CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Agreement with Accela for Permitting Software License Subscription Renewal
MEETING DATE: August 7, 2024
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Michelle Sarkissian, Information Technology Manager REVIEWED BY: Ron Puccinelli, Chief Information Officer
APPROVED BY: Armando G. Villa, City Manager
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Accela for Civic Platform and Accela Citizen Access portal services pursuant to the OMNIA Master Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement and Carahsoft Master Agreement for a total not-to-exceed $1,028,474.67 through August 11, 2029; and
2. Approve and authorize the purchase utilizing OMNIA Master Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement and Carahsoft Master Agreement No. pursuant to Menifee Municipal Code Section 3.12.070 (6); and
3. Authorize the City Manager or his designee to execute all documents required for this purchase.
DISCUSSION
Since incorporation, the City of Menifee has rapidly grown to become one of the fastest-growing cities in Southern California. This growth places significant demand on the City’s Community Development, Public Works, and Fire Departments, which collectively review thousands of plans and issue numerous permits annually. To meet its mission of delivering world-class customer service, the City continually seeks technological advancements to enhance its service delivery.
Background
At the July 16, 2013, regular City Council meeting, the City of Menifee approved a Professional Services Agreement with Accela, Inc. for the purchase, implementation, and hosting of a unified development processing system. Over the past eleven years, the use of Accela’s permitting system has expanded significantly among City departments and constituents. This growth in usage is a testament to the system's capabilities and its alignment with the City's Strategic Plan.
City of Menifee Staff Report
Accela 5-Year Agreement
August 7, 2024
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When initially selecting a new permitting system, several key features and functionalities were prioritized, including customer access, electronic plan review, city-specific workflows, mobile inspections, and customized reporting tools. Continuing with Accela offers numerous advantages.
The City has strategically invested time, staff training, and funding into custom configurations and specialized reporting/data analytics within the Accela enterprise solution. These custom configurations and reports have been integrated with the system to optimize departmental workflows, increasing overall efficiency and productivity. For example, the Building and Safety Division has expanded the use of Accela to track project status. Additionally, all inspections are now scheduled through the Menifee Permit Portal which has been integrated with Accela.
The existing licenses with Accela are approaching renewal. To ensure uninterrupted service and continued improvements in our municipal operations, it is essential to renew these licenses.
Accela’s Civic Platform and Citizen Access portal are integral to managing city services and facilitating public engagement. The proposed renewal covers the period from August 12, 2024, to August 11, 2029.
Committing to a five-year agreement with Accela provides cost stability, protecting the City from annual price increases and securing a favorable rate for the contract's duration. This long-term agreement also facilitates better long-term planning and budgeting, ensuring that the City can allocate resources effectively and avoid service disruptions. The IT Department will also be integrating our Munis ERP solution with Accela, which will streamline financial and operational workflows, enhance data accuracy and reporting, and improve overall efficiency in managing permits and related financial transactions. The extended term supports continuous improvements and integrations, allowing the City to fully leverage Accela’s capabilities, including new features like electronic plan review, mobile inspections, and customizable reporting tools. Renewing the licenses ensures consistency and reliability in operations, leveraging staff proficiency with Accela developed over the past five years, and maximizing productivity. Furthermore, Accela’s robust features are critical to the City’s ability to provide high-quality services to residents, ensuring these services remain uninterrupted and continue to improve.
The investment in Accela’s Civic Platform and Citizen Access portal has yielded significant benefits, including streamlined workflows, enhanced public engagement, and improved service delivery. Continuing with Accela supports the City’s mission of providing world-class customer service and positions the City to meet future demands as the City continues to grow.
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
Regular City Business
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed agreement with Accela is currently budgeted within the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Budget under Cloud Based Subscriptions for various departments within the IT Fund (1110-50-ITD- Various-651353) in the amount of $186,122.58.
City of Menifee Staff Report
Accela 5-Year Agreement
August 7, 2024
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Funding for the upcoming fiscal years would be budgeted as part of the respective year’s budget.
No additional budget appropriations(s) are required. A breakdown of the cost by year is shown in Table 1 on the following page.
TABLE 1 – ALLOCATIONS BY YEAR
Year Fiscal Year (FY) Annual Cost
1 FY 2024/2025 $186,122.58
2 FY 2025/2026 $195,434.87
3 FY 2026/2027 $205,210.70
4 FY 2027/2028 $215,466.37
5 FY 2028/2029 $226,240.15
Total $1,028,474.67
ATTACHMENTS
1. Carahsoft – Accela Licenses Quote
2. Carahsoft – OMNIA Contract R191902