Consultant Services Agreements with JRP Consulting, LLC & Katherine Gualtieri/Susan Lehmann

ABSTRACT: At the City Council meeting on September 11, 2007, the City Council approved a Resolution authorizing the City Administrator “to execute a Consultant Services Agreement with JRP Consulting, LLC to perform a historic evaluation of the Forest Theater property” for $7,800 and a Resolution authorizing the City Administrator “to execute a Consultant Services Agreement with Katherine Gualtieri and Susan Lehmann to work as the City’s Historic Preservation Consultant.” Presently, the Forest Theater Guild and user groups are in the “preliminary process of developing a Master-Plan for the rehabilitation of the property and an expansion of the facilities.” While the City requires that the historical status of a property be determined prior to the approval of any development applications, it is unclear why the City needed to consider two agreements. That is, the City’s Historic Preservation Consultant conceivably could have been called upon to evaluate the Forest Theatre property for the City too.


Outdoor Forest Theater
"A Midsummer Night’s Day" Rehearsal
Mt. View Av. between Santa Rita St. & Guadalupe St.

City Council Agenda
Regular Meeting
September 11, 2007

VII. Consent Calendar
These matters include routine financial and administrative actions, which are usually approved by a single majority vote. Individual items may be removed from Consent by a member of the Council or the public for discussion and action.

H. Consideration of a Resolution authorizing the City Administrator to execute a Consultant Services Agreement with JRP Consulting, LLC to perform a historic evaluation of the Forest Theatre property.


X. Resolutions

B. Consideration of a Resolution authorizing the City Administrator to execute a Consultant Services Agreement with Katherine Gualtieri and Susan Lehmann to work as the City’s Historic Preservation Consultant.

COMMENTS:

According to Senior Planner Sean Conroy, “the Forest Theater is in the preliminary process of developing a Master-Plan for the rehabilitation of the property and an expansion of the facilities.” Apparently, the Forest Theater Guild and user groups of the Forest Theatre are currently developing a Master-Plan and has not yet presented their Master-Plan to the public at a City Council meeting.

While both Consultant Services Agreements with JRP Consulting, LLC and Katherine Gualtieri/Susan Lehmann include the wording, “The City requires that the historical status of a property be determined prior to the approval of any development applications,” it is unclear why the city needed to consider two agreements. That is, the city’s Historic Preservation Consultant conceivably could have been called upon to evaluate the Forest Theater property per the Agreement, as follows:

• Evaluate the historic significance of the Forest Theatre property according to the California Register criteria and the adopted standards of the City;

• Make recommendations to City staff regarding the eligibility of the Forest Theatre property for listing on the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources;

• And prepare DPR 523 form for the historically significant Forest Theatre.

QUESTION: Since the City Council voted unanimously to select Katherine Gualtieri and Susan Lehmann as the City’s Historic Preservation Consultant, why didn’t the City charge them with the evaluation, et cetera, of the Forest Theatre property, instead of contracting separately with JRP Consulting, LLC for $7,800?

ADDENDUM: Incredibly, whereas the Scout House was evaluated and placed on the Inventory of Historic Resources at the time of the City’s submission of the Local Coastal Program to the California Coastal Commission for certification in late 2004, the Forest Theater property and the Sunset Community and Cultural Center were apparently not evaluated, and therefore were not on the Inventory of Historic Resources as of late 2004.