Project Information

Bid Title

Request for Proposals (RFP) For Wastewater Rate and Capacity Charge Study

Issuing Agency

City of San Carlos

Location

California

Published Date

May 6, 2026

Closing Date

Jun 3, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Department: Public Works
Category: Request for Proposals
Project Number: C2503
Start Date: 05/06/2026
Close Date: 06/03/2026 5:00 PM
Question Cut-Off Date: 05/27/2026 5:00 PM

The City of San Carlos is seeking Proposals for a Wastewater Rate and Capacity Charge Study.

The following are the types of services that the consultant may need to perform; however, if additional services are needed, the consultant needs to indicate them in the proposal:

• Analyze the City’s existing sewer master plan, financial plan, rate, and hydraulic model to ensure that there is adequate funding for operating and maintenance expenses, prioritize capital improvements to the City’s aging collection system, and determine whether the City can increase its CIP budget by tapping reserves
• Determine fee and the appropriate methodology to calculate delta in usage demand, accounting for vacant lots and buildings, climate change impacts, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs)
• Identify the appropriate rate duration to adopt
• Determine how the City of Belmont’s plan to annex the Harbor Industrial Area (HIA), currently an unincorporated area of San Mateo County, will affect the City of San Carlos’ capacity rights since wastewater from the HIA utilize the San Carlos sewer network
• Complete all work based on the requirements and timeline that mandated by California Proposition 218

The following is a non-exhaustive list of deliverables that achieve the desired scope above:

• Defensible nexus study for the rate increase, with 10-year rate projections, that documents the current and proposed sewer rate and capacity charge and all methodology, supporting analysis, rate comparisons, revenue projections, and recommendations
• A study and recommendation on how to treat accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as part of the rate
• Preparation of documents for City Council approval:
  
  • Draft of Proposition 218 notification letter
  • Ordinance language amending City Municipal Code and the associated Council staff report and resolution
  • A PowerPoint presentation of the aforementioned report’s results for presentation at one (1) City Council meeting, with consultant staff present to answer City Council questions

The Proposal shall also include a contingency and/or optional task for public outreach, which the City may choose exercise as needed to advance project goals.

We encourage all proposers to thoroughly review the complete RFP document before submitting.

For any inquiries related to this RFP, please contact:

Ken Der, Civil Engineering Assistant
kder@cityofsancarlos.org | (650) 802-4202

Attachments
RFP - Wastewater Rate and Capacity Charge Study
City of San Carlos Professional Services Agreement Template

Attachment Preview

Request for Proposals (RFP)

For

Wastewater Rate and

Capacity Charge Study (C2503)

City of San Carlos

Department of Public Works

600 Elm Street

San Carlos, CA 94070

Point of Contact:

Ken Der

Civil Engineering Assistant

(650) 802-4202

kder@cityofsancarlos.org

PROPOSALS DUE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2026 BY 5:00 PM

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

WASTEWATER RATE AND CAPACITY CHARGE STUDY

1. INTRODUCTION

The City of San Carlos is seeking Proposals for a Wastewater Rate and Capacity Charge Study.

2. BACKGROUND

San Carlos, incorporated in 1925 as a General Law city, encompasses 5.6 square miles and is

located exactly halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. The City is governed by a five-

member City Council with members selecting a Mayor for a one-year term and has an appointed

City Manager. There has been a great emphasis on public participation in local government and

the citizenry is quite active. Other information regarding the City of San Carlos can be found on the

City’s website – www.cityofsancarlos.org.

The City provides wastewater collection services for its residential population, estimated at around

30,700 people as per 2020 census data, as well as its commercial businesses. The City’s sanitary

sewer system includes approximately 100 miles of gravity sewer mains, ranging from four inches in

diameter to 36 inches, about one mile of pressure mains, and four sewage pump stations.

All sewage collected through the City’s sanitary sewer system is conveyed to the San Carlos Pump

Station located at Monte Vista Drive and Skyway Road. The San Carlos Pump Station is owned

and operated by Silicon Valley Clean Water (“SVCW”), a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) serving the

communities of Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, and the West Bay Sanitary District. Sewage

from the San Carlos Pump Station is then pumped to the treatment plant located in Redwood

Shores. Previously, to help fund an expansion of the treatment plant to increase treatment

capacity, each member agency was required to collect and transfer its own connection fee to

SVCW. However, if member agencies build developments in accordance with their respective

general plans (including San Carlos), most will exceed their allocated capacity rights negotiated

with the treatment plant expansion. Further discussions are needed to determine how the

treatment plant will meet projected demand.

In 2016, the City completed a wastewater capacity charge study that updated sewer capacity

charge designed to equitably recover the costs of City sewer system infrastructure and assets

benefiting new development.

In 2019, the City completed a wastewater rate study that updated sewer rates for a four-year

period, and another was completed in 2024 for the next three years.

In 2025, the City completed an update to its Sewer Collection System Master Plan to

comprehensively evaluate the sanitary sewer system capacity and develop a phased capacity

assurance capital improvements plan under existing, near-term, and buildout scenarios,

incorporating current system characterization and projected growth, to guide the City in meeting

sewer service demands presently and into the future. The sewer model of the City’s collection

system developed as part of the 2013 Master Plan was also updated to address minor data gaps

and include all the pipes in the Northeast Area Specific Plan (NEASP) and Downtown Specific Plan

(DTSP) area.

Finally, the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) has a wastewater fund that earmarks $10

million to $12 million annually to support its sewer and wastewater projects, with a majority of the

funding dedicated to the Annual Sewer System Rehabilitation Program.

Page | 2

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The following are the types of services that the consultant may need to perform; however, if additional

services are needed, the consultant needs to indicate them in the proposal:

• Analyze the City’s existing sewer master plan, financial plan, rate, and hydraulic model to

ensure that there is adequate funding for operating and maintenance expenses, prioritize

capital improvements to the City’s aging collection system, and determine whether the City

can increase its CIP budget by tapping reserves

• Determine fee and the appropriate methodology to calculate delta in usage demand,

accounting for vacant lots and buildings, climate change impacts, and accessory dwelling

units (ADUs)

• Identify the appropriate rate duration to adopt

• Determine how the City of Belmont’s plan to annex the Harbor Industrial Area (HIA),

currently an unincorporated area of San Mateo County, will affect the City of San Carlos’

capacity rights since wastewater from the HIA utilize the San Carlos sewer network

• Complete all work based on the requirements and timeline that mandated by California

Proposition 218

The following is a non-exhaustive list of deliverables that achieve the desired scope above:

• Defensible nexus study for the rate increase, with 10-year rate projections, that documents

the current and proposed sewer rate and capacity charge and all methodology, supporting

analysis, rate comparisons, revenue projections, and recommendations

• A study and recommendation on how to treat accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as part of

the rate

• Preparation of documents for City Council approval:

o Draft of Proposition 218 notification letter

o Ordinance language amending City Municipal Code and the associated Council staff

report and resolution

o A PowerPoint presentation of the aforementioned report’s results for presentation at

one (1) City Council meeting, with consultant staff present to answer City Council

questions

The Proposal shall also include a contingency and/or optional task for public outreach, which the

City may choose exercise as needed to advance project goals.

4. SCHEDULE AND SUBMITTALS

The City’s target dates are as follows:

Release of RFP

RFP Questions Due

Proposal due

Possible interview with top firm(s)

Contract Award

Target Rate Adoption

May 6, 2026

May 27, 2026

June 3, 2026

June 2026

June 2026

July 1, 2027

5. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT

Page | 3

The proposal shall be brief, precise, and shall not include unnecessary promotional material. The

proposal shall not exceed 15 pages, excluding title page, table of content, dividers, rate

schedule(s) and resumes. The proposal should contain the following elements in the exact order

and segmentation listed below:

1. Cover Letter. Describe your firm or team’s interest and commitment in providing consultant

services to the City. The letter shall be signed by a person authorized to negotiate a contract

with the City.

2. Staffing, Team Experience and Understanding of Project & Objectives. Describe the

qualifications and experience of the team members expected to be assigned to this project.

The description shall include previous experience with similar projects. Include an organization

chart and provide a matrix including which projects team members have worked on together in

the past. A discussion demonstrating the proposer’s understanding of the project, the goals,

the services to be provided, their significance to the overall City goals.

3. Experience on Similar Projects. The consultant must present significant evidence of successful

projects done for local government clients over the past five years. Projects should be

representative types normally done by local government organizations.

4. Work Plan Approach and Schedule. Discuss your firm’s understanding of the scope of work to

be performed and level of effort expected to be performed by each resource. Include an

itemized table of estimated person hours by professional classification (or team member) to

quantify the level of effort. Describe the method that will be used for scheduling, coordination,

management of overall project costs, quality assurance/quality control, and list key or potential

issues/risk you may deem critical to this project.

5. Resumes. Include single page resumes of the engineers, technicians, key personnel and sub-

consultants (if any) to be assigned to the project. It is expected that designated key staff will

remain for the duration of the project. Key staff substitution will be allowed only after an

interview and concurrence with the City.

6. Rate Schedule. The consultant shall provide the most current rate schedule that includes the

rates of all applicable staff that may be assigned to this project.

7. References. Provide at least three references (name, agency, title, address and telephone

number) for recent similar or related work within the past 5 years.

8. Other Relevant Information & Exceptions. Other Relevant Information & Exceptions. Provide

additional relevant information that may be helpful in the selection process including:

a. Conflict of Interest: Provide names of individuals associated with the firm that have a

potential conflict of interest. The City may not contract with a proposer if the

proposer is an employee, officer, or director of the proposer’s firm, or any immediate

family member of the preceding, has served as an elected official, employee, board,

or commission member of the City who influences the making of the contract.

Furthermore, the City may not contract with any proposer whose income,

investment, or real property interest may be affected by the contract. Proposals are

subject to disqualification based on such a conflict of interest as determined by the

City.

b. City Standard Agreement: The selected firm will be required to execute an

Agreement for Standard Professional Services on the City’s form, which is made

Page | 4

part of this Request for Proposals as shown in Exhibit A. All proposers are directed

particularly to review all Indemnification, Hold Harmless and Insurance requirements

set forth in this Agreement. Any requested changes to the City’s Agreement must be

submitted with the proposal and will be evaluated as part of the proposal. Changes

to the Agreement may render the proposal non-responsive.

9. Cost. The awarded firm shall be compensated based on all elements encompassed within RFP

and, if applicable, associated Addendum. Price Sheet presented by the Proposer shall include

price detail breakdown of all elements and tasks imperative to accomplish the services outlined

in the Scope of Work. An itemized table of estimated person hours by professional

classification (or team member) shall be identified; including, if applicable, subcontracted

personnel.

6. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

Qualifications will be screened, and the top candidate(s) will be reviewed by a selection

committee. The qualifications for the top candidates will be verified and references will be

checked. In reviewing the proposals, the City will carefully weigh:

• Consultant’s understanding of the City’s desires and general approach to completing the

work;

• Consultant’s experience with contracts of similar complexity and magnitude;

• Qualifications of the staff being assigned to this project;

• Demonstrated ability of the consultant to perform high quality work, to control costs and to

meet time schedules;

• Demonstrated ability of the consultant to work effectively with City staff;

Other qualifications/criteria as deemed appropriate by the Public Works Director or the panel

reviewing the proposals.

7. SUBMITTAL GUIDELINES

Firms shall submit an electronic pdf file of the qualifications and shall name the electronic file in

the following format:

“Consultant Name – Proposal for Wastewater Rate and Capacity Charge Study (C2503)”

To: Ken Der, Civil Engineering Assistant, kder@cityofsancarlos.org

Subject Line: “Firm Name – Proposal for Wastewater Rate and Capacity Charge Study

(C2503)”

The submissions must be received by the City of San Carlos no later than 5:00 p.m. on

Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Submissions received after this time or at any other location will not be

accepted.

Contact Ken Der at (650) 802-4202 or kder@cityofsancarlos.org should you have any questions.

Any changes made by the City to the requirements in this RFP will be made by written addenda.

Page | 5

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541330Engineering Services
• NAICS 541611Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
• NAICS 541690Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services

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