AGENDA ITEM
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: CARLO TOMAINO
CITY MANAGER
BY: COLLEEN T. DOAN
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
SUBJECT:
title
CONTRACT SERVICES AGREEMENTS FOR ON-CALL SERVICES - BUILDING SAFETY PLAN CHECK AND PROFESSIONAL STAFFING SERVICES
summary
Summary:
The City Council will consider authorizing the City Manager to execute four (4) on-call Contract Services Agreements with qualified firms (CSG Consultants, Inc, Interwest Consulting Group, Inc, Shums Coda Associates, and TRB + Associates, Inc) to provide on-call Building Safety plan check and professional staffing services, for a not-to-exceed annual amount of $200,000 each. The Community Development Department utilizes these services to provide development related services to residents and businesses, thereby accomplishing its annual goals as defined by the City Council in the approved annual Operating Budget.
Strategic Plan Goal(s):
Goal No. 1 Financial Stability: Ensure the City’s long-term financial stability and resilience.
Goal No. 3 Economic & Downtown Development: Improve the local economy, support local businesses, and create a vibrant downtown core.
Goal No. 5 High Functioning Government: Strengthen internal communication, recruitment, retention, systems, and processes to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of City services.
recommendation
Recommendations:
1. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a four-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with CSG Consultants, Incorporated, to provide on-call Building Safety plan check and professional staffing services, for a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
2. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a four-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with Interwest Consulting Group, Incorporated, to provide on-call Building Safety plan check and professional services, for a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
3. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a four-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with Shums Coda Associates, to provide on-call Building Safety plan check and professional staffing services, for a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
4. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a four-year Contract Services Agreement, with two additional one-year extensions, with TRB+ Associates, Incorporated, to provide on-call Building Safety plan check and professional staffing services, for a not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 annually, in a form approved by the City Attorney.
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Fiscal Impact:
The City charges plan check services to the applicant/developer in accordance with the City’s fee schedule to cover the plan-check costs incurred. The revenue collected from developers/applicants are tracked in project revenue accounts, effectively offsetting the City’s plan check expenditures. The current fiscal year’s (FY 2023-24) Community Development budget for on-call Building Safety plan check is $75,000 and is based on annual estimated plan check expenditures. The FY 2023-24 Building Safety budget for on-call professional staffing services is $3,500 and is typically used for occasional staffing substitutes such as during vacation leave.
Since plan-check fees are based on project valuations, unanticipated high-value projects can easily impact the allocated budget for both expenditures and offsetting revenues. To enhance service efficiency and allow a buffer from unanticipated projects staff is recommending the not-to-exceed contract amounts to be $200,000 per year, totaling a four year not-to-exceed amount of $800,000 over the term of the contracts. The proposed annual contract amounts are based on economic and development trends, and the City’s anticipated need for project plan check review. Despite these adjustments, the net fiscal impact remains neutral, with expenses and revenues offsetting each other.
Background:
The City’s Community Development Department consists of four divisions, one of which is Building Safety. The Building Safety Division is responsible for the review of construction plans, plan check, issuance of building permits, and on-site inspections during construction to ensure compliance with the approved plans and the California Building Codes. The division’s staffing includes one full-time Principal Building Inspector, one Management Assistant (providing support to all four Community Development divisions), and a part-time permit technician. On-call contract staffing services include a contract Building Official and substitute building inspectors or permit technicians to cover extended staff leave such as vacation time.
On-Call Building Safety Services
In response to variable economic and development trends, the Community Development Department model relies on professional consulting firms using on-call agreements to augment the Community Development Department’s capacity. A major function of the contract services for the Building Safety Division is plan check services. The Principal Building Inspector conducts plan checks for the smaller volume work, which includes minor development projects, such as minor remodels or tenant improvements, mechanical equipment upgrades, and residential solar panel installations. The City’s on-call contract providers review all major development projects. The proposed use of on-call consultants is consistent with the City’s purchasing policy and supports the timely delivery of development projects.
On-call agreements are an efficient tool for providing technical staff support and reducing the time needed to identify qualified firms while adhering to the City’s purchasing policy. This approach enables the City to quickly respond to applicant needs by utilizing specialized consulting services on an as-needed basis. Using multiple consultants in these capacities also provides the City with the flexibility to control costs as workloads and demand fluctuate in response to development or project activity.
Analysis:
The City currently contracts with the following three firms for Building Safety Services: Interwest Consulting Group, Inc, TRB+ Associates, Inc, and 4Leaf Incorporated. The City’s current Contract Services Agreements with Interwest and TRB will expire April 2024, and the current contract with 4Leaf will expire in October 2024.
On August 28, 2023, staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Contract Professional Staffing and Plan Check Services (Attachment A). The City invited interested firms to submit proposals for these services. Below is an overview of the Scope of Services, Evaluation and Selection Process contained in the RFP:
Scope of Services
The scope of services requested included the following:
1. Professional Contract and On-Call Staffing: Building Official, Senior and Combination Building Inspector(s), Permit Technicians(s), and Oil Field Services Coordinator.
2. Professional Contract Plan Check Services: Review of plans and supplemental documents (structural calculations, Title 24 review, geological investigation reports, soil reports, etc.) for code compliance with the California Building Codes (Building, Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical, Green, etc.). Review types including new industrial, commercial, mixed-use, and residential construction projects and additions, remodels, and reconstruction projects. Reviews include providing written corrections requesting code compliance for development projects.
Evaluation Process
In response to the RFP, the City received eleven (11) proposals; staff deemed all proposals complete and timely. In accordance with the qualifications-based selection procurement listed in the RFP, the Community Development Director established a Selection Committee. The Selection Committee was comprised of the Community Development Director, Planning Manager, and Associate Planner. The Selection Committee conducted a two-tiered evaluation process, consisting of an evaluation of proposals followed by interviews for top firms in each category. The proposal evaluation criteria included:
• Qualifications and Relevant Experience (Weight 25%)
o Years in business and qualifications of individuals and teams
o Experience providing similar services to local government agencies
o Service delivery time frames
• Thoroughness and Organization of Proposal (Weight 15%)
o Includes all required elements of the proposal
o The proposal is organized, concise and thorough
o Demonstrates understanding of the scope of work
o Consultant’s approach to accomplishing the scope of work
• Proposed Staff Experience (Weight 30%)
o Experience doing similar work and projects
• Cost Estimates (Weight 30%)
o Costs for providing the proposed scope of services
o Quality of work to be delivered based on consultant’s fee
The interview evaluation criteria included:
• Qualifications and Relevant Experience (Weight 40%)
o Demonstrated qualifications of individuals and the team
o Experience providing similar services (all positions) for local government agencies
o Demonstrated understanding of the scope of work
o Demonstrated analytical ability and problem-solving skills
o Demonstrated understanding of and experience providing core customer service
o Demonstrated history of timely service delivery
o Identified specific procedures to be used to ensure close contact between the consultant and the City
• Preparedness and understanding of the project (Weight 40%)
o Demonstrated ability to provide sufficient qualified and experienced personnel, including supplemental personnel
o Demonstrated availability of lead and all proposed team members
o Consultant’s general approach to providing services and evaluating issues
o Communication skills
o Demonstrated ability to deliver services using technology and computers
o Cost estimates and delivery time
• Reference Checks (Weight 20%)
o Customer satisfaction
o Cost versus product level of service
o Communication strengths and analytical skills
o Emergency services track record
o Other
Selection Process
Following the initial proposal evaluations, the Selection Committee invited six firms to participate in the interview process held in December 2023. Following the interview process, the Selection Committee ranked the following firms as having the highest overall scores:
CSG Consultants, Inc
Interwest Consulting Group, Inc
Shums Coda Associates
TRB + Associates, Inc
Staff conducted reference checks for each of the four highest-ranked firms. The referenced cities were asked a series of performance questions, including experience with the subject firm for similar services. Staff received satisfactory responses regarding performance and qualifications for all firms.
• CSG Consultants, Inc has been in business for 32 years and currently provides similar services for the cities of Fullerton, Stanton, and Huntington Beach. This firm also provided similar services for the City of Signal Hill from 2013 to 2021 (Attachment B).
• Interwest Consulting Group, Inc has been in business for more than 30 years and has provided similar services to the City of Signal Hill from 2017 to present, including on-call Building Official services. Interwest also provides similar services to the cities of Costa Mesa, Lake Forest, Murietta and Irvine (Attachment C).
• Shums Coda Associates has been in business for nearly 20 years and provides similar services for the cities of Ventura, Fremont, Sunnyvale, and Pleasanton (Attachment D).
• TRB + Associates, Inc has been in business for nearly 20 years and currently provides similar services for Signal Hill, along with the cities of Santa Clarita, Corona, West Hollywood, and the County of San Bernardino (Attachment E).
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to enter into a four-year Contract Services Agreement with each firm (CSG Consultants, Inc, Interwest Consulting Group, Inc, Shums Coda Associates, TRB+ Associates, Inc) for on-call Building Safety plan check and professional staffing services, for a not-to-exceed annual amount of $200,000 per firm. The City charges plan check services to the applicant/developer, which covers the City’s cost of providing the service in accordance with the City’s fee schedule, these revenues offset the contract costs. The monies collected from developers/applicants are tracked in project revenue accounts which offset the City’s plan check cost. The volume of plan checks provided by these on-call firms will be based on the number of projects requiring building safety plan check review.
Reviewed for Fiscal Impact:
_________________________
Sharon del Rosario
Attachments:
A. Request for Proposals
B. Agreement with CSG Consultants, Inc
C. Agreement with Interwest Consulting Group, Inc
D. Agreement with Shums Coda Associates
E. Agreement with TRB + Associates, Inc