Finance and Management Committee
June 13, 2023
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Steven Falk
Interim City Administrator
FROM: Tony Batalla, Chief
Information Officer,
Asha Reed, City Clerk,
Nicole Neditch, Interim
Communications Director
SUBJECT: Web-Hosted Services For
Online Communications And
Legislative Processes
DATE: May 30, 2023
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Waiving The Competitive Multiple-Step Solicitation Process Required For The Acquisition Of Information Technology Systems, And Authorizing The City Administrator To Extend The Services Agreement With Granicus, Inc For Subscriptions To Web-Hosted Services For Agenda Management, Streaming Video, And Public Participation By An Additional Three-Years In An Amount Not To Exceed $1,125,733 With Two One Year Options To Extend The Contract For An Amount Not To Exceed $1,706,807 Over The Five Year Period.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
City Council approval of the proposed resolution will authorize the City Administrator to enter into an agreement with Granicus, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $1,125,733, to continue to provide an online software platform to support the City in Agenda Management, streaming video, Board and Commission management, online forms and adding support for website content management; and authorizing the City Administrator to enter into two optional one-year contract extensions after the initial three-year term in an amount not to exceed $1,706,807 over the five-year period.
Currently, the City of Oakland has three (3) separate contracts with Granicus, Inc. to support legislative management, boards and commissions, and online forms. The approval of this contract will allow the City to consolidate these contracts into one, allow for upgrades, as well as make use of their website content management system. In addition, it will allow the City to better integrate the City’s website content management system with its legislative system, enhance security, streamline the agenda management process, and support much needed user experience upgrades to our website and online legislative system. This contract will enable the City to achieve cost savings by bundling these services together and better serve its residents and businesses by enhancing its communication channels and streamlining its operations.
Jun 2, 2023
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Website Design and Development Services
Date: May 30, 2023 Page 2
Finance and Management Committee
June 13, 2023
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The City Clerk’s office relies on software for electronic delivery of all agenda content to members of the public, City Council members, and staff; live and on-demand streaming of video content, hosted services to support operations continuity, comment features to expand public access to meetings, and other essential controls over legislative files. The Clerk’s office has relied on Legistar, now a product of Granicus, Inc. as the provider of this software since 1997.
Separately, the Mayor’s Office utilizes software from Granicus, Inc. to simplify the application and appointment process for City Boards and Commissions and the City Administrator’s office purchased software from Granicus, Inc. for online forms and workflows.
The City of Oakland has been engaged in a multi-year process to redesign and re-architect the City’s website and approach to digital service delivery. Staff in the City Administrator’s Office have developed a custom content management system to support the City’s website but have lacked the capacity to iterate quickly enough to meet City staff and the community’s evolving needs. To make progress more swiftly and ensure the stability of the website, staff identified the need to find a software-as-a-service (SAAS) based Content Management System to ensure stability, security, enhanced multi-language functionality and support an improved content authoring experience for City staff.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Granicus, Inc.’s Government Experience Cloud bundles the City’s online communication needs into one SAAS solution to better connect, engage and serve community members by increasing efficiencies, strengthening digital security, maximizing technology investments and improving integration across online platforms.
The proposed contract with Granicus, Inc. would include the following software tools:
1. Legislative management software – This tool helps the City manage its legislative processes, including creating, managing, and publishing legislative documents, tracking legislative history and providing public access to legislative information. The upgrade of this system to One Meeting would support the entire legislative process from drafting files, through assignment to various departments, to final approval as well as providing a more streamlined user experience.
2. Streaming software – This tool enables the City to stream live and on-demand video content, including City Council and committee meetings.
3. Boards and commissions software – This tool simplifies the application and appointment process to City Boards and Commissions.
4. Website content management software – This tool would help the City manage its website content, allowing for easy updating and maintenance of information and enabling better communication with residents and businesses. Includes content migration to the new platform, and ongoing support and training.
5. Digital forms and workflow automation software – This tool helps convert complex multi-step processes into simple step-by-step online forms. Also supports online payments and the automation of back-end workflows.
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Website Design and Development Services
Date: May 30, 2023 Page 3
Finance and Management Committee
June 13, 2023
In addition, the Government Experience Cloud includes enhanced security features to support Azure Active Directory (AD) Single Sign-on and the deployment of Imperva Security and Content Delivery Network (CDN) resulting in enhanced protection from malicious attacks.
Waiver of Competitive Process
Oakland Municipal Code (OMC) Section 2.04.042.A requires that the City Administrator conduct a competitive multi-step solicitation process for the acquisition of any computerized or information technology systems. OMC Section 2.04.042.A provides that the City Council may waive the competitive process upon a recommendation of the City Administrator and finding determination by the City Council that it is in the City’s best interests to waive the solicitation processes.
Staff recommends that it is in the best interest of the City to waive the multi-step solicitation process as it would be disruptive to the legislative management process and would require significant time and employee resources to migrate to a different system. In addition, based on the evaluation of various technology solutions, there is not another software company that integrates the legislative management process with a website content management system.
Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council find and determine that pursuant to OMC Section 2.04.042.D, for the reasons stated above and in the City Administrator’s report accompanying this resolution, it is in the best interests of the City to waive the competitive multi- step solicitation process for the information technology services to be purchased under the proposed contract, and so waive the requirements.
Waiving L/SLBE Program Requirements
Ordinance number 13640 and 13647 C.M.S. requires a minimum 50-percent (50%) Local Business Enterprise/Small Local Business Enterprise (“LBE/SLBE”) participation for all purchase of commodities, goods and associated services for contracts valued at or over fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) when there are at least three certified business listed in the industry, trade, or profession that constitutes a major category of work.
The Council may waive the City’s LBE/SLBE requirements for the purchase of commodities, goods, services, supplies or combination thereof due to a lack or limited availability of SLBEs or LBEs pursuant to Part I of Oakland’s Local and Small Local Business Enterprise Program guidelines adopted by Ordinance No. 13647 C.M.S. and because it is in the best interests of the City to do so based on the reasons discussed herein and in the Report that accompanies this Resolution.
Staff has not been able to identify LBE/SLBEs that can seamlessly provide the programming, development, configuration, testing, installation and professional services that Granicus, Inc. will be providing under this contract and recommends that the Council waive the LBE/SLBE program utilization because it is in the best interests of the City to do so; and
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Website Design and Development Services
Date: May 30, 2023 Page 4
Finance and Management Committee
June 13, 2023
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed resolution will authorize the City Administrator to extend the agreement with Granicus, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $1,125,733; and authorize the City Administrator to enter into two one-year contract extensions in an amount not to exceed $1,706,807 over the five-year period.
The agreement includes one-time fees in the amount of $397,277 in the first year to support implementation and migration of the City’s web content management and legislative systems.
Annual subscription cost thereafter will be:
• Year 1 (Prorated): $201,405
• Year 2: $257,098
• Year 3: $269,953
• Year 4: $283,451
• Year 5: $297,623
Funding for the first two years of this contract are allocated in the Proposed FY2023-25 Budget in the following accounts:
• Information Technology Fund (4600), Administrative Services Organization (46111), Software Subscription Professional Service Project (1004552); • Information Technology Fund (4600), City Administrator: Communications & Media Organization (02112), Website Development Project (1006113); • Information Technology Fund (4600), City Clerk Organization (03121), DP030 Administrative Project (1000003);
• Telecommunications Reserve Fund (1760), KTOP Operations Organization (03211), DP030 Administrative Project (1000003);
• General Purpose Fund (1010), City Clerk Organization (03121), Agenda Management Project (1000127);
and that funding for year 3 and option years 4 and 5 are subject to funding availability in the future budget cycles. Funds will be consolidated into ITD’s Administrative Services organization (46111) for centralized management.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Oakland’s website (oaklandca.gov) receives about 2.5 million unique visitors per year looking to access City services or information online. The public’s right to access its government and participate in decision-making processes is required by state and local law. Oakland’s legislative systems and website have served in a major capacity in promoting transparency and advancing public participation.
COORDINATION
This report was written in coordination with the City Clerk’s Office, the Information Technology Department and the City Administrator’s Office.
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Website Design and Development Services
Date: May 30, 2023 Page 5
Finance and Management Committee
June 13, 2023
PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Utilizing Legistar, the City of Oakland continues to provide for electronic delivery of all agenda content to members of the public, Council members, and staff; live and on-demand streaming of video content, hosted services to support operations continuity, comment features to expand public access to meetings, and other essential controls over legislative files. Utilizing Granicus Inc.’s Digital Forms and Workflow Automation, the City of Oakland has digitized more that 80 services in the past two years. Granicus, Inc.’s support and training have supported over 150 staff members across the organization.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: By digitizing processes and making the necessary organizational changes, the City of Oakland can improve the delivery of services and make operations more efficient, resulting in cost savings and increased revenue.
Environmental: As additional City processes are automated and digitized, fewer paper forms will be used, thereby reducing paper consumption and minimizing the use of electronic printers and ink. Also, the City’s collective carbon footprint may be reduced as more residents are able to access services through the City’s website instead of at City Hall.
Race & Equity: By harnessing technology, the City can serve people where they are: on mobile devices using simpler, human-centered interfaces accessible at all times. Fair, inclusive, and equitable access to services must be factored into the design of digital services. Staff plan to achieve this goal through ongoing user research and testing with community members who have traditionally been hardest to reach: people who speak limited English and residents with limited literacy or disabilities or poor access to advanced technologies, such as the latest smartphone or fastest Wi-Fi connection. As the City makes its services more accessible for people who have faced the most significant barriers to accessing government services, these services, in turn, become more accessible for everyone.
Steven Falk, Interim City Administrator
Subject: Website Design and Development Services
Date: May 30, 2023 Page 6
Finance and Management Committee
June 13, 2023
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Waiving The Competitive Multiple-Step Solicitation Process Required For The Acquisition Of Information Technology Systems, And Authorizing The City Administrator To Extend The Services Agreement With Granicus, Inc For Subscriptions To Web-Hosted Services For Agenda Management, Streaming Video, And Public Participation By An Additional Three-Years In An Amount Not To Exceed $1,125,733 With Two One Year Options To Extend The Contract For An Amount Not To Exceed $1,706,807 Over The Five Year Period; On the June 13, 2023 Finance And Management Committee Agenda.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Tony Batalla, Information Technology Director, at (510) 238-6741.
Respectfully submitted,
TONY BATALLA
Chief Information Officer
ASHA REED
City Clerk
NICOLE NEDITCH
Interim Communications Director, CAO
Reviewed by:
Angela Robinson Pinon, Deputy CAO