Item 356/2025
Final
City of Garden Grove
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
To:
Lisa L. Kim From: Niki Wetzel
Dept:
City Manager Dept: Community Development
Date: 10/14/2025
Subject: Approval of Amendment No. 8 to Scott Fazekas & Associates, Inc. agreement to provide on-call Building Plan Review Services. (Cost: $250,000) (Action Item)
OBJECTIVE
For the City Council to approve Amendment No. 8 with Scott Fazekas & Associates, Inc. (SFA) for on-call Building Plan Review Services on an “as-needed” basis.
BACKGROUND
The Community Development Department (CDD) utilizes SFA for on-call building plan review services. The intent is to ensure a timely turnaround and to meet high customer service standards. The need for building plan review remains constant, and staff has been working to fill a vacant Plan Check Engineer and, subsequently, a Plans Examiner position. When preparing the Fiscal Year 25/27 budget, staff had anticipated that the position would be filled and that additional funds for the SFA agreement would not be needed; however, through multiple recruitments and interviews, filling the vacancy has proven difficult due to lack of qualified candidates. As such, staff continues to rely upon SFA for plan check services and requests an increase in compensation to the SFA agreement.
DISCUSSION
Staff utilizes SFA for on-call building plan review services for plan check overflow and large developmental projects. There is currently a vacant CDD Plan Check Engineer position, which staff is working to fill, resulting in an increase in plan reviews by SFA. Due to the vacant position, CDD is invoiced from SFA an average cost of $65,000 per month. Staff will continue to recruit for a Plans Examiner/Plan Check Engineer to assist the department in plan reviews.
To ensure plan review services are not disrupted and that the maximum authorized compensation in the SFA agreement is not exceeded, CDD is requesting an authorized increase in compensation to the current SFA agreement. This will allow CDD to support the ongoing need of plan review services and to maintain acceptable service levels while we continue to recruit for an in-house plan review professional.
Item 356/2025
Currently, SFA contract compensation amount is $250,000 to provide on -call building plan review services. The amendment will increase the contract by $250,000 to a total not to exceed compensation amount of $500,000 to be expended as needed. The new compensation amount is expected to cover se rvices for F iscal Year 2025/26. Staff will monitor contract budget and request an increase if necessary.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Amendment No. 8 to the SFA contract will increase the contract amount by $250,000. Funds will be expended only as needed. The additi onal cost is include d in the Community Development Department’s adopted FY 2025 –26 operating budget, and no additional appropriation is required to approve this amendment.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
Approve Amendment No. 8 to the agreement with Scott Fazekas & Associates Inc. in the amount of $250,000 for on-call Building Plan Review Services; Authorize the City Manager, or her designees, to execute Amendment No. 8 to the agreement with Scott Fazekas & Associates, Inc., and make minor modifications as appropriate thereto, on behalf of the City; and Authorize the City Manager, or designees, to exercise option year amendment terms, for the current year and available option year.
ATTACHMENT(S)
1. SFA Amendment No. 8