City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: OCTOBER 3, 2023 FROM: CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY WITH UNIVERSITY ENTERPRISES CORPORATION AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SAN BERNARDINO, IN THE AMOUNT OF $68,871 PLUS 10% CHANGE ORDER AUTHORITY FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $75,758 – SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION ISSUE:
Consider approval of a Professional Consultant Services Agreement for a Quality of Life Survey with University Enterprises Corporation at California State University San Bernardino, in the amount of $68,871 plus 10% change order authority for a total amount not to exceed $75,758, and authorize a supplemental appropriation.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council:
Approve a Professional Consultant Services Agreement for a Quality of Life Survey with University Enterprises Corporation at California State University San Bernardino, in the amount of $68,871; Authorize 10% change order authority of $6,887 for a total contract amount not to exceed $75,758; Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the Professional Consultant Services Agreement, including making minor and non-substantive changes; and With at least five affirmative votes, authorize the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record a supplemental appropriation in the amount of $75,758 from available General Fund balance to the General Fund, City Manager-Administration, Professional Services.
DISCUSSION:
The City is seeking to conduct the next installment of a community quality of life survey to identify perceptions about quality of life in Riverside. This survey originated as an effort to determine progress in meeting the goals of the “Seizing Our Destiny” program, which started in 2009 and sought to improve the quality of life in Riverside. Though the “Seizing Our Destiny” program ran its course, there remains an urgent need to understand how our residents feel about living and working in Riverside. This is especially true as the City leans in to a more data-based approach to governance.
The City has conducted the survey in 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2022. There is value in assessing not only our residents’ perceptions of specific issues at a moment in time, but also in tracking those issues longitudinally over the years. For example, in the 2013 survey, 85.1 percent of respondents found Riverside to be “a good place to find an affordable place to live.” That percentage has dropped each year we have conducted the survey, with only 53.3 percent of respondents affirming that in the 2022 survey.
The most recent survey was released last year and provided important insights into the community’s concerns, including some perceptions directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, while respondents were most concerned about traffic in 2019, the 2022 survey documented that homelessness was by far the biggest concern. The issue of homelessness also impacted perceptions of safety and attitudes about whether it is safe to be in our parks.
For the first time in the 2022 survey, we asked respondents whether they were aware the City provided extra services during the pandemic (80+ percent were aware) and how they perceived those services (91 percent thought the City performed very well or well). The 2022 survey also measured, for the first time, attitudes on issues related to the Envision Riverside 2025 plan. For example, 86.7 percent of respondents said that diversity is supported and valued in Riverside. Almost two-thirds had a great deal or a fair amount of trust in Riverside city government. A similar amount of respondents – 67.3 percent – said that Riverside leaders make decisions based on community involvement and engagement.
Quality of Life Survey results from 2022 can be found on the City website at: https://riversideca.gov/citymanager/quality-life-survey-results The 2023 survey is designed to retain the most relevant questions from past surveys for further tracking while also providing an opportunity for residents to rate the quality of the City’s service delivery and overall workings of local government and provide feedback to the City on what is working well and what is not. This survey and others that will follow in coming years also will attempt to gauge residents’ opinion on issues not examined in past surveys with a focus on issues that are actionable and relevant to future budget discussions.
Past surveys have culled 500 responses solely from registered voter lists. For the next survey, staff wishes to expand to 700 responses and use a combination of registered voters and cell phone data. This approach will ensure the survey includes an appropriate number of respondents from each of the seven City Council Wards and will include people who live in the Wards but are not registered to vote.
Since 2013, the University Enterprises Corporation at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB) has partnered with the City to formulate questions, conduct the survey, and analyze and share actionable data from the survey.
This agreement with University Enterprises Corporation at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB) is excepted from competitive procurement in accordance with Purchasing Resolution No. 23914, Article Seven: Acquisition of Services, Section 702 “Exceptions” which reads in part “Competitive Procurement through the Informal Procurement and Formal Procurement process shall not be required in any of the following circumstances: …(g) Where payment for Services is to be made to a Federal, State, and/or public entity”.
The Purchasing Manager concurs that the recommendations are in compliance with Purchasing Resolution No. 23914.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This Project aligns with Strategic Priority 5 – High Performing Government and Goal 5.3 – Enhance communication and collaboration with community members to improve transparency, build public trust, and encourage shared decision-making.
It also aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – A quality of life survey enhances trust between the City and the community by gathering residents’ opinions and suggestions about current and future needs in the city.
Equity – The quality of life survey is conducted across all Wards.
Fiscal Responsibility – A quality of life survey helps inform City leadership about the community’s current and future needs and assists in decision-making about resource allocation.
Innovation – A quality of life survey may help identify ways that the City can innovate to increase efficiency or provision of services.
Sustainability & Resiliency – A quality of life survey helps to inform sustainability efforts that are succeeding and where the City might improve.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action is $75,758. Upon Council approval, a supplemental appropriation will be recorded in the amount of $75,758 from available General Fund balance to the General Fund, City Manager-Administration, Professional Services account number 1100000-421000. The FY 2023/24 budget was adopted with a surplus sufficient to accommodate the supplemental appropriation.
Prepared by: Lee Withers, Principal Management Analyst
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Mike Futrell, City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachment: Agreement
Community Quality of Life Survey ● Page 2