CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
February 24, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita D. Scott, City Manager
Submitted By: Chris Diggs, Water Resources Director
SUBJECT: APPROVE A FIVE-YEAR SOLE SOURCE AGREEMENT WITH NJBSOFT, LLC FOR THE SAMS WATER SOFTWARE RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
Approve a five-year sole source professional services agreement with NJBSoft, LLC (NJBSoft) for the SAMS Water (SAMS) software in the total amount of $266,902; and, Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute a five-year agreement with NJBSoft on behalf of the City and any subsequent documents or amendments, subject to approval as to form by the City Attorney.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The proposed actions approve a five-year sole source agreement with NJBSoft for SAMS, a water quality compliance software. SAMS is specifically designed to streamline the management of complex monitoring schedules and large volumes of water quality data, assisting water providers to ensure continuous regulatory compliance and enhance data management efficiency.
SB1439/GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLICABILITY:
☒ When this box is checked, it indicates the agenda item is subject to the Levine Act SB1439 requirements. Councilmembers are reminded to check their campaign contributions and determine whether they have received a campaign contribution of $500 or more that would require disclosure and/or recusal from discussing or acting on this agenda item. Campaign contributions of $500 or more made 1) by any person or entity who is identified in the agenda report as the applicant or proposer or 2) on behalf of the applicant or participant, including a parent, subsidiary or otherwise related business entity, or 3) by any person who has a financial interest in the agenda item requires a councilmember to comply with SB1439.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of the proposed agreement with NJBSoft is $266,902. Funding for the first year of the agreement is available within the FY 2024-25 Water Operating Budget (571-8122-52588-00000). The first year’s services include installation, customization, training, and support. Costs for subsequent years include software subscription and maintenance fees, and the expense will be budgeted in the appropriate fiscal year. Table 1 below provides a detailed cost breakdown.
Table 1
Description
FY 24-25
FY 25-26
FY 26-27
FY 27-28
FY 28-29
Contract Total
Implementation Services
$98,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
SAMS Water Subscription
$30,000
$30,000
$31,350
$32,761
$34,235
SAMS Data Analytics API
$2,000
$2,000
$2,090
$2,184
$2,282
Annual Total
$130,000
$32,000
$33,440
$34,945
$36,517
$266,902
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION:
None.
DISCUSSION:
As drinking water regulatory standards become more stringent and the volume of water quality data continues to increase, staff identified the need for specialized water quality regulatory compliance software. Currently, staff rely on manual processes for water quality monitoring and data management. Sampling schedules and results are tracked across multiple spreadsheets, which, while critical for regulatory compliance, are labor-intensive to maintain. Each year, thousands of water samples are collected and analyzed, generating over half a million results that must be reported to the state. This reporting process involves extensive data analysis and formatting to meet state requirements, further complicating the workflow.
By streamlining data processing and reducing human error, SAMS can significantly enhance data management efficiency. SAMS facilitates field data collection, direct uploads of laboratory sample results, and automated generation of compliance reports. Additionally, SAMS provides advanced analytics, customizable reporting, and automated alerts. When paired with centralized historical water quality data, these features will enable staff to identify trends and make proactive, data-driven decisions for operations and treatments.
Approval of this item will authorize the sole source purchase of SAMS from NJBSoft. Pomona City Code Purchasing Section 2-994 requires City Council approve sole or single source request over $ 100,000 after review by the Procurement Officer, Finance Director, and the City Manager. NJBSoft is the sole developer and distributor of this software. Purchasing concurs with the sole source justification based on a letter received from NJBSoft and confirming that this software cannot be purchased from another vendor. This recommendation is based on months of process analysis, discussions with other water utilities, and research of currently available software packages available that offer water quality data management. Through staff’s exhaustive efforts it was determined SAMS is the only software able to meet the City’s needs. Therefore, staff recommend that the City Council approve a sole source professional services agreement with NJBSoft for SAMS. The attached agreement (Attachment No. 1) outlines the services necessary for the successful implementation of SAMS.
Prepared by:
Yoon Cha
Yoon Cha
Senior Business Systems Analyst
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment No. 1 – Agreement with NJBSoft, LLC
Approve Sole Source Agreement with NJBSoft, LLC for SAMS Water Software