CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting: June 21, 2022
Subject
Authorize the City Manager to execute a services agreement with Carahsoft to renew Accela Permitting, Licensing and Land‐use Management System subscription service for the total cost of $1,388,036 over five years.
Recommended Action
Authorize the City Manager to execute a services agreement with Carahsoft to renew Accela Permitting, Licensing and Land‐use Management System subscription service for the total cost of $1,388,036 over five years.
Background
Accela Overview
Accela Land Management Systems is a scalable cloud Software as Service (SaaS) solution that offers core city service of building, planning and public works permitting, business license, inspection scheduling, code enforcement, and service request management. The company is based in San Ramon, CA and has roughly 1,000 local and state government customers representing over 270 million residents. Eighty percent of the largest US cities are Accela customers including San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland. Santa Clara and Palo Alto are two neighboring cities that utilize Accela.
Accela and Cupertino History
Cupertino procured Accela application and its public facing portal (ACA) in April
2017 from Carahsoft via the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) contract under the General Services Administration (GSA) Cooperative Purchasing Agreement for $151,714.
Discussion
Over the past five years Cupertino has invested considerable staff resources and time in optimizing system performance and adding Accela’s business license module. In FY 21‐22 Accela generated $5,4000,0000 in fees. The Accela platform was instrumental in keeping the City’s permitting and inspections operational
during COVID closures. Accela continues to deliver core services of permitting, licenses and inspections for Building, Planning, Public Works, Code Enforcements and Business License divisions. Since initial purchase, the City has entered into four one‐year agreements with Carahsoft, the sole source vendor for Accela permitting, licensing, and land use management application.
In FY20‐21 the City added enhanced reporting database services to provide both data resiliency and increased reporting capability. Additional user licenses were added during this time frame. The table below outlines the services provided and associated costs since 2017.
Year Price Services Provided
FY17-18 $151,714 Accela Subscription Licensing
FY18-19 $162,205 Accela Subscription Licensing
FY19-20 $159,486 Accela Subscription Licensing
FY20-21 $208,396 Accel a Subscription Licensing + Enhanced Reporting Database FY21-22 $222,719 Accel a Subscription Licensing + Enhanced Reporting Database
Innovation & Technology, per procurement policy, should have requested City Council approval for FY20‐21, and FY21‐22. Regrettably, this did not occur.
Innovation & Technology apologizes for this oversight and is taking the necessary steps to ensure this error is not repeated.
Fiscal Impact
The cost of Accela licensing and the enhanced database for the next five years is $1,261,851. The table below outlines the Accela services and associated cost.
Year Price Services Provided
FY22-23 $247,863 Accel a Subscription Licensing + Enhanced Reporting Database FY23-24 $247,863 Accel a Subscription Licensing + Enhanced Reporting Database FY24-25 $247,863 Accel a Subscription Licensing + Enhanced Reporting Database FY25-26 $255,301 Accel a Subscription Licensing + Enhanced Reporting Database FY26-27 $262,961 Accel a Subscription Licensing + Enhanced Reporting Database
City staff recommend adding a 10% contingency to cover additional user licensing and services bringing the total Council request to $1,388,036.
Sustainability Impact
Accela software has reduced the volume of paper used for customer transactions, conserving natural resources, and reducing greenhouse gases generated during the production and disposal of paper. When possible, staff leverage the improved software to email receipts and permits. Additionally, in time, more customers are expected to complete permit requests online, further reducing vehicle travel and
use of paper. Implementation of paperless office strategies like this one are prioritized in Cupertino’s Climate Action Plan (M‐SW‐1).
Funding Source
Existing permitting and land management software implementation and SaaS subscription funding is allocated in the Innovation & Technology Department to fully fund the implementation and subscription cost of Accela Permitting and Land Management System as outlined in the recommended agreement.
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Prepared by: Nidhi Mathur, Applications Manager
Reviewed by: Bill Mitchell, Chief Technology Officer
Approved for Submission by: Jim Throop, City Manager
Attachments:
A – Carahsoft Price Quote Proposal
B – General Services Administration (GSA) Cooperative Agreement, Terms and Conditions
C ‐ ACCELA General Services Administration (GSA) Sole Source Letter D – Proof of Insurance