1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: January 28, 2025
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Betsy McClinton, Management Services Director
BY: Julie Chaidez, Acting Human Resources Manager
SUBJECT: Approval of a Professional Services Agreement between the City of Burbank and Return To Work Partners to Provide Consulting and Case Management Support for Compliance with the Fair Employment and Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) between the City of Burbank (the City) and Return To Work Partners (RTW) to Provide Consulting and Case Management Support for Compliance with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
BACKGROUND
On November 21, 2023, the Management Services Department (MSD) entered into a $50,000 PSA with RTW under the City Manager’s authority. The agreement began as a one-year pilot program to assess whether RTW would add value to MSD’s FEHA/ADA program, which has historically proven challenging for staff to manage internally due to both the specialized knowledge required and the volume of FEHA/ADA cases.
RTW’s extensive knowledge, expertise, and collaborative approach have added significant value to the City. By streamlining and enhancing the FEHA/ADA process, RTW has contributed to a more positive experience for employees and departments. MSD staff have also gained valuable knowledge through their collaboration with RTW, enabling them to ensure the City can meet its obligations under FEHA /ADA, ultimately reducing liability risks for the City.
MANAGEMENT
SERVICES
2 As RTW exceeded the expectations of the initial pilot program, staff amended the PSA to add $200,000, which was included in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Adopted Budget for ADA services and thus approved by Council through the budget process.
DISCUSSION
The City’s previous PSA with RTW expired on September 30, 2024. Per Burbank Municipal Code (BMC) 2- 2-102, Council must approve any agreements that exceed $75,000. To ensure the continuation of services provided by RTW and a seamless experience for employees and departments engaged in the FEHA/ADA process, staff is requesting that Council approve a new PSA with RTW for $ 250,000 to cover the period beginning October 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Additionally, staff will include RTW in the appendix of the budget (Agreements and Contracts List) for Council approval as part of the budget process for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 to ensure continuity of RTW’s services beyond the term of the agreement proposed in this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and such as, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs §15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
Sufficient funds are available in the existing budget to account for the cost of $250,000 for the new PSA with RTW, which covers the period beginning October 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Therefore, an additional budget appropriation is not required.
CONCLUSION
By contributing to a vastly improved FEHA/ADA program, RTW plays a vital role in reducing liability risks for the City. As such, i n compliance with BMC 2- 2-102, which requires Council approval for new agreements over $75,000, staff recommends the approval of a $250,000 PSA with RTW to continue their services for the period beginning October 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – PSA between the City and RTW
Attachment 2 – RTW Service Proposal for October 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025