DATE: OCTOBER 8, 2024
DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
FROM: LISA BRINTON, DIRECTOR
THROUGH: DAVID GONZALVES, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
BY: ANGELINE ANZINI, CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL
YAZMIN OCHOA-FLORES, ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST
TITLE: NUMBER 1 AMENDMENTS WITH TRUE NORTH COMPLIANCE SERVICES, 4LEAF, SHUMS CODA ASSOCIATES, WILLDAN ENGINEERING, AND TRB & ASSOCIATES RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to approve a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 1 to increase the total compensation amount for the following Agreements for Professional Services:
True North Compliance Services: not to exceed compensation amount increased to $400,000; 4LEAF: not to exceed compensation amount increased to $300,000; Shums Coda Associates: not to exceed compensation amount increased to $200,000; Willdan Engineering: not to exceed compensation amount increased to $200,000; and TRB and Associates: not to exceed compensation amount increased to $2,600,000.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Permit Services Division relies on outside technical professionals to assist with plan review, permitting and inspection services. These services do not replace City employees otherwise doing the same work, rather these services supplement the work being performed by City employees in order to provide a consistent level of customer service. Contracting for these services allows for the scaling up of experienced technical staffing to be able to respond in a timely manner to increases in the number of development applications due to economic growth, particularly for major, more complicated development projects. The proposed Amendment No. 1 to the separate Agreements with True North Compliance Services, 4LEAF, Shums Coda Associates, Willdan Engineering, and TRB and Associates, increases the total combined not to exceed compensation amount to $2,500,000 for the Fiscal Year 2024-25 through Fiscal Year 2026-27. Funding for these Amendments will be fully covered through the Permit Services Enterprise Fund using plan check and inspection fees collected prior to requesting professional services.
BACKGROUND:
The Permit Services Division has contracted with consultants for decades to augment the plan review, permitting, and inspection capacity of the Permit Center. These consultants have extensive knowledge and experience in providing technical services to building departments in multiple jurisdictions in California. The firms provide services and trained staff specifically tailored to manage the development process and all levels of plan review, permitting, and inspection services. All contract staff hold the required certifications to conduct the assigned duties.
Through a Request for Qualifications process, six consultants, including the five referenced above, were recommended, and approved by City Council in July 2024 to be on an On-Call List for permit services. At the same meeting, Council also approved the execution of five Agreements for Professional Services. Since entering into the Agreements with these consultants in July 2024, the continued increase of economic development within the City is creating an increase in the number of permits being processed. This increase in large and complex projects brings the need to balance staff time between focusing on those more complex tasks, while still providing the required customer service for the routine projects. In addition, the Permit Services Division has several position vacancies, which directly and significantly affect the permitting process. These vacancies include a Senior Plan Check Engineer, a Plan Check Engineer, and a Combination Building Inspector I. Due to limited staffing resources and the identified position vacancies, additional outside professional services are needed to review, process, and inspect these permit applications in a timely manner.
Amendment No. 1 to these Agreements will allow the Permit Center to use technical staff and services to address Permit Center staffing shortfalls and the current increase in workload. Consultant services are billed on a time and materials basis, according to the rates of compensation set in Exhibit B to the Agreements, which are provided as Attachments 7 to 11 of this report. The original, additional, and amended not to exceed compensation amount for each Agreement is provided in the table below. The total increase in the not to exceed compensation amount is $2.5 Million dollars.
Not to Exceed Compensation
Original
Additional
Amended
True North Compliance Services
$ 150,000
$ 250,000
$ 400,000
4LEAF
$ 150,000
$ 150,000
$ 300,000
Shums Coda Associates
$ 150,000
$ 50,000
$ 200,000
Willdan Engineering
$ 150,000
$ 50,000
$ 200,000
TRB and Associates
$ 600,000
$2,000,000
$2,600,000
Total
$1,200,000
$2,500,000
$3,700,000
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 projects resulting from this action will be assessed for CEQA applicability.
CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES:
No.
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
The proposed Amendments support the City of Salinas Strategic Plan 2022-2025 Goals and Strategies of Economic Development, Housing/Affordable Housing, Public Safety, and Effective and Culturally Responsive Government by enhancing Permit Center operations and facilitating safe and efficient development within the City.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
This item was prepared by the Community Development Department, in collaboration with the City Attorney’s Office and the Finance Department.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
There is no direct or indirect cost to the General Fund. The additional cost of $2,500,000 for increased services will be fully covered by the collection of permitting fees through the Permit Center Enterprise Fund, which was established in July 2017.
Fund
Appropriation
Appropriation
Name
Total Appropriation
Amount for recommendation
FY 24-25 Operating Budget Page
Last Budget Action (Date, Resolution)
6900
30.3350-63.5010
Outside Services Professional Services
$3,250,117
$2,500,000
n/a
09/10/24, 23088
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution authorizing City Manager to execute Amendment No. 1 for Separate Agreements for Professional Services Amendment No. 1 to True North Compliance Services Agreement for Professional Services Amendment No. 1 to 4LEAF Agreement for Professional Services Amendment No. 1 to Shums Coda Associates Agreement for Professional Services Amendment No. 1 to Willdan Engineering Agreement for Professional Services Amendment No. 1 to TRB and Associates Agreement for Professional Services Agreement for Professional Services with True North Compliance Services, Inc.
Agreement for Professional Services with 4LEAF, Inc.
Agreement for Professional Services with Shums Coda Associates, Inc.
Agreement for Professional Services with and Willdan Engineering Agreement for Professional Services with TRB and Associates, Inc.
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