Environmental Consulting for Pump Station 1 and Soquel Pump Station

The City of Santa Cruz Department of Public Works is requesting proposals for environmental consulting services supporting CEQA, NEPA review, and environmental permitting for the Pump Station No. 1 rehabilitation and new Soquel Pump Station construction project under RFP No. PW-0302, with proposals due September 25, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PST and questions due by September 11, 2026. This is a federally funded FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant project requiring full compliance with 2 CFR Part 200 and FEMA BRIC program requirements.

The scope encompasses preparation of environmental review documents ranging from Categorical Exemptions to Environmental Impact Reports; permit applications under Section 404/401 Clean Water Act, Section 10 Rivers and Harbors Act, Section 7 Endangered Species Act consultation, Section 1602 Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement, Section 106 National Historic Preservation Act compliance, and Section 408 Army Corps Levee Permit coordination; biological resources and cultural resources technical reports; and air quality, greenhouse gas, and noise studies. The project serves a highly engaged community and addresses climate change impacts through pump-based stormwater infrastructure addressing rising sea levels and downtown flooding in Santa Cruz County. Qualified firms must demonstrate a minimum of five years of CEQA and NEPA experience with California municipalities, proven expertise managing sub-consulting teams through multi-step environmental reviews, familiarity with relevant case law and procedural implications, and a track record delivering federally funded projects on schedule to professional standards.

The initial contract term is one year with two optional one-year extensions at the City's discretion, structured on a cost-plus-fixed-fee basis with detailed task breakdowns by direct labor, overhead, fringe benefits, profit, subcontractor costs, and other direct costs. The $400,000 FEMA BRIC allocation covers permitting activities. The project timeline specifies the design firm beginning Basis of Design work on September 23, 2026, with environmental firm support for alternatives development in late October 2026, all subject to an approved FEMA BRIC grant schedule.

Evaluation criteria are weighted across firm qualifications (20%), key personnel expertise (30%), technical approach and work plan (30%), cost proposal (10%), references (5%), and RFP adherence (5%). Proposers must submit certificates of insurance ($1,000,000 Commercial General Liability per occurrence, $2,000,000 Professional Liability per occurrence, $1,000,000 Automobile Liability), non-collusion declarations, and evidence of similar project work in coastal, natural, and urban environments. Michael Dyer, Project Manager II in Public Works, will direct the selected consultant. No pre-proposal meeting will be held.