200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Suite #620
Anaheim, CA 92805
Tel: (714) 765-5110
Fax: (714) 765-5288
www.anaheim.net
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
DATE: JANUARY 23, 2024
FROM: FINANCE DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE AND ADMINISTER THE
SOFTWARE LICENSE AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT
FOR ACCELA, INC. SOFTWARE SYSTEM UPGRADE
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 13
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: YES
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Motion, waive the sealed bid requirement of Council Policy
4.0 and approve the Accela Subscription Services Agreement with Accela, Inc. (Accela) for an amount not-to-exceed $284,520, for the upgrade of the City’s permit tracking and land management system and an amount not-to-exceed $4,350,000 which includes a 5% contingency for other fees, for the continued annual maintenance, licensing and service costs required for the use of the software over a period of five years; and authorize the Finance Director, on behalf of the City, to execute the agreement with Accela and additional agreements, change orders, purchase orders and related documents as necessary for the implementation of the upgrade.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Anaheim’s Accela software system allows for enterprise-wide Permit Tracking and Land Management, supporting City business processes for multiple divisions within the Planning & Building Department, as well as Fire & Rescue, Public Utilities and Public Works Departments. It is essential for the City to efficiently conduct its day-to-day operations, maintain secure and proper recordkeeping of permit and license activities and provide services to its customers.
The City of Anaheim first implemented Accela in October 2021. Since then, multiple versions of the software have been released resulting in the current software being four versions behind the vendor’s latest release. In order to maintain proper support for patch releases, specifically those related to security, compliance and software stability, the City needs to complete an upgrade of the system.
The Accela Upgrade project will target a completion of August 2024, and move the City to the latest version of the software under the Software as a Service (SaaS) model while keeping operational costs in-line with current services. Upgrading Accela and moving its operational platform to the Cloud will enable the City to access a wider operational and technical resource pool for support, take advantage of available industry standard Authorization to Execute and Administer the Software License and Maintenance Agreement for Accela, Inc. Software System Upgrade
January 23, 2024
technology solutions, increase system performance through up-to-date system maintenance, and the opportunity to improve fail-over and disaster recovery capabilities, while also eliminating expenses of maintaining an on-premise system. An additional subset of key benefits to the City include:
- Improved security and reliability of the overall solution, including continuous detection & response for advanced cyber threats, data encryption, as well as a Disaster Recovery.
- Patching, security, and regulatory updates coupled with new functionality releases, eliminating the need for the City to complete major upgrade efforts.
The Upgrade Project will be completed over a period of 6 months and will include a one-time cost of approximately $284,520. The upgrade costs were anticipated for the current fiscal year and included in the adopted budget.
The annual costs for the SaaS subscription will range from $749,848 to $911,446 over the 5-year contract term.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
Sufficient funds are included in the Planning Department’s FY 2024/25 General Fund budget for the one-time upgrade costs. Annual subscription costs were anticipated and included in the internal Information Services Fund budget. Subsequent years’ renewals will be subject to available budget appropriations.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah A. Moreno
Finance Director/City Treasurer
Attachment:
1. Agreement