RESOLUTION NO. 8547 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING A CONSULTANT AGREEMENT WITH KIMLEY-HORN AND ASSOCIATES, INC. TO UPDATE THE CITY’S GENERAL PLAN.
 

Staff recommends that the City Council approve Resolution 8547.

A professional services agreement with Kimley Horn & Associates, Inc. to coordinate and prepare a new general plan, environmental impact report, and other required research documents, studies, and environmental documentation related to a comprehensive General Plan update over the next three years.

The current City of Hawthorne General Plan was adopted in parts in 1989 and 1990. The Plan consisted of the seven mandatory elements: Land Use; Circulation; Conservation; Noise; Open Space; Safety; and Housing. Of these, the Housing Element is on a mandatory update schedule and was last updated in 2023. The Circulation Element was last updated in 2015, and a new Economic Development Element was adopted in that same year. The Land Use Element is typically the most frequently updated element, but the last partial update was in 2016. The Noise Element was partially updated in 2018. The Safety Element was updated along with the Housing Element in 2023, and a new Environmental Justice Element was adopted at the same time. Open Space and Conservation Elements were not updated since their original adoption in 1989. The General Plan update related to this contract will be for a comprehensive rewrite of the Land Use, Circulation, Conservation, Noise, Open Space, and if needed, Economic Development Elements. Since Housing, Safety, and Environmental Justice Elements were updated in 2023, they will not be updated at this time, except as necessary to remain in conformity with other updates.

Kimley Horn, & Associates, Inc. was selected by a panel of department heads and managers representing most City departments after reviewing eight responses to our Request For Proposals (attached). The committee first selected four of the eight consultants to interview based on the following criteria: RFP response quality = 5 points; Experience and team depth = 25 points; Responsiveness to the scope of the project = 25 points; Public engagement plan = 25 points; and Schedule = 10 points. The average scores ranged from 79.6 to 85.9 with a clear gap between those ranked #4 and #5. Once four consultants were selected, the cost proposals of these four were given to the committee and an additional 10 points could be awarded, bringing the maximum points to 100. The final scores for the top four ranged from 85.6 to 88.4.

The top four teams were interviewed by the same committee on May 29, 2025. The scoring criteria for the interviews were each worth between 0-4 points and focused on: quality of interview presentation; ability to build a strong consensus in the community; public engagement plan; political savvy to see the project to its conclusion; and the value proposition of each team, which was a comparison of the proposed cost and the services offered. The average final interview scores for the four finalists were 3.51, 3.83, 3.85, and 3.88. The lowest point scorer was disqualified, and the second lowest, although very close to the top two in most categories, was also disqualified on the basis of cost, which far exceeded the other proposals. 

The final decision to choose top team was very difficult as both teams presented very compelling cases. However, when tallying the pros and cons of each team, and based in part on staff members' experience working with both on past projects, Kimley Horn ended up being the committee's consensus recommendation. Kimley Horn put together a team with depth and experience in exactly this type of project. They are partnering with well-respected and qualified sub-consultants. They presented an engaging and well-thought-out schedule and budget, and are ready to start work on this three-year project as soon as mid-July of this year. Staff wholeheartedly support this recommendation.

Goal 4: Update the Zoning Code for the 21st Century.
Objective 4.1: Secure funding, develop RFP, and execute a contract for the General Plan update.

Not to exceed $1,631,195 over three years. Approximately $500,000 from the General Fund for each fiscal year starting in FY 25-26, with the remainder of the funds carried over from the Planning Department budget for FY 24-25.

None required.