Huntington Beach OKs slate of on‑call engineering consultants after council questions about caps

The Huntington Beach City Council approved a slate of 27 on‑call professional services agreements for engineering and related disciplines and voted 7-0 to authorize the contracts as presented.

Public Works staff said the on‑call roster covers bridges, environmental and ocean engineering, storm drain, sewer, streets and water projects. Staff noted that the contracts provide a cap for each firm and do not guarantee work, and that task orders will be issued in compliance with the city’s municipal code and annual CIP budget.

During discussion, staff presenter Tom Herbel said the contracts are intended to streamline procurement and that the $2 million per‑firm figure is a not‑to‑exceed cap rather than a guaranteed payment. “The on call contract is not a guarantee for work,” Herbel said, adding, “I call it a license to hunt.”

Council members pressed staff on how the city evaluates consultant performance and whether the per‑firm $2 million cap is necessary. Staff replied that task orders are issued against projects in the annual capital improvement program and that billing historically varies widely by firm and project. Herbel said the city had issued more than 100 task orders over the last five years and described the $2 million number as a conservative bookend.

Councilmember questions focused on transparency and post‑award oversight; staff agreed to provide follow‑up information about how many firms from the previous slate were renewed and how the city monitors consultant performance. The motion to approve the contracts passed 7-0.

No specific project awards or budget increases were approved in this item; individual task orders will be brought forward or authorized consistent with available CIP funding.