ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS RECEIVED:

Staff has posted answers to questions received in the form of CDBG Consultant RFP Q&A. Click the link to view the attachment.

Introduction 

The City of Monrovia (“City”) is seeking proposals from qualified respondents to provide consulting services for the management of the City’s Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”) Residential Rehabilitation Grant Program which serves low to moderate income residents.

Overview of the City of Monrovia

Nestled against the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Monrovia is a charming, progressive city with the amenities and characteristics of a small town. It has a strong sense of neighborhood and a desire to preserve its small-town character, enhanced by its concentration of Craftsman, Victorian, and Spanish- style homes constructed in the first quarter of the 20th century.
Incorporated in 1887, Monrovia is the fourth-oldest General-law city in Los Angeles County and the L.A. Basin. The City’s corporate boundary encompasses almost 14 square miles, however, the majority is undeveloped hillside open space. The urbanized area is approximately five square miles.
Today, Monrovia is an ethnically and socio-economically diverse city. Monrovia is a built-out community and has not experienced significant population growth since the 1980s, a decade during which the City grew by 14.3 percent and added nearly 4,500 new residents. During the 1990s, Monrovia’s population increased by 3.3 percent, followed by a 0.9 percent drop in population during the 2000s.
Current data from the Southern California Association of Government (SCAG) 2018 Local Profile Report indicates Monrovia’s total population is now 38,787 with 41.5% Hispanic, 35.8% White, 14.0% Asian, 5% Black, 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 3.6% other. It also notes that Monrovia has 15,021 housing units and a 46.2% homeownership rate. The average household size is 2.7.

Monrovia's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

The Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) administers CDBG funding and oversees over 45 non-entitlement communities throughout the County, of which the City is a participating city. Non-entitlement areas include local jurisdictions with a population of less than 50,000 that do not receive CDBG funds directly from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The City qualifies as a participating non-entitlement city due to its four low-median income census tract areas. The City’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 CDBG allocation is $245,830, which is an increase from last fiscal year.
The Monrovia Residential Rehabilitation Program provides assistance to low-to-moderate income households through grants. The Program facilitates CDBG funded home repairs for those who cannot afford to make needed home improvements. Eligible home repairs include, but are not limited to electrical, plumbing, or mechanical repairs, roof and structural repairs, lead/asbestos remediation, accessibility modifications, exterior painting, stucco, and termite damage repair. The City Council recently authorized 100% of CDBG funding to be applied to this Program. The budget includes consultant administrative costs associated with eligibility confirmation, securing contractors, and CDBG compliance. Over the past few years, LACDA has allowed the City to rollover any unused funds.

Project Description

The ideal consultant or consultant team “Consultant”) will have in depth knowledge of the use, requirements, and processing of CDBG funds and will meet with City staff regularly to provide project updates.

It is expected that the Consultant will:

• Be familiar with LACDA requirements,
• Demonstrate a strong and successful working relationship with LACDA,
• Effectively utilize technical expertise related to grant and project management, and
• Work with City to determine staff skill sets that can be utilized to offset consultant work and share in responsibilities, with the general expectation that 1 City staff member will assist.

Scope of Services

The Scope of Services that the Consultant will include as a minimum in their proposal shall consist of, but not be limited to, the following tasks. Consultants are encouraged to add to these tasks as deemed necessary to complete the secondary task noted under Program Development and Marketing (Item 1a). The Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

Program Development and Marketing

• Participate in the evaluation of the City's proposed housing rehabilitation program and recommend program changes which address the City's housing needs.
  • Explore and recommend options to the City for the use of loans or a combination of loans and grants to expand the Program.
• Review and update the City's housing program guidelines at least annually.
• Program marketing including the preparation of press releases, brochures, public notices and other promotional materials. Many of these items must be published in Spanish and translations are the responsibility of the Consultant.
• Develop and implement new programs as requested.
• Develop and maintain a project tracking system in order to expedite project scheduling and monitoring, accounting, required agency reports.
• Maintain a filing system for each applicant with all necessary documentation, in compliance with Federal and County standards and in accordance with the City’s Records Retention Schedule.
• Prepare monthly status reports for the City and other governmental units.

CDBG Grants

• Evaluate CDBG Applicant Eligibility: Pursuant to federal, state and local regulations, review client applications to determine the Applicant’s financial and eligibility status, i.e., analyze required tax returns, household composition, employment and earnings history, and confirm ownership status as follows:
  • Obtain all required documents of income including; pay stubs, Social Security benefits, pensions, rent, etc.
  • Obtain title report, property profile, trust deeds, power of attorney documentation, or other proof of property ownership for rehabilitation program applicants.
• Preparation of Work Specifications, Cost Estimates, Inspection Services, and Construction Management.
• Conduct property inspections to identify requested work eligibility under the Los Angeles County Development Authority Guidelines, as well as meeting the City’s Building and Planning Division’s requirements.
  • Prepare work write-ups, change orders, and addendums, describing necessary repairs and improvements including line item cost estimates.
  •  Coordinate the procurement process, including obtaining necessary signatures, advertising the bid opening, and evaluating submitted bids.
  • Maintain a current contractor list with all eligibility requirements, including proof of insurance, verification of SAM.gov compliance, and appropriate California Contractor’s State License Board license.
  • Send for Lead/Asbestos inspections and comply with findings.
  • Obtain photos for Historic Preservation, work to be done, work in progress, and completed improvements. Maintain “before and after” photos with client files.
  • Perform final inspection and close out project with all necessary lien releases, notices of completion, and Building Inspector’s final. Interface with the City’s Building Department as necessary.
• Prepare all required Documents and Contracts on City approved forms.
• Prepare and timely provide (with required signatures) to City all change orders, payment requests, including lien releases, and all other required documents.

Proposal Requirements

Respondents are asked to submit one electronic copy of their proposal via email. The proposal should include, at a minimum, the following information in sectionalized format addressing the work in the RFQ.

Cover Letter:
An original cover letter signed by an officer authorized to contractually bind the Consultant’s firm. The cover letter should also include: the identification of the firm, including the name, address, and telephone number of the firm; proposed working relationship among the Consultant and any subcontractor(s), if applicable; name, title, address, and telephone number of a contact person during the proposal evaluation period; and, a statement to the effect that the proposal shall remain valid for a period of not less than ninety (90) days from the date of submittal.

Project Team:
Please provide a description of the Consultant’s project team.

1. Identify the key staff person responsible for service delivery.
2. All team members’ names, resumes, and professional titles.

Relevant Experience:

Please provide a description of experience on similar work.

References:

Please provide a list of three public sector client reference

1. Provide name, mailing address, and telephone number of the principal contact.
2. Provide a brief description of the service provided and the dates of the work provided.

Fee Schedule:

Please provide a schedule showing estimated costs for service delivery (hourly rate set forth in the fee schedule, with a total amount not to exceed 20% of the funds received for the program in each fiscal year).

Evaluation and Selection Criteria

Following the deadline to respond, the City shall review and evaluate all proposals received for responsiveness to the RFQ to determine whether the Consultant(s) possess the qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance, and their proposed approach to the project. The City may also investigate the qualifications of all Consultants to whom the award of contract is contemplated. The City may request clarifications of proposals directly from one or more Consultants.

All Consultants submitting proposals will be notified of the status of their submittal by September 4, 2025. A selection committee may conduct interviews with Consultants whose proposal and qualifications are determined to be most suitable for this project.

Questions and Communication

All communication from prospective Consultants regarding this RFQ must be in writing. Communication by telephone or in person will not be accepted. Questions should clearly identify the relevant section of the RFQ related to the question being asked. Attempts by or on behalf of a prospective or existing Consultant to contact or to influence any member of the selection committee, any member of the City Council, or any employee of the City with regard to the acceptance of a proposal may lead to elimination of that Consultant from further consideration.

All questions regarding this proposal should be submitted in writing via email no later than July 24, 2025 to Joslyn Blakely, Neighborhood and Business Services Manager at jblakely@monroviaca.gov. Responses will be sent to all prospective Consultants on July 28, 2025.

Deadline and Submittal Requirements

In order for proposals to be considered, the City must receive one (1) electronic copy of your Proposal no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 8, 2025. Proposals must be submitted to bids@monroviaca.gov, with “CDBG Residential Rehabilitation Grant Program Administration” in the subject line.

Terms and Conditions

1. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.
2. Proposal costs are the responsibility of the Consultant.
3. The awarded Consultant must agree to execute and meet all insurance requirements contained in the standard Consultant Services Agreement with the City (attached).
4. Submission of a proposal shall constitute acknowledgement and acceptance of all terms and conditions contained in this RFQ and all exhibits and attachments hereto.

Attachments

1. Request for Proposals - CDBG Consultant
2. Sample Consultant Services Agreement
3. CDBG Consultant RFP Q&A - added 7/29/2025