DATE:
June 28, 2022
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
Community Development
TITLE: Contracts for Outside Building Plan
Checking, Inspection, and Consultant and
Administrative Professional Services
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute contracts for outside building plan checking, inspection, and professional support services with CSG Consultants, Inc. ($200,000), and Shums Coda Associates ($910,000) for services to be rendered July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
BACKGROUND
Over the past 28 years, the Building Inspection Division has used consulting firms to provide administrative professional and Building Code services augmenting staff capacity and expertise.
Contracting with these professional firms allows the Building Inspection Division the flexibility to respond and manage the development workload as it fluctuates. Consultants have been necessary to maintain quick turnaround times for building plan checking and inspection services, thus maintaining a customer service level that is expected by the City’s businesses and developers as well as meeting requirements under State law.
ANALYSIS
Over the past several years, the City has experienced high levels of development activity. For the Building Inspection Division, the ability to meet this service demand has been impacted by staff vacancies due to retirements and difficulties in finding experien ced Building Inspectors. While the level of develop ment activity was lower for building plan check and inspection at the beginning of F iscal Year 2021-22, activity during the remainder has largely resumed to prepandemic levels. The request for the upcoming fiscal ye ar reflects staff’s assessment of projects that are anticipated to go through the building permit process and the consultant resources necessary based on current staffing levels.
Contracts for Outside Building Plan Checking, Inspection, and Consultant and Administrative Professional Services
June 28, 2022
City Council Policy A -10 requires City Council authorization for compensation in excess of $100,000. Staff, therefore, requests Council authorization for the following two contracts:
• CSG Consultants, Inc.—Building Services—$200,000; and
• Shums Coda Associates—Building Services—$910,000.
Additional contracts anticipated as part of the F iscal Year 2022-23 budget that fall below the $100,000 amount include the following:
• David L. Chen—City Databases and Permit Software Applications—$75,000;
• Fire Risk Alliance, LLC—Fire Services—$75,000;
• Telecommunications Engineering Associates—Fire Services—$75,000; and
• BMI Imaging Systems, Inc.—Digital Imaging Services—$75,000.
The total proposed building services contract amounts to $1,410,000 for Fiscal Year 2022-23 and is lower than last year’s amount of $1,510,000. The term of these service contracts is July 1, 2022 through June 30, 202 3. Since these are estimated contract amounts , if contract service needs are less than expected, the full contract amount would not be expended. Conversely, staff may need to return to the City Council to request an amendment to the contract amounts and/or the budget if development activity increases.
FISCAL IMPACT
Building Services is part of the Development Services Fund , and the services provided are fully cost-recovered from plan checking and permit fees paid for by the developer. The proposed contracts are for a total of $1,410,000. The proposed F iscal Year 2022-23 bud get includes $1,510,000 in consultant costs, which is adequate to cover the total cost of the contracts.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Do not approve contract amounts.
2. Provide other direction to staff.
Contracts for Outside Building Plan Checking, Inspection, and Consultant and Administrative Professional Services
June 28, 2022
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
Prepared by
Nena Bizjak
Chief Building Official
Approved by:
Aarti Shrivastava
Assistant City Manager/
Community Development Director
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager/
Chief Operating Officer
NB/4/CAM
806-06-28-22CR
202132