That the City Council:
A.  Waive formal bidding requirements per the La Habra Municipal Code, Section 4.20.080(B) when a service firm has established such a successful past history of work with the City that is clearly in the public interest not to negotiate with any other source; 

B. Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 1 to the existing Agreement for Services with MV Cheng & Associates to ensure the Ready S.E.T. OC Program remains in compliance with federal and county grant standards; and,

C. Authorize staff to increase the current Purchase Order from $35,000 to an amount not to exceed $100,000 to fund Amendment No. 1 to the agreement.

In August 2024, the City of La Habra executed an agreement with MV Cheng & Associates to provide auditing and financial reporting support for the Finance Department. Due to their familiarity with City operations and expertise, the Community Services Department has identified a need to utilize their services for specialized management oversight within the Employment and Training Division and requests an amendment to the Agreement to expand the scope of work to increase the existing purchase order with MV Cheng & Associates to a total of $100,000. This increase will ensure that both the Finance Department’s auditing needs and the Community Services Department’s program management requirements are fully met through the remainder of the fiscal year.

The Ready S.E.T. OC Program is a countywide program funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant, administered through a contracted agreement between the City of La Habra and the County of Orange. The program serves at-risk youth (ages 14-24) through career development, academic support, and specialized vocational training.

Pursuant to the City’s agreement with the County of Orange, the City is required to maintain specific staffing levels and adhere to rigorous accounting and reporting requirements. The program’s prior Employment and Training Manager recently resigned and the position is currently vacant. To maintain compliance with grant mandates and ensure uninterrupted service for participants while the City recruits to fill this position, the City requires immediate outside management expertise. MV Cheng & Associates specializes in providing experienced municipal contract staff and currently provides temporary staffing to the City under an existing purchase order. If approved by Council, the existing purchase order will increase to $100,000 and will provide temporary management support for approximately four months while the City completes a recruitment process.

If approved by the City Council, this request for additional purchase order funding will be fully funded through the WIOA grant funds as part of the Ready S.E.T. OC program; there is no impact on the General Fund.