City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Planning and Development Services
Meeting Date: December 4, 2023
Report #:2310-2111
TITLE
Approval of Professional Services Agreement Contract with TruePoint Solutions (C24181451) in an Amount Not to Exceed $486,386 for a Period of Five Years for Electronic Document Review Software and Implementation.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council approve and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute Contract No. C24181451 (Attachment A), with TruePoint Solutions, to implement, maintain, and support online electronic plan review software related to the City’s land use and permitting system for a term of five years and a total amount not-to-exceed $486,386, including $398,776 for basic services and $87,610 for additional services.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Planning and Development Services Department has used an electronic document review software since 2020 through a contract with LCT Software, LLC. The software enables electronic document and plan set review and processing of permit and entitlement applications in conjunction with the City’s land use management and permitting software (Accela).
The City’s contract with LCT Software, LLC is expiring. On August 22, 2022, staff released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for these services. The RFP process is now complete, and staff recommends a new contract with TruePoint Solutions to continue the City’s use of electronic document review.
BACKGROUND
In April 2020, the Planning and Development Services Department (PDS) entered into a contract with LCT Software, LLC for technology that enabled electronic document reviews, allowing for the electronic processing of plans and permit applications. In anticipation of the end of that contract, a request for proposals (RFP) was released in August 2021. Responses to the RFP were
reviewed; however, in October 2021, the City received a protest against the intent to award and made the determination to cancel the RFP.
The contract with LCT Software, LLC was extended to provide continuity of services through December 2023. This allowed sufficient time for a new RFP to be released and proposals reviewed. On August 12, 2022, the City re-issued an RFP for these services.
The RFP process is now complete. A new contract is required to continue the City’s use of electronic document review software beginning January 1, 2024.
ANALYSIS
On August 22, 2022 the City issued an RFP for electronic document review software and implementation for processing permit and entitlement applications. The City received four responsive proposals from Avolve, E-Plan Inc., Sages Networks Inc., and TruePoint Solutions.
Table 1. Summary of RFP Process
RFP Name/Number Online Electronic Plan Review Software & Implementation RFP No. 181451A
Request for Proposals Issued August 22, 2022
Proposed Length of Project 5 years
Total Days to Respond to RFP 50
Proposals Due October 11, 2022
Number of Firms Notified 1,293
Pre-Bid Meeting September 12, 2022, 1:30pm
Number of Proposals Received 4
Public Link to Solicitation https://pbsystem.planetbids.com/hub/bm/bm- detail/97332#bidInformation
Proposals Price Range One Time Implementation Cost: $0 to $175,888 Annual Cost: $70,800 to $144,450
An evaluation committee consisting of Planning & Development Services staff and an IT Department advisor was formed to review the proposals. The committee reviewed proposals based on quality and completeness, effectiveness of the proposed solution, experience with the software, ability to implement in the time specified, prior performance with other clients, ability to maintain or repair the software, compliance with applicable regulations/policies, and cost. All four firms were invited to attend an interview and provide a demonstration. The committee evaluated the demonstrations based on the proposer’s ability to demonstrate their software, a user-friendly interface, support system for technical issues, training plan, timeline for implementation based on the City’s specific needs, and experience with government customers.
Based on the evaluations, staff recommends moving forward with TruePoint Solutions as they scored the highest number of points for the consultant’s proposal and the interview. The implementation and training costs from the four proposals ranged from $0 to $175,888, and the ongoing annual cost ranged from $70,800 to $144,450. TruePoint Solutions proposed the lowest cost for both implementation/training and ongoing annual cost.
PDS currently uses DigEplan, the proposed software of TruePoint Solutions, therefore eliminating any implementation and training costs. The firm has a comprehensive understanding of the City’s existing permitting processes and technology, even implementing the City’s existing electronic plan review software, DigEplan. As an authorized Solution Partner for DigEplan, TruePoint Solutions implements the DigEplan software nationwide. DigEplan is a cloud-based software with an intuitive interface that allows for simultaneous review and seamless integration with Accela, scoring highest among the RFP competitors. DigEplan partners with experienced firms like TruePoint Solutions to deliver the software and configure it with a jurisdiction’s existing permitting software. Additionally, the City currently has a contract with TruePoint Solutions to support the PDS department with Accela. With more than a decade of experience with Palo Alto, TruePoint Solutions is well qualified to continue provide support with the City’s permitting system, as they do with other jurisdictions around the bay area.
The consultant is expected to provide the electronic document review software and support services for five years. Work is expected to begin on January 1, 2024 and conclude on December 1, 2028. At that time, staff will solicit new proposals and, as needed, return to Council to award a new contract.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding for this service is available in the FY 2024 Adopted Operating Budget. Costs are offset by revenue from planning and permit fees. Subscription costs per year are:
Contract Year Calendar
Year Amount
1 2024 $75,112
2 2025 $77,365
3 2026 $79,685
4 2027 $82,076
5 2028 $84,538
An additional $87,610 is included across the five-year term for staff training and optional features.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The City utilized a public procurement process using PlanetBids, the City’s eProcurement platform, notifying 1,293 firms to encourage participation.
Additionally, since the Planning and Development Services Department heavily utilizes the electronic permitting and entitlement system, the proposal evaluation committee consisted of users from the Planning & Development Services staff. These stakeholders reviewed the proposals, participated in vendor interviews, and made recommendations based on their unique understanding of the needs of the department and customers.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project is exempt from environmental review under Section 15061 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: TruePoint Solutions-Palo Alto Agreement with Exhibits APPROVED BY:
Jonathan Lait, Planning and Development Services Director