DATE: May 16, 2023
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute an Amendment to the Contract With 3Di Systems to Extend the Contract for Wildfire Vegetation Management Inspection Software Through April 30, 2024
RECOMMENDATION
That Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute an amendment to the contract with 3Di Systems to extend the service agreement for wildfire vegetation management inspection software through April 30, 2024.
SUMMARY
The Fire Department piloted the management inspection software during the 2018 fire season and has continued using the program since. The 3Di platform has successfully reduced staff time and increased customer experience by eliminating paperwork and adding a customer interface. Staff is requesting Council authorize an extension of the service agreement for this software through April 30, 2024. The cost of the annual extension is $60,000 a year, which has already been incorporated into the City’s Information Technology budget. This one-year extension will increase the total expenditure of the agreement to $448,936.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The City entered into an agreement with 3Di Systems in May of 2017 to use its “myFD Brush Inspection/Weed Abatement” software for Hayward’s wildfire fuel management inspection program. In July 2019 the City amended the original agreement to extend the service agreement through April 30, 2023.
Every year in the late spring, the City’s fire crews inspect all City of Hayward and Fairview properties east of Mission Boulevard to confirm that wildfire fuel/vegetation, such as brush, weeds, and dead branches, are cleared for the fire season. The purpose of these inspections is to ensure defensible space around homes and to reduce the risk of wildfire.
In the past, the fire crews would keep paper records, which would be given to administrative staff for data entry and citations. In May 2017, the Fire Department entered into an agreement with 3Di Systems to pilot its “myFD Brush Inspection/Weed Abatement” software. This cloud-based platform automates the inspection program by providing the tools to schedule, notice, deploy, track and close out the inspections. The platform also enables the fire crews to take geocoded pictures of violations. When property owners receive a citation, they can log onto the customer interface to see a visual of the hazard that they need to address. This has been helpful for administrative staff, who field dozens of calls each year from customers seeking guidance on how to properly manage the wildfire fuel on their properties.
The 3Di platform successfully reduces staff time and increases customer experience. 3Di has since upgraded its software at no additional cost to a newer version which covers the wildland survey module and a complaints module.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of this contract extension is $60,000 annually through FY 2024. There are sufficient funds budgeted in the Information Technology fund to cover the costs associated with this contract.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item is a routine operational item and does not directly relate to the Council’s Strategic Roadmap.
PUBLIC CONTACT
The agenda for this item was posted in compliance with the California Brown Act.
NEXT STEPS
If the Council approves this item, the City Manager will negotiate and execute the amendment to the agreement with 3Di.
Prepared by: Norma Marples, Acting Management Analyst
Recommended by: Garrett Contreras, Fire Chief
Approved by:
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Kelly McAdoo, City Manager