring requirement, and relationship to identified housing needs or constraints.

3.11 6th Cycle Program Implementation Review The Consultant shall specifically identify:

• Any 6th Cycle obligations that must be carried forward into the 7th Cycle;

• Any 6th cycle obligations that may need to be completed, or progress shown, before 7th cycle is certified

• Steps to complete programs or scope of work to implement critical 6th cycle programs that HCD will require documentation for.

3.12 CEQA Deliverables

The environmental documentation determined to be appropriate for the project, together with applicable notices, supporting documents, findings, comment responses, and filing materials. The selected CEQA approach may include an exemption, addendum, Initial Study, Negative Declaration, Mitigated Negative Declaration, Environmental Impact Report, program-level documentation, or other applicable documentation.

3.13 Housing Element Drafts (Admin, Public, HCD)

• Administrative Drafts Housing Element;

• Public Review Drafts Housing Element;

• HCD Review Drafts Housing Element;

• Revised drafts responding to City staff, public, and HCD comments;

• Adoption Draft Housing Element;

• Final adopted Housing Element; and

• Editable and accessible electronic final files.

3.14 Public Participation Deliverables

• Community Engagement Plan;

• Public meeting(s), workshop(s), presentation, outreach, and website-ready materials, web-based surveys, as applicable;

• Informational hand-outs, visual aids, surveys, and presentation materials provided to City staff for review and approval before public presentation

• Comment forms and logs;

• Comment-response matrix;

• Summary and documentation of community input and outreach efforts; and

• Public participation documentation required for HCD review.

3.15 HCD Review Deliverables

• HCD submission package;

• HCD correspondence and comment tracking;

• Comment-response matrix;

• Revised Housing Element drafts;

• Technical memoranda addressing HCD comments, as needed;

• Updated exhibits, maps, and sites inventory;

• Public transparency documentation; and

• Final certification assistance.

3.16 Final Adoption/Certification Deliverables

• Planning Commission staff report, presentation, resolution including findings, and supporting materials;

• City Council staff report, presentation, resolution, findings, and supporting materials;

• Ordinances, if necessary;

• Exhibits and maps;

• Public hearing and comment-response materials; and

• Final adoption package.

At project completion, the Consultant shall provide:

• Final Housing Element in accessible PDF format;

• Editable source files;

• GIS files and sites inventory database;

• Maps, tables, and graphics;

• Public engagement records and comment matrices;

• HCD correspondence;

• Final CEQA documentation;

• Adoption documents;

• Final project schedule;

• Final deliverable index; and

• Other project records reasonably necessary for City use and implementation.

3.17 Optional Services

To Be Determined. Possible items could include (but are not limited to):

• Action plan or program implementation

• Zoning Code amendments.

• General Plan amendments.

• Specific Plan amendments.

• GIS development.

• Housing opportunity site marketing.

• Development feasibility studies.

• Affordable housing financial analysis.

• CEQA documentation.

• Environmental technical studies.

• Additional community outreach.

• Housing implementation monitoring.

• Funding strategy.

• Grant applications.

• Development of housing incentives.

4. PROPOSAL CONTENT AND FORMAT

Proposals shall be organized in the order below and shall provide sufficient information for the City to evaluate qualifications, project understanding, approach, staffing, schedule, and cost. Consultants should avoid repeating the same information in multiple sections; cross-references may be used where appropriate.

4.1 Letter of Transmittal

Provide a signed letter identifying the Consultant's legal name, primary office location, primary contact information, proposed Project Manager, proposal validity period of at least 120 days, confirmation that the RFP has been reviewed, confirmation that the Consultant can meet the City's schedule, and the signature of an authorized representative.

4.2 Firm Profile

Provide the firm's history, ownership structure, years in business, office locations, number of employees, relevant areas of expertise, and experience with California Housing Element Law, HCD, SCAG RHNA, AFFH, housing sites inventories, CEQA, and municipal planning.

4.3 Project Understanding

Describe the Consultant's understanding of the City, the 7th Cycle Housing Element, the City's 6th Cycle history, SCAG's RHNA process, HCD requirements, AFFH requirements, housing needs and constraints, housing sites inventory requirements, potential zoning and land-use issues, community engagement requirements, and the City's desired outcome.

4.4 Proposed Approach

Describe the proposed methodology and work plan for the tasks in Sections 2 and 3. Address key assumptions, data sources, analytical methods, community engagement, GIS and sites inventory methodology, RHNA methodology, AFFH methodology, HCD coordination, CEQA, quality control, and risk management.

4.5 Project Team

Identify the Principal-in-Charge, Project Manager, and other key personnel and specialists proposed for the project, including GIS, AFFH, housing-market/economic, community engagement, and CEQA expertise as applicable. For each key person, provide name, title, role, years of experience, relevant qualifications and project experience, and estimated level of effort. Identify the primary representative responsible for the City's project and a secondary representative who can serve as backup.

4.6 Relevant Project Experience

Provide at least three relevant projects, including the 6th and 7th cycle (if applicable). For each, identify the client, project name and location, planning period, scope, Consultant role, project manager, completion date, HCD involvement, RHNA involvement, AFFH involvement, sites inventory involvement, rezoning involvement, and contract amount.

Relevant experience with jurisdictions similar in size and characteristics to Fillmore may be described.

4.7 References

Provide at least five (5) business references for comparable projects or services performed within the past ten (10) years. Include the client/agency, contact name and title, telephone and email, project name and description, and dates of service. The City may contact references during the evaluation process.

4.8 Subconsultants

Identify all proposed subconsultants and their proposed roles, relevant experience, key personnel, estimated percentage of work, and estimated fee. The Consultant shall remain responsible for all work performed by subconsultants.

4.9 Project Schedule

Provide a proposed schedule consistent with Section 7. Identify major activities, deliverables, milestones, critical-path activities, dependencies, and schedule risks.

4.10 Fee/Cost Proposal

Provide the fee proposal required by Section 8. Organize pricing by task and identify labor, subconsultant costs, direct/reimbursable expenses, optional services, total task costs, and the total proposed contract amount. State assumptions affecting cost, including the number of meetings, workshops, Planning Commission and City Council meetings, HCD review cycles, revisions, CEQA services, and GIS services, and other items deemed necessary.

5. CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS

The Consultant must be qualified and appropriately staffed to perform the services described in Section 2. The proposed team shall collectively demonstrate substantial experience with California Housing Elements subject to HCD review and with RHNA, housing sites inventories, AFFH, housing needs assessments, governmental and nongovernmental constraints, housing programs, zoning and rezoning, public engagement and hearings, CEQA coordination as applicable, and Housing Element adoption and HCD certification.

The City may consider demonstrated ability to identify and address issues that could affect timely Housing Element compliance or HCD certification.

6. CITY RESPONSIBILITIES

The City anticipates providing the selected Consultant with reasonable access to available City information and staff.

City responsibilities may include:

• Providing available existing Housing Element documents;

• Providing available General Plan and zoning information;

• Providing available GIS data;

• Providing Annual Progress Reports;

• Providing available development application information;

• Providing available housing program information;

• Identifying appropriate City staff;

• Coordinating City meeting schedules;

• Providing City facilities for meetings, when available;

• Reviewing Consultant deliverables;

• Providing consolidated comments;

• Coordinating Planning Commission and City Council agendas;

• Making City-required public notices;

• Reviewing Consultant work products;

• Tracking Progress with Invoices, budget, schedule, and deliverables.

The Consultant shall identify in its proposal any information, staff assistance, or City actions it considers essential to successful completion of the project.

The Consultant shall not assume that the City will provide technical analyses that are identified in the Scope of Work unless expressly stated in the Consultant's proposal.

7. PROJECT SCHEDULE

The City anticipates initiating the project in approximately January 2027. The Consultant shall prepare and maintain the detailed project schedule required by Section 4.9.

SCAG currently identifies the 7th Cycle planning period as October 2029 through October 2037. SCAG's current schedule anticipates adoption of the final RHNA allocation plan in October 2028, with Housing Elements for jurisdictions in Ventura County due in October 2029. Dates are subject to change.

The Consultant shall structure the work to secure HCD’s certification very early in the process and shall promptly advise the City of material schedule risks or changes affecting the project.

This schedule shall incorporate these milestones:

• Completing an initial administrative draft (Task 12) of all sections of the Housing Element (minus RHNA dependent work) within approximately six months of the award of contract. Draft SCAG RHNA shall be incorporated following SCAG’s release.

• The first public review draft (Task 13) shall be completed approximately within 60 days of SCAG’s issuance of the final RHNA.

• First HCD submittal shall occur within approximately 90 days of the release of the public draft.

• The City’s overall goal is to have the Housing Element certified by HCD before October 2029.

8. BUDGET AND FEE PROPOSAL

The City anticipates establishing a contract for a not-to-exceed amount. The Consultant shall provide pricing sufficient to complete the base scope through adoption and HCD certification.

8.1 Base Scope

The base proposal shall include all services necessary to complete the Scope of Work through adoption and HCD certification, except services expressly identified as optional.

Ordinary coordination, revisions, meetings, and administrative activities reasonably necessary to complete the identified tasks shall be included in the base scope.

8.2 Optional Services

Optional services shall be separately identified and priced using hourly rates. Potential optional services may include additional public workshops or hearings, additional HCD review cycles, additional rezoning or Zoning Code amendments, additional GIS analysis, grant assistance, Annual Progress Report assistance, housing program implementation, additional CEQA services, additional community engagement, and post-adoption implementation assistance.

8.3 Reimbursable Expenses

The Consultant shall identify in the overall cost proposal anticipated reimbursable expenses, such as mileage, copies, binding costs, postage, parking, travel, and lodging expenses. No reimbursable expense shall be incurred without authorization when required by the City's contract.

8.4 Fee Proposal

Consultants shall provide a detailed fee proposal using a similar format as the following as a general guide:

Task Subtask (list)

Staff/Title (list)

Hourly Rate Hours Expenses Cost

Task 1 – Project Initiation and Management $ $

Task 2 – Review of Existing Documents $ $

Task 3 – 6th Cycle Housing Element $ $

Task 4 – Community and Stakeholder Engagement $ $

Task 5 – Housing Needs Assessment $ $

Task 6 – Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing $ $

Task 7 – Housing Constraints Analysis $ $

Task 8 – Housing Sites Inventory and RHNA Analysis $ $

Task 9 – Rezoning and Zoning Implementation $ $

Task 10 – Housing Goals, Policies and Programs $ $

Task 11 – Environmental Review/CEQA $ $

Task 12 – Administrative Drafts $ $ $

Task 13 – Public Review Drafts $ $ $

Task 14 – HCD Review $ $ $

Task 15 – Planning Commission and City Council Hearings $ $

Task 16 – Final Adoption and Certification $ $

Task 17 – Optional Post-Adoption Services $ $

Reimbursable expenses (List) $ $

TOTAL $ $

The order of tasks may change to meet a proactive schedule. This table is a guide, and Consultants may customize their fee proposal as necessary.

9. EVALUATION AND SELECTION

The City will evaluate proposals based on qualifications, experience, technical approach, understanding of the project, proposed team, cost and value, firm stability and financial status, quality and completeness of the proposal, and other factors identified in the RFP. The City may establish numerical weights for these factors.

The City is not required to select the lowest-cost proposal and may consider the overall value and demonstrated ability of a Consultant to perform the required services within a reasonable budget.

9.1 Interviews

The City may invite one or more Consultants to participate in interviews. Interviews may be used to clarify information presented in the proposal and may address the project approach, key personnel, schedule, HCD strategy, community engagement, sites inventory, AFFH, risk management, and fee assumptions.

9.2 Negotiations

The City reserves the right to negotiate the final scope, schedule, fee, staffing, and contract terms with the selected Consultant. If negotiations with the selected Consultant are unsuccessful, the City may negotiate with another qualified Consultant.

10. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

The selected Consultant shall be required to execute the City's standard professional services agreement.

10.1 Insurance

The selected Consultant shall maintain insurance required by the City, which may include:

• Commercial general liability.

• Automobile liability.

• Professional liability/errors and omissions.

• Workers' compensation.

• Employer's liability.

Specific insurance requirements shall be included in the final professional services agreement.

10.2 Conflict of Interest

The Consultant shall disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest.

The Consultant shall comply with all applicable conflict-of-interest laws and City requirements.

10.3 Compliance with Laws

The Consultant shall comply with all applicable federal, State, and local laws, regulations, ordinances, and requirements.

The Consultant shall maintain current knowledge of applicable California Housing Element Law and HCD guidance throughout the project.

11. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

All proposals are to be submitted via Planet Bids only. The schedule for the RFP process is as follows:

Action Completion Date

RFP Issued October 16, 2026

Last Day to Submit Questions1 November 16, 2026

Proposals Due December 1, 2026

Proposal Review and Refinements December 1, 2026 - January 10, 2027

Interviews (if needed) January 11, 2027 - January 22, 2027

Notification of Award January 2027 1 City staff may share any questions and responses to all proposing consultants.

11.1 Pre-Proposal

Site visits are available upon request. Please contact Juana Arias, City Manager’s Executive Assistant at ariasj@fillmoreca.gov for scheduling.

The consultant shall be responsible for knowledge of the conditions affecting the work. The act of submitting a proposal will be considered a proposer’s full acknowledgment that the consultant has inspected the sites, as well as the Contract Documents identified in Section 16, and is completely familiar with the requirements of all of them.

12. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS AND FORMAT

Proposals must be electronically submitted on PlanetBids at [https://vendors.planetbids.com/portal/53681/bo/bo-detail/-4] by December 1, 2026.

Proposals shall be uploaded as one combined PDF file.

The proposal shall be organized in the order specified in Section 4 and shall include the following items:

A. Letter of Transmittal

B. Executive Summary

C. Firm/Consultant Information and Qualifications

D. Project Understanding and Approach

E. Project Team and Staffing

F. Relevant Project Experience

G. References mailto:ariasj@fillmoreca.gov https://vendors.planetbids.com/portal/53681/bo/bo-detail/-4

H. Subconsultants

I. Project Schedule

J. Fee/Cost Proposal

K. Acknowledgment of Contract Documents and Exceptions

L. Litigation Disclosure

M. Required Forms

N. Additional Information, if applicable

The substantive content requirements for Items A through J are provided in Section 4. Items K through N shall be included as described below.

12.1 Acknowledgment of Contract Documents and Exceptions

Acknowledge receipt and review of the City's Contract Documents, including the sample agreement and applicable insurance requirements. Clearly identify any objections, exceptions, proposed modifications, or requested changes. If there are no exceptions, state “No Exceptions.”

12.2…