Lawndale council extends Metro C Line special counsel, awards three on-call traffic engineering contracts

The Lawndale City Council unanimously approved an amendment to its special counsel agreement related to the Metro C Line extension and separately authorized three on-call traffic-engineering contracts at its Nov. 3 meeting.

Staff told the council the special-counsel amendment extends the agreement through December 2028, reflects changes in counsel assignments and applies an hourly rate adjustment beginning in 2026 with an automatic 5% annual increase starting in 2027. "Staff respectfully recommends that city council approve the first amendment to contract service agreement for special counsel legal services," the staff presenter said. City staff said the cost is covered by the current fiscal-year budget and that no budget amendment is required. The motion to approve was made by Mayor Pro Tem Pat Kearney and seconded by Councilmember Cuevas; the clerk reported a unanimous vote.

On the procurement side, public works staff described a Sept. 10 RFQ that produced nine responses and recommended three firms for on-call traffic-engineering services: GTS Solutions; Hartsog & Croweville; and Kimberly Horne & Associates. Staff said the recommended agreements would be three years with an option to extend two additional years and that there is no overall cap on use; projects will be paid from separate funding sources (gas tax, Proposition C and project accounts). "Our recommendation is an agreement with GTS Solutions, Hartzog and Crowvile and Kimberly Horne and Associates," the presenter said. Council approved the staff recommendation unanimously.

Council members questioned how on-call task orders would be funded and whether smaller purchases could be made administratively. Staff explained purchases under $5,000 are handled directly by public works, orders above that level follow purchasing rules, and task orders above $15,000 will come to council for approval.

The actions leave the city with a multi-year special-counsel arrangement for Metro C Line matters and a three-firm on-call roster for traffic engineering, intended to streamline design and technical support for capital projects. The council took the votes during its regular meeting and did not add conditions beyond the staff-reported procurement and purchasing controls.