CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting: October 4, 2022
Subject
Consider authorizing the City Manager to execute a Second Amendment with Granicus, LLC., to renew Enterprise Government Experience Cloud Services subscription for $634,124.98 plus a contingency of $63,412 over four years, for a total cost of $697,536.98.
Recommended Action
Authorize the City Manager to execute a Second Amendment with Granicus, LLC., to renew Enterprise Government Experience Cloud Services subscription for $634,124.98 plus a contingency of $63,412 over four years, for a total cost of $697,536.98.
Background
Granicus is a scalable cloud Software as Service (SaaS) Company that offers service in civic, citizen and community engagement, digital communications, digital government services, website content management system, website design services, legislative management, and short‐term vacation rental compliance monitoring.
The company has seven offices worldwide, including Denver, St. Paul, and Washington D. C. They have over 5,500 government customers and serve 300 plus million citizens. Many neighboring cities including San Jose, Santa Clara, Mountain View, and Palo Alto are Granicus customers.
The City has procured various Granicus subscriptions over the last 15 years.
These SaaS applications include govAccess for City website content management system, govService for short term rental compliance monitoring, govMeetings for Legistar agenda Management, govDelivery for community opt‐in e‐Notifications, and govRecords for CampaignDocs and DisclosureDocs. Additionally, the City has
invested in Granicus civic and community engagement services like Engagement HQ, to assist with Housing Element public engagement.
To consolidate the various Granicus applications utilized, a Master Agreement was executed in June 2021. The first amendment to the Master agreement was executed in August 2021, which added VoteCast and eComment services.
Below is a table of the various subscriptions and descriptions:
Software Solution Description
CampaignDocs Used by the staff to manage campaign filers, generate letters, emails, run reports on filings, scan paper filing and receive electronic filings.
DisclosureDocs Filer Review – allows the Filing Officer to perform the required tasks of verifying the accuracy of forms
Legistar Used by staff to perform agenda review of Council, and other city meetings. The staff post the final approved agenda packets on for all the city meetings on Legistar to publish to the Legistar portal. The meeting minutes along with the video of the telecasted meetings.
Short Term Vacation
Rental
This Service includes registration, licensing and permitting of short‐ term rentals and perform compliance monitoring. The software also monitors short‐term rental listings, occupancy and revenue estimates
Engagement HQ City staff use this public participation platform to keep the community informed of CIP project details and timeline and access to community input related to these projects.
Meeting Efficiency
Suite
Cupertino staff is able to streamline meeting data capture and minutes production. During a meeting, use Live Manager to record roll calls, motions speakers, all indexed with video.
City Website The City of Cupertino website is designed by Granicus and is built on its GovAccess content management system.
GovDelivery Staff send electronic notifications, programs, and newsletters to citizens and other interested users who have subscribed to receive city related news and communications.
Vote Cast Elected officials utilize this platform for motion, second, vote, and request to speak on the touch screen at the Council chambers. This data automatically populates to the clerkʹs software ensuring accuracy and reducing workload.
eComment This service help staff to collect and manage citizen input on agenda items. Residents and other interested parties can submit comments regarding items or sign up to speak before a scheduled meeting.
These Granicus applications were procured by the City over a fifteen‐year period.
Many of the applications like Legistar, CampaignDocs, DisclosureDocs, Engagement HQ, and Short‐Term Rental application were procured from different vendors, but now fall under Granicusʹ portfolio as they were acquired by Granicus. Some of these applications like GovDelivery, Legistar, Media Manager and eComment are tightly integrated into the website content management system, allowing for single entry of data and proper noticing of website updates.
This efficiently allows updates since updates and changes to one program will be reflected on the City website and on the other Granicus integrated applications dynamically.
To replace the existing Granicus applications with either in‐house developed solutions, or other vendor competing products would increase the cost (due to additional implementation fees), cause inefficiencies and prolong the timeline to implement such applications.
Discussion
Staff is recommending entering into the proposed 4‐year agreement to reduce annual subscription costs, consolidate services, and change billing to once a year for all Granicus SaaS applications.
Additionally, Staff is proposing to replace the current website content management system, govAccess, with Granicus’ OpenCities platform. OpenCities provides enhanced functionality for website visitors and has existing integrations with other City enterprise‐wide applications, e.g., Accela, land‐use management System, New World, financial application, and govDelivery. Procuring OpenCities will provide an upgraded website design that ensures American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and provides an improved backend system to manage website content.
The cost breakdown over the four years is as follows:
Year 1 Cost $131,966.78
Year 1 OpenCities One-time Implementation Cost $48,200.00 Year 2 Cost $141,204.45
Year 3 Cost $151,088.77
Year 4 Cost $161,664.98
10% Contingency Cost $63,412
Total Cost $697,536.98
Market Scan and Research
Analysis with neighboring cities utilizing Granicus applications denotes the City of Cupertino is paying lower by entering into a Second Amendment. Other Granicus clients, such as Mountain View, Palo Alto, and San Jose, who bundle multiple products on average save a total of 3~10% on their annual subscription.
Given the long‐term relationship of the City of Cupertino and Granicus, this contract amendment includes a saving of 25% for the first year and an 11% saving for the overall agreement.
Sustainability Impact
Utilization of Granicus software solutions has reduced the volume of paper used for customer notifications and transactions, conserving natural resources, and reducing greenhouse gases generated during the production and disposal of paper. Utilization of Legistar in doing paperless agendas and minutes for all the City meetings is a great example in that initiative. City staff leverages the Granicus software in sending electronic notifications, citizen collaboration and civic engagement digitally. Additionally, in time, more residents are anticipated to collaborate and communicate with the City digitally 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).
Fiscal Impact
Existing Granicus software solutions are part of the Innovation and Technology Applications Base Budget. OpenCities will consist of funding from Approved FY22 Proposal: City Website Redesign. On‐going fees of $26,000 for OpenCities subscription will be absorbed by cost savings due to the 4‐year amendment to Granicus Agreement.
Prepared by: Nidhi Mathur, Applications Manager
Recommended for Submission: Bill Mitchell, Chief Technology Officer Approved for Submission by: Pamela Wu, City Manager
Chris Jensen, City Attorney
Attachments:
A – Second Amendment (Granicus Signed) dated 9‐15‐22
B – Proof of Insurance
C ‐ Granicus, LLC., Sole Source Letter (OpenCities)
D – First Amendment dated 8‐9‐21
E ‐ Granicus Master Subscription Agreement dated 6‐29‐21