City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2025-01744 10/21/2025
Contract Amendment: Background Investigations
File ID: 2025-01744
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Pass a Motion: 1) increasing the not-to-exceed contract amount by $355,000 to a new of amount $600,000 for Department Background Investigations through June 22, 2027; 2) suspending competitive bidding by a two-thirds vote of the City Council in the best interests of the City; and 3) authorizing the Interim City Manager or designee to execute the specified above and any and all extension(s).
Contact: Crystal Harland, Fire Administrative Manager, (916) 767-5367, [email protected], Fire Department
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Sundberg IV Investigations Contract Supplement
3-Overall Proposal Evaluation
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The Sacramento Fire Department’s Human Resources Division is responsible for coordinating background investigations for prospective hires. The Department is requesting Council approval to execute a supplemental agreement to the existing contract with Sundberg IV Investigations.
In April 2024, Fire Department staff posted a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement of background investigation services under RFP No. P24121331001. The RFP was posted on the City’s Planet Bid solicitation website for three weeks. The Fire Department received six proposals.
The Fire Department evaluated the proposals submitted based on the following criteria: qualifications and experience, approach of work, cost proposal and references. Of the six proposals, Sundberg IV Investigations was found to have the highest rating in all criteria. There is a fully executed contract with Sundberg IV Investigations valid through June 22, 2027, with a not-to-exceed $245,000. To date,
File ID: 2025-01744 10/21/2025
a total of $190,000 has been expended, with a remaining balance of $55,000 on the contract for the remainder of the current contract period. Staff recommend amending the current total not-to-exceed amount from $245,000 to $600,000 to maintain sufficient funding for the Fire Department to coordinate background investigations for the upcoming Fire Recruit, EMS Trainee, and Single Role Academies.
Policy Considerations: The initial contract was executed under Sacramento City Code section
3.56.080 (Authority of City Manager). Subject to the availability of funds and the procedures set forth in this chapter, the City Manager is authorized to bind the City, by written contract or purchase order, involving an expenditure under $250,000 in any one transaction, without first advertising or obtaining specific authorization from the City Council, for the purchase of supplies or nonprofessional services for the City. Staff requests an increased not-to-exceed amount requiring City Council approval per Sacramento City Code section 3.56.090, under which all contracts for supplies or nonprofessional services involving an expenditure of $250,000 or more shall be awarded by the City Council.
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations: Ongoing administrative maintenance activities, such as purchases of supplies, equipment or materials which are not made for purposes of a public construction project, do not constitute a “project” and are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061(b) (3), 15378(b) (2).
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: The Sacramento Fire Department’s Human Resources Division is responsible for coordinating background investigations for prospective hires.
Financial Considerations: Sufficient funding is available in the Fire Department’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 operating budget, Fire Training’s Externally Funded Program, and EMS Trainee multi-year operating project under the Diversity Outreach Reach and Recruitment program to make purchases through June 30, 2026. Purchases made on the contract after June 30,2026 are subject to funding availability in the adopted budget of the applicable fiscal year.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Sundberg IV Investigations is not an LBE. The minimum LBE participation requirement is waived by the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee as the City has suspended competitive bidding and utilized an alternate procurement method to select a vendor (s) in the best interests of the City.
OVERALL PROPOSAL EVALUATION
Fire Background Investigations
RFP No. P24121331001
Friday, April 29, 2024
Friday, May 10, 2024
Six (6)
Sundberg IV Investigations
Rank
No. Firm/Contractor Name Overall Score
1 Sundberg IV Investigations 95
2 Steve Blanc Investigations 84
3 Peña Investigations 79
4 TruView BSI, LLC 79
5 Reveal Background Check 25
6 KENTECH 0
Proposal Ranking
Number of Proposals Received:
Firm Selected:
RFP Summary
Questions Due:
Proposals Due: