On-Call Preservation Planning Services

The City of Nevada City, California is requesting proposals for on-call preservation planning services with proposals due July 31, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. The scope centers on revising the existing Historical District Design Guidelines to address fire resiliency for the city's Gold Rush-era downtown, providing advisory services on preservation planning, preparing analyses and reports, supporting community engagement with the Ad Hoc Committee on Preservation of Downtown Against Wildfire and stakeholders, assisting with preservation grants, and ensuring CEQA and NEPA compliance including AB 52 and Section 106 consultation.

Minimum qualifications require meeting or exceeding the Secretary of the Interior's professional standards as a historian, architectural historian, architect, or engineer, with demonstrated experience in historic preservation, developing architectural guidelines, consulting with Native American tribes, and understanding fire-resistant materials suitable for historic properties. Preferred qualifications include federal historic preservation grant management experience, contractor bidding and contracting experience, familiarity with Gold Rush-era architecture, and knowledge of California Historical Building Code exemptions. The consultant must maintain professional licensing and procure Commercial General Liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, Automobile Liability coverage of $1,000,000, and Workers' Compensation insurance per California requirements, with the City named as additional insured.

The initial contract is not-to-exceed $25,000 per year over an eighteen-month term from notice to proceed, with amendments possible for special projects. The anticipated contract start date is August 21, 2026, with consultant selection by August 14, 2026. Proposals are evaluated on company history, background, and experience (70 points), scope of work and implementation approach (10 points), and fee schedule with hourly rates for all employees and subcontractors (20 points). Submissions require three paper copies with original signatures and a PDF email copy to Jessica Hankins, City Planner, delivered to City Hall at 317 Broad Street, Nevada City, California 95959.