Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: June 26, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager
Submitted by: David Sanchez, Director of Community Development Subject: Award of Professional Services Agreement with Charles Abbott Associates, Inc. to Provide Building and Safety Services
BACKGROUND
Since July 1, 1994, the City of Camarillo has contracted with Charles Abbott Associates (“CAA”) for building and safety services which includes the typical building and safety services of plan checking, public counter customer service, permit issuance, field inspection and documentation.
In evaluating all aspects of building and safety services, including the need for a fee evaluation, staff issued a Request for Proposal for a new contract effective July 1, 2024, requiring participation with the City’s current fee analysis.
DISCUSSION
The current Professional Services Agreement No. 2020-48 with CAA was approved on May 13, 2020. This agreement has a three-year term and includes two one-year extensions subject to City Council approval. On May 24, 2023, the City Council approved the first amendment to extend the agreement for a one-year period and is set to expire on June 30, 2024. The second amendment, approved on February 29, 2024, allocated funds for additional services while maintaining the June 30, 2024, expiration.
The City’s Building and Safety Fees have not been updated since 2007. Recognizing the need for a fee evaluation, staff decided it was necessary to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for building and safety services and select a consulting firm to participate in the fee study. Currently, staff is working to conduct this study, which includes a comprehensive review of estimated time, overhead cost, and fully burdened hourly rates for providing services. Additionally, the study will review the calculations for permit fees.
Building and Safety Services
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Request for Proposals
On December 11, 2023, staff published an RFP for Building and Safety Services on the Planetbids (PB) website. The RFP was sent to a total of 26 consulting firms located in California. The RFP included a detailed scope of services, the City’s Professional Services Agreement template, and insurance requirements. At the conclusion of the January 19, 2024, deadline to submit proposals, the City received four proposals from 4LEAF, Inc, Bureau Veritas (BV), Charles Abbott Associates (CAA), and Shums Coda Associates, Inc (SCA).
After an initial evaluation of the proposals received, staff from Community Development, Finance, Public Works and the City Manager’s Office determined that three out of the four consulting firms met the minimum qualifications to proceed to the interview stage. On February 6 and 7, 2024, the same staff conducted interviews with CAA, BV, and SCA to provide further information on their proposals, discuss their experience assisting in a building fee study, and clarify their compensation schedules. During these interviews, staff gained a deeper understanding of each proposal, the firms’ experience with other cities, participating in fee studies, and their team structure.
Staff evaluated the RFP proposals and firms based on their compliance with the RFP, the qualifications of the firm and its staff, references from other municipalities, the proposed scope of work, and pricing. While pricing was considered, it was not the determining factor.
The charts below represent the proposed compensation schedules for all three consultants:
Bureau Veritas
PERIOD
July 1, 2024 -
June 30, 2025
PERIOD
July 1, 2025 -
June 30,
2026
PERIOD
July 1, 2026 -
June 30, 2027
Percentage of Fees Percentage Percentage Percentage
Offsite Plan Review Percentage of
City-Collected Fees 65% 65% 65%
Job Title Hourly Rate Hourly Rate Hourly Rate
Building Official $170 $170 $175.10
Structural Engineer $160 $160 $164.80
Sr. Plan Review Engineer $145 $145 $149.35
Building Plan Review Engineer / Sr.
ICC Certified
$135 $135 $139.05
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ICC Certified Plans Examiner $130 $130 $133.90
CASp Inspections $155 $155 $159.65
Senior Building Inspector $125 $125 $128.75
Building Inspector $100 $100 $103.00
Permit Technician $70 $70 $72.10
Administrative / Clerical Support $60 $60 $61.80
BV proposed a hybrid compensation schedule featuring a 65% percentage-based compensation for plan reviews and hourly rates for services rendered outside of plan reviews. Additionally, BV included mileage compensation at the IRS rate for all off-site inspections.
Shums Coda Associates
PERIOD
July 1, 2024 -
June 30, 2025
PERIOD
July 1, 2025 -
June 30, 2026
PERIOD
July 1, 2026 -
June 30, 2027
Percentage of Fees Percentage Percentage Percentage
Offsite Plan Review Percentage
of City-Collected Fees 65% 65% 65%
Job Title Hourly Rate Hourly Rate Hourly Rate
Building Official $145 $148 $150
Plan Review Engineer/Architect $135 $138 $140
Fire Plan Review/Fire Inspector $190 $194 $198
Permit Technician $70 - $85 $72 - $87 $73 - $89
CASp Specialist – Plan Review $175 $180 $185
CASp Specialist – Inspection $200 $205 $210
CASp Specialist - Report TBD TBD TBD
Senior Inspector** $125 - $135 $127.50 - $138 $130 - $140 Inspector II** $115 - $125 $118 - $127.50 $120 - $130
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Inspector I** $95 - $115 $97 - $118 $99 - $120
SCA proposed a hybrid compensation schedule closely resembling BV's, incorporating a 65% percentage-based compensation for plan check fees and hourly rates for in-house services.
Charles Abbott Associates
Job Title Number of
Positions Hourly Rate Total
Building Official 1 $145 $208,800
Permit Technician 3 $78 $449,280
Building Inspector 2 $99 $380,160
Senior Inspector 1 $116 $222,720
Senior Inspector PT 1 $116 $111,360
Structural Plan Reviewer 1 $138 $143,520
Scanning Specialist 1 $57 $11,400
Anticipated Total Annual Expense $1,527,240
CAA proposed an hourly rate compensation schedule due to the building fee study. In their proposal, CAA included the goal of transitioning back to a percentage-based compensation schedule once the results of the fee study are finalized and the updated fee schedule is adopted. The hourly rates above include general and administrative overhead and fees and employee payroll burden. Rates are subject to an annual adjustment based upon increases adopted by Charles Abbott Associates, Inc. as reflected in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Recommended Proposal
After careful consideration, staff concluded that CAA best meets the City’s needs. CAA’s proposal included same-day inspection services, accelerated tenant improvement plan checks, three-day expedited plan checks, as well as addressing local enforcement for Mobile Home Parks and permitting requirements. Additionally, CAA committed to attending Planning Commission, City Council, and committee meetings as necessary, managing the tracking and issuance of digital solar permits, and ensuring the consistent updating and maintenance of the Building and Safety's city webpage. Several of these services were omitted from the other proposals, making CAA’s proposal stand out for its thorough range of services and fulfillment of all requirements identified in the RFP. During Building and Safety Services
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the consultant interviews, CAA demonstrated a greater understanding of conducting fee studies for municipal clients. They provided a clear overview of their experience with public records request, OpenGov, Naviline, and Bluebeam, and emphasized the importance of delivering excellent customer service to both internal and external customers.
Staff negotiated with CAA to expand their scope of work to include a concierge, or pre- construction service. This service will allow homeowners or developers to arrange for a building inspector to visit a designated site and provide guidance on compliance with building and safety regulations, as well as identify potential issues or concerns with their proposed project. Additionally, staff negotiated for CAA’s full participation in the building fee study, the development and implementation of workflows for online building permits within OpenGov, and the addition of a Scanning Specialist to complete the scanning of all residential and commercial plans.
Following the conclusion of the building fee study and Councils approval of the new fee schedule, negotiations will begin to transition back to a percentage-based compensation schedule for building permit fees collected. This compensation schedule is beneficial because it aligns compensation with revenue generated, minimizing the risk of financial losses, avoiding overpayment for services, and enables CAA to adjust staffing levels more efficiently based on workload demands. Once finalized, the new proposed compensation schedule will then be presented to the Council for approval.
Staff recommends that the City proceed with entering into the attached agreement with CAA to provide building and safety services. This recommendation is based on CAA’s responsiveness to the City’s RFP, staff’s evaluation during the consultant interviews, their proposed compensation schedule and the goal of transitioning back to a percentage- based compensation schedule following the updated fee schedule. Additionally, the City has contracted with CAA for the last 30 years, during which time they have consistently delivered high-quality work, maintained affordable rates, and demonstrated exceptional customer services.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no budget impact as a result of this action. Sufficient funds for the Professional Services Agreement to provide building and safety services will be included in the FY 2024/25 proposed budget.
CEQA DETERMINATIONS
Not applicable.
RECOMMENDATION
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute Professional Services Agreement No. 2024–12 with Charles Abbott Associates, Inc. (CAA) to provide building and safety Building and Safety Services
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services for a three-year period with the option of two, one-year extensions to be approved by the City Council.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Request for Proposals (RFP) for Building and Safety Services
2. CAA, Inc. Proposal for Building and Safety Services
3. CAA, Inc. Compensation Schedule
4. CC Agreement 2024-12 with CAA, Inc.
REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None