Title
Planning and Building Department, Planning Division, recommending the Board consider the following:
1) In accordance with Chapter 3.13, Section 3.13.030 of County Ordinance Code, Contracting Out, find that due to the limited timeframes, temporary or occasional nature, or schedule for the project or scope of work, the ongoing aggregate of work to be performed is not sufficient to warrant addition of permanent staff;
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Agreement 10510 with Ascent Environmental, Inc. to assist the County with as-needed planning and environmental consulting services, with a not-to-exceed amount of $1,000,000, and a three (3) year term effective January 1, 2027 and concluding December 31, 2029; and
3) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute any further documents determined necessary related to Agreement 10510, including amendments which do not increase the not-to-exceed amount or term of the Agreement, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management.
FUNDING: Developer Funded (97%) and General Fund (3%).
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Planning and Building Department (Department) is responsible for reviewing and processing development applications, including compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Many of these projects require the preparation of complex CEQA documents, such as Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), and technical studies addressing biological resources, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, cultural resources, and other specialized areas. These regulatory processes demand advanced, discipline-specific expertise and comprehensive knowledge of state and federal environmental requirements.
At the present time, Planning Division staff resources are fully engaged in high-priority projects. Current Planning activities are highly variable based on developer activity and the volume and complexity of new projects. However, it is expected that all projects be reviewed and processed within a reasonable timeframe. Therefore, the Department has the need to utilize consulting services with technical expertise in completing planning and environmental review services on an as-needed basis. Chapter 3.13 of the El Dorado County Code of Ordinances, Contracting Out, includes Section 3.13.030, Criteria, which establishes those instances where contracts may be awarded and work can be performed by independent contractors. It is recommended that the Board find that the services under the proposed Agreement may be contracted out because, due to the limited timeframes, temporary or occasional nature, or schedule for the project or scope of work, the ongoing aggregate of work to be performed is not sufficient to warrant addition of permanent staff (Criteria 3.13.030 (C)). Based on this criterion, it is recommended that the Board find that the services under the proposed Agreement may be contracted out.
In June 2024, the Chief Administrative Office, Procurement and Contracts Division, acting on behalf of the Department, issued Request for Qualifications (RFQ) 24-0052 seeking consultants in various as-needed service categories, including Land Use Planning and Environmental Services. Consistent with Procurement Policy C-17, Section 7.10, evaluation committees composed of Department staff reviewed all submittals. In October 2024, the Procurement and Contracts Division issued a list of qualified firms for each category.
From the qualified list, the Department selected Ascent Environmental, Inc. (Ascent). Ascent has provided various development-related project-specific and as-needed environmental and planning services to the County since 2016, most recently under Agreement 447. Ascent has completed or is nearing completion of several key development projects, including the Village of Marble Valley Specific Plan, the Lime Rock Valley Specific Plan, and the Costco Commercial Center EIR. Ascent was selected for its demonstrated expertise in complex land use and environmental review, strong performance history with the County, and in-depth familiarity with local development issues. Their continued involvement ensures continuity and avoids delays that would result from onboarding a new consultant unfamiliar with current projects.
While the Department anticipated that all Work Orders under Agreement 447 would be completed by its December 31, 2026 expiration date, several project-specific delays have extended the timeline. With only a few Work Orders remaining and major projects still requiring specialized support, transitioning to a new agreement is appropriate to ensure uninterrupted service.
Under Agreement 10510, Ascent will continue work on the major development projects noted above and smaller development applications (Developer-funded) while also providing the Department with assistance on as-needed CEQA inquiries (General Fund). Services under the Agreement may include, but are not limited to:
• Application intake and reporting
• Analysis of projects
• Preparation, development, and/or amendment of planning policy documents
• Preparation of staff reports, memorandums, findings, resolutions, ordinances, and other associated documentation to support land use actions
• Preparation of environmental documents in compliance with CEQA including EIRs, Negative Declarations, Mitigated Negative Declarations, and Addendums
• Responses to complex environmental questions or inquiries from the Department
• Preparation of technical studies (air quality, archaeological and historic resources, biological resources, greenhouse gas emissions, etc.)
• Training regarding environmental review and related topics
For large or highly complex development proposals requiring substantial environmental analysis, the Department will continue to recommend project-specific agreements to ensure dedicated consultant support.
Contracting for specialized environmental review also aligns with the Department’s long-term workload management strategy by allowing County staff to focus on core planning duties while ensuring technical environmental work is completed by qualified professionals. Because these specialty services are needed intermittently and at varying intensities, contracting them is more cost-effective than hiring permanent staff with the same specialized qualifications.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may choose not to approve this proposed Agreement 10510; however, this would result in delays in completing other tasks and projects that staff are currently fully engaged on as those staff would have to absorb the additional work needed as new development projects are processed by the Department.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
The Board has not previously considered or taken any action related to the proposed Agreement 10510; however, and as noted above, the County has contracted with Ascent for as-needed planning and environmental services under Agreement 447, which has been in place since 2016 and the Board has previously approved multiple amendments to support ongoing needs across numerous projects.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel and Risk Management have approved the proposed Agreement.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funding for these services has been included in the Department’s Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget and funding for these services beyond Fiscal Year 2026-27 will be included in subsequent budgets accordingly.
All current and new proposed projects are or will be funded by developers, and the assistance to the County for CEQA inquiries accounts for a minimal portion of the overall cost (estimated to be 3% of the Agreement).
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair’s signature on two (2) original copies of the Agreement; and
2) The Clerk of the Board will forward one (1) fully-executed original Agreement to the Chief Administrative Office, Procurement and Contracts Division, for further processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Robert Peters, Chief Deputy Director of Planning
Planning and Building Department