CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
201 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Suite #1101
Anaheim, CA 92805
Tel: (714) 765-5173
www.anaheim.net
City of Anaheim
PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
DATE: OCTOBER 13, 2026
FROM: PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: AGREEMENT WITH BLACKLINE CONSULTING TO
CONDUCT A CUSTOMER SERVICES OPERATIONAL
EFFICIENCY STUDY AND BEST PRACTICES
IDENTIFICATION
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM #14
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: NO
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Motion:
1. Approve an agreement with Blackline Consulting for professional consulting services to conduct a customer services operational efficiency study and best practices identification (Agreement), with an initial term of one-year and up to one optional one-year extension, at a not-to-exceed cost of $100,940, plus a contingency for as-needed extra services not to exceed $20,000; and
2. Authorize the Acting Public Utilities General Manager, or designees, on behalf of the City of Anaheim (Anaheim), to execute the Agreement and any related or implementing documents, including cost-neutral amendments, assignments, and documents contemplated by the Agreement, and to take such necessary or advisable actions to implement, fund, and administer the Agreement.
DISCUSSION:
At its meeting on September 23, 2026, the Public Utilities Board recommended that the City Council approve the proposed Professional Services Agreement with Blackline Consulting.
Anaheim Public Utilities (APU) provides electric and water services to approximately 340,000 residents and 15,000 businesses throughout Anaheim. APU’s Customer Service plays a central role in supporting these utility operations and related city services, including solid waste collection, sewer maintenance, street sweeping, and FireMedic subscriptions. Every day, Customer Service supports customers by operating a responsive call center, issuing billing statements, and ensuring payments are properly posted to customer accounts. In addition, Customer Service also administers bill assistance programs for customers experiencing financial hardships. As customer expectations, service delivery methods, and technology platforms continue to evolve, APU has determined that conducting a comprehensive operational review of Customer Agreement with Blackline Consulting to Conduct a Customer Services Operational Efficiency Study and Best Practices Identification October 13, 2026
Service would assess current performance and ensure that its customers continue to receive the level of customer service they have come to expect.
In March 2026, APU issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for qualified consulting firms to conduct a customer services operational efficiency study and best practices identification. The scope of services includes evaluating customer service offerings, communication methods, organizational structure, staffing models, workflow processes, customer engagement practices, technology platforms, and performance metrics across all customer-facing operations. The selected consultant will then provide recommendations and implementation roadmap to ensure APU can make future operational improvements with minimal cost impacts.
APU received five proposals, which APU ranked on their ability to meet the scope, relevant experience, technical expertise, a record of success with other agencies, and reasonableness of cost. APU invited the top two firms to participate in interviews to further evaluate their proposals. The evaluation team evaluated each proposal in accordance with Council Policy 4.1 – Selection of Professional Consultants, ranked below:
Respondents Rank
Blackline Consulting 1
GPP Analytics 2
E Source Companies LLC 3
Precision Consulting Firm LLC 4
Hometown HUB 5
APU recommends Blackline Consulting based on its comprehensive and implementation-focused approach to evaluating complex public sector customer service operations. Blackline Consulting demonstrated a strong understanding of APU’s operating environment and proposed a structured, datadriven methodology that includes stakeholder engagement, process shadowing, evaluation of the endto-end customer experiences, benchmarking against high-performing public utilities, organizational design analysis, and actionable implementation planning.
Blackline Consulting has significant experience supporting municipalities and public sector organizations with customer experience strategy, organizational reviews, service delivery optimization, and operational efficiency studies. Comparable engagements include customer service strategy and efficiency reviews for California public-sector clients, including the City of Napa, City of Newport Beach, and Orange County Transportation Authority.
The proposed one-year Agreement includes an option for up to one optional one-year extension, with a not-to-exceed cost of $100,940, plus a $20,000 contingency for as-needed extra services.
The Agreement supports the Citywide Strategic Plan, Goal D – Foster a High-Performing Organization, Strategy 7 – Assess current technology to identify gaps and needs within City operations to better serve the community.
Agreement with Blackline Consulting to Conduct a Customer Services Operational Efficiency Study and Best Practices Identification October 13, 2026
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
APU’s Fiscal Year 2026/27 restricted Utility Fund budget contains sufficient funds for the agreement, with future years subject to City Council’s approval of budget appropriations.
Respectfully submitted,
Brian Beelner
Acting Public Utilities General Manager
Attachment:
1. Professional Services Agreement with Blackline Consulting