CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: November 3, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
TITLE: ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. ____-25 AUTHORIZING APPROPRIATION
OF AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS TO FUND ADDITIONAL
DIGITIZATION SERVICES AND INDEXING OF CITY ARCHIVES AND
AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE FIRST
CONTRACT AMENDMENT TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
AGREEMENT WITH BMI IMAGING SYSTEMS, INC.
SYNOPSIS
In November 2023, the City Council adopted a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with BMI Imaging Systems, Inc. for the provision of digitization and indexing services for the City’s archival records, in an amount not to exceed $336,568. The resolution further appropriated $350,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support the project.
To date, approximately 85 percent of the City’s archival collection has been scanned and digitized.
In order to complete the remaining portion of the project, an additional $50,946.29 in funding is required. Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the appropriation of ARPA Funds to fund additional digitization services and indexing of City archives and authorize the City Manager to execute the first contract amendment with BMI Imaging, Inc. to increase the existing agreement by $50,946.29 to use the remaining $13,432 from the initial $350,000 ARPA allocation, together with a reallocation of $21,559.25 from the completed ADU Planning Project ARPA funds, and $15,955.04 from the Fiscal Year 2025–26 Information Technology Budget, to fully fund the remaining project costs.
The Budget Committee reviewed this item at its meeting on October 6, 2025, and recommended City Council approval.
DISCUSSION
Background
Over its history since November 1961, the City has amassed a significant footprint of records, plans, and reports, which are stored in perpetuity at City Hall. Not only are these archives occupying valuable, limited real estate at City Hall, but they will also slowly deteriorate over time or could be accidentally destroyed due to unforeseen circumstances.
As technology continues to advance, the conversion of physical documents into digital formats has become increasingly important for efficiency, accessibility, reliability, and security.
On November 6, 2023, the City Council approved Resolution No. 74-23 authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with BMI Imaging Systems, Inc. for digitization services and indexing of City archives for an amount not to exceed $336,568. The resolution specified a $350,000 budget allocation of ARPA funds the project.
At the time, staff and BMI Imaging Systems, Inc. surveyed all of the City’s archives and roughly estimated there were 2,048,000 pages of documents and 114,340 pages of large architectural plans to be scanned and digitized. The amount of $336,568 for the project was derived based on assumptions of the estimated volume.
Since November 2023, staff has been working diligently with BMI Imaging to complete the project by the end of 2025. At this juncture, approximately 85 percent of the City’s archives have been scanned and digitized, and the funds from the existing agreement are nearly depleted. The cost overrun from the original proposal was primarily due to two factors. First, the Planning Division required color scans instead of black and white after determining that photos and colored paper in the documents were not adequately captured in black-and-white format. Second, the Engineering Division underestimated the total volume of documents requiring scanning within the division.
Analysis
Staff, in coordination with BMI Imaging Systems, has determined that completion of the remaining 15 percent of the City’s archival digitization and indexing project will require an additional appropriation of $50,946.29. To provide for the necessary funding, staff has identified the following sources: (1) ARPA funds totaling $34,991.25, consisting of the remaining balance of $13,432 from the original $350,000 project allocation (net of the executed agreement amount of $336,568) and an unexpended balance of $21,559.25 from the completed ADU Planning Project; and (2) Information Technology Division funds in the amount of $15,955.04 from the Fiscal Year 2025–26 Budget.
The Finance Division has verified the availability of these funds to support the proposed allocation.
The Budget Committee reviewed this item at its meeting on October 6, 2025, and has recommended approval by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact is the use of the remaining $13,432 from the initial $350,000 ARPA allocation and the transfer of $21,559.25 from the ADU Planning Project ARPA funds, along with $15,955.04 from the Fiscal Year 2025–26 Information Technology Budget, to complete the digitization project. Staff has confirmed with the Finance Division that these funds are available to cover the requested allocation.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public Contact was made through posting of the City Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, and at the Pleasant Hill Police Department. The agenda and staff report are posted on the City’s web page.
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Adopt the proposed resolution authorizing the appropriation of ARPA Funds to fund additional digitization services and indexing of City archives and authorizing the City Manager to execute the first contract amendment with BMI Imaging, Inc. to increase the existing agreement from $336,568 to $387,514.29. Thereby an increase of $50,946.29 as recommended by the Budget Committee. In addition, approve the funding from the utilization of the remaining $13,432 from the initial $350,000 ARPA allocation, transfer of $21,559.25 from the completed ADU Planning Project ARPA funds to this project, and $15,955.04 from the Fiscal Year 2025–26 Information Technology Budget. Finally, Authorize the City Manager to execute the first amendment to the professional services agreement with BMI Imaging Systems, INC.
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDED ACTION
The City Council could reject the proposed action.
ATTACHMENT(S)
A. Proposed Resolution
B. First Amendment Between BMI Imaging Inc and the City of Pleasant Hill C. Signed Agreement and Resolution 74-23 Digitization Scanning Services with BMI Imaging, Inc.
Prepared by: Ling King, Chief Technology Officer
Approved by: Ethan Bindernagel, City Manager