DATE: MAY 24, 2022
DEPARTMENT: OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
PUBLIC WORKS
FROM: ANDREW MYRICK, SR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MGR
KRISTAN LUNDQUIST, LCS DIRECTOR
RONALD PATTERSON, FLEET AND FACILITIES MANAGER
TITLE: ACQUISITION OF ASSET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to approve the attached Resolution to approve two professional service agreements to install and license CityWorks software.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff Recommends that the City Council approve the attached Resolution.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Salinas presently owns 283 parcels of land, upon which are located 179 buildings and an unknown number of other improvements, such as landscaping, pathways, recreational equipment, utility connections, artwork, and other features and characteristics. There are 82 active leases and licenses which provide third parties the right to temporarily possess or use portions of these properties. In addition, the City leases or subleases several properties from outside entities for its own use.
Responsibility for different aspects of different properties fall under the purview of different departments. This results in a dizzying array of complexity with regards to property operation and maintenance. For example, vegetation management on City-owned properties is handled by at least six different City Divisions utilizing multiple contracts. Facilities maintenance is handled either through Library and Community Services or through Public Works. Utility bills are received and paid directly by Finance. Property Tax payments and lease monitoring are currently handled through Administration, while insurance is handled by the Legal Department. Many properties are maintained by Departments that exclusively use the facility (such as pump stations). Maintenance of properties that are leased are sometimes the responsibility of the Tenant, and sometimes not, depending on the terms of the lease.
The result of this system is that the City does not have a good understanding of the present condition of many of its facilities. This includes the condition of buildings as well as equipment such as air conditioners and elevators, where historical records are poor or nonexistent. Records that do exist are generally stored on paper, in pdf documents, or in Excel spreadsheets, in the files of the Departments that generated them (which do not necessarily have responsibility for those areas currently). This creates an environment that makes it challenging to budget for anticipated repairs and maintenance during any given year.
Efforts have been made in recent years to improve the management of City-owned properties. A complete list of all City-owned properties was assembled in 2020, and property taxes consolidated to ensure payment was made for all properties. A complete list of all leases has been created and terms reviewed and tracked to ensure that tenants are meeting their responsibilities under the leases. Public Works has begun conducting inspections/assessments of City-owned buildings and parking garages to identify deferred maintenance items that will need to be addressed in the future (such as roof and equipment replacement timelines).
As staff has begun to collect this information, it has become clear that the tools presently available are inadequate to allow staff to efficiently manage the City’s real assets. As an example – a building may have multiple heating/cooling units. Each of these units could be of a different model or year, will have different maintenance timelines, warranty information, parts, and will be connected to different thermostats and service different parts of the building. When this complexity is spread across the entire City, even a spreadsheet program like Excel is not a viable option. It is vital that the City obtain the software tools necessary to effectively track its properties and the work done and needed upon them if the City is to effectively manage its assets.
To resolve this, the City issued a Request for Proposals in May 2021 to identify software that would assist it in managing its real estate assets. Specifically, the software would be required to do the following:
Create a database of all City-owned properties. This would include vital information related to the specific properties owned by the City, including location, size, insured value, use, buildings, equipment, other physical improvements, any tenants/leases, historic information (such as Deeds, easements, use restrictions, title reports, appraisals), and information to allow monitoring of key tasks (ie payment of property taxes). It would also include the ability to attach pdf documents and photos to the files.
Create a Workflow System to Track the Completion of Tasks. This will enable staff to track information related to individual equipment or fixed property (such as characteristics, parts, date acquired, expected useful life, past work performed, manufacturer and warranty information, and installation and operation manuals). It will also allow for the assigning and tracking of the workflow for work being performed, such as assigning repair/maintenance requests, identifying specific steps that need to be taken, and allowing for users to update the status of work being performed. This system also needs to be mobile-device compatible to allow staff to make updates in the field.
After an extensive review, a City Selection Committee made up of representatives from the Administration, Library and Community Services, Public Works, and Finance (Information Technology) Departments selected the CityWorks software program. CityWorks is a program that has a long track record of use in public agencies and would be able to fulfill all the criteria specified in the RFP. It utilizes Geographic Information System (GIS) data to not only create a database but to allow for mapping as well.
Once fully implemented, this software would provide many benefits to the City:
Easily Access and Create Records. This will save significant staff time, as staff will be able to easily retrieve historical information regarding property characteristics, lease terms, and work performed on the properties, and will not need to spend time searching for records or repeating previously-conducted studies because documents cannot be located.
More Efficient Tracking and Reporting of Work Performed. It will streamline workflow by allowing staff to look up documentation and past work and then document work performed “in the field” immediately using mobile devices.
Eliminate Departmental “Silos.” As noted above, a number of different Departments are responsible for different tasks. Notifying all parties of everything being performed is not practical. However, by establishing a single database, such notifications become unnecessary, as all records are available to other users as soon as they are input into the system. It is also possible for the software to “share” a database with other software programs used in specialized areas (such as stormwater standards compliance), enabling updates to records made in one program to also automatically occur in the records of the other.
Document Existing Facilities. By creating a centralized database, information such as the location of irrigation or utility lines can be mapped. This will help with future repairs, or in diagnosing utility-related issues by enabling staff to document, for example, what areas are served by a particular meter, or where shut-offs are located.
Improve Reporting. The software has robust report-generating capabilities, enabling staff to access and report requested information much more easily, including the ability to generate charts and graphs when appropriate.
The Resolution would approve two proposed contracts. The first is with a company called Centricity (a partner of CityWorks) and represents a one-time contract with a value of $129,500 to install and implement the CityWorks program. The second is a contract with Azteca Systems LLC (the company which owns CityWorks), which represents an annual License Agreement for the use the CityWorks software, which would be $56,100 for the first year.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
Not a Project. The City of Salinas has determined that the proposed action is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378). In addition, CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 includes the general rule that CEQA applies only to activities which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Because the proposed action and this matter have no potential to cause any effect on the environment, or because it falls within a category of activities excluded as projects pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378, this matter is not a project. Because the matter does not cause a direct or foreseeable indirect physical change on or in the environment, this matter is not a project. Any subsequent discretionary projects resulting from this action will be assessed for CEQA applicability.
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
This software will support the Council goal of Effective Government by supporting more efficient City operations.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
In addition to the Administration (Economic Development), Library and Community Services, and Public Works (Facilities) Departments, this effort involved a high degree of cooperation and coordination between the Finance (Information Technology) and Public Works (GIS) Departments, as well as consultation with other City Departments and Divisions that would be affected by the adoption of the new software.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
These contracts would result in $129,500 in one-time costs and approximately $56,100 per year in ongoing costs. Sufficient funds have already been budgeted for the one-time costs. Funds for the ongoing costs will be included in the FY23 budget requests if the Council approves these agreements. This software will also save money by providing a tool that will enable City staff to perform their job duties more efficiently in the future, thought the exact amount would be difficult to quantify.
ATTACHMENTS:
Proposed RESOLUTION, including the following Exhibits:
Exhibit A: Proposed General Services Agreement with Centricity Exhibit B: Proposed License Agreement with Azteca Systems LLC Page | 3
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