City Council Agenda Report
Meeting Date: July 16, 2024
From: Daniel S. Wall, P.E., Director of Public Works
Department: Public Works
Submitted by: Gerard Garcia, Assistant Engineer
Subject
Services Agreement with Interwest Consulting Group, Inc. for On-Call Building/Engineering/Fire Plan Check and Inspection Services
Recommendation
Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Interwest Consulting Group, Inc., in substantially the same form as submitted, for Building/Engineering/Fire Plan Check and Inspection Services for a total amount not-to-exceed $2,500,000, for a three (3) year term.
Background
The Building and Engineering divisions of the Public Works Department are responsible for ensuring that all construction activity complies with the latest Building, Greenbook, Fire Prevention codes, and regulations adopted by the City. The building division has (2) full-time employees performing plan review and inspection services of Building (Architectural), Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical plans. The engineering division has (3) full-time employees performing plan review and inspection services of Civil plans. While not all projects require approval by a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) and structural plan review by a licensed structural engineer, the Building and Engineering Division relies heavily on the specialized knowledge and expertise of consultants for projects that require these approvals and level of review. The current Building and Engineering Division staff does not have the required licenses or certification to perform these tasks. Therefore, the Building and Engineering Division finds that it is more cost-effective to contract these services out, as opposed to hiring full-time employees to provide these services.
Pursuant to Vernon Municipal Code Sections 3.32.080 and 3.32.090, respectively, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on March 20, 2024, via PlanetBids with responses due by April 23, 2024. Twelve firms submitted proposals in response to the RFP for On-Call Building/Engineering/Fire Plan Check and Inspection Services that was issued. After a review of the proposals, it was determined that Interwest Consulting Group, Inc. will best meet the needs of the Department based on responsiveness to the RFP, professional qualifications, and experience.
The Building and Engineering Division will determine when it is necessary to use the consultant for a specific task or project. All consultant fees will be based on actual work performed and will be recovered through plan check and inspection fees based on the City’s General Fee Schedule.
It is recommended that City Council approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a services agreement with Interwest Consulting Group, Inc. The proposed services agreement has been reviewed and approved as to form by the City Attorney’s Office.
Fiscal Impact
The fiscal impact is not-to-exceed $2,500,000 for the three-year term of the professional services agreement. Sufficient funds are available in General Fund, Public Works Department, Building Regulations Division, Professional Services - Technical Account No. 011-040-405-529225 for the current fiscal year and will be budgeted in subsequent years. Additionally, in the negotiated services agreement, Public Works structured the fees for the services recoverable through plan check and inspection fees.
Attachments
1. Professional Services Agreement with Interwest Consulting Group, Inc.