To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nathan Quarles 565-1146
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Building Plan Review Services Contract
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize the Director to execute agreements with (1) Coastland Civil Engineering LLP and (2) Interwest Consulting Group, Inc., for building plan review services, in an amount not to exceed $175,000 per year for an initial two-year term extending to March 5, 2026, with options to extend for up to two additional years at $175,000 per year, for an overall not to exceed amount of $700,000 per agreement.
end
Executive Summary:
Permit Sonoma is requesting Board authority to execute separate building plan review services contracts with each of two vendors: Coastland Civil Engineering LLP and Interwest consulting Group, in the amount of $175,000 per vendor per year over a two year term, with options to extend each contract for two additional years, with each additional year being capped at $175,000, and with the maximum contract amount for each contract for all years, including options, not to exceed $700,000. Permit Sonoma will evaluate contract extensions based on reductions in the departments plan review processing times, i.e. is the contract being successful, and based on contract funding remaining from the original contract term.
The execution of these two contracts supports one of the initiatives recommended in Permit Sonoma’s Management Review to establish contracts with third-party plan reviewers to provide supplemental plan review assistance to reduce plan review processing times to 30 business days or less. This initiative is included in the management review implementation schedule which was accepted by the Board in 2023.
Third party plan review will assist Permit Sonoma to reduce plan review processing times to 30 business days or less. It is anticipated that when average processing times exceed 30 business days, the plan review contract will be used to assist the department to reduce the processing times. The cost of services will be offset by permits fees as discussed in the fiscal impact section below.
Discussion:
In January 2023, a formal management review of Permit Sonoma was completed by Berry Dunn McNeil & Parker LLC. The objective of the analysis was to review Permit Sonoma’s organizational structure, performing comparison and benchmarking research, and analyzing permit data. The report findings and recommendations were presented to the Board of Supervisors on January 31, 2023. The report included 15 initiatives for consideration by the Board and the department. The Board directed Permit Sonoma to develop a high-level implementation schedule to address the recommendations from the management review.
On March 7, 2023, Permit Sonoma presented the implementation schedule of the recommended 15 initiatives to the Board of Supervisors. Initiative 6 prescribes the establishment of contracts with third-party plan reviewers to assist with completing technical reviews of applications, assist with clearing backlog efforts, and provide as-needed supplement plan review services.
Permit Sonoma returned to the Board during the FY 2023-24 budget hearings with a resource request to fund grading, septic and building plan review services contracts. The Board of Supervisors approved the resource request and allocated a total of $1,250,000 over two years as part of Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget hearings.
A contract for septic plan review was executed on March 28, 2023, for a term of one year with an option to extend for one additional year. Permit Sonoma intends to administratively extend the septic plan review contract, per the original agreement, for an additional year.
In fall of 2023, Permit Sonoma staff initiated the process to execute the Board’s direction. This contract is specifically for building plan review services.
The process included meeting with the affected unions and union membership for coordination. Request for Proposals was published on December 21, 2023. There were five vendors that submitted proposals. The Permit Sonoma review panel consisted of Permit Sonoma’s Building Division Manager, Building Division Senior Engineer, and the City of Santa Rosa’s Planning and Economic Development Department’s Supervising Engineer. The panel evaluated the five proposals based on the following criteria: 1) the demonstrated ability to perform the services describe in the scope of work; 2) experience, qualifications and expertise relative to the scope of work; 3) quality of work as verified by references; 4) costs relative to the scope of services; 5) a demonstrated history of providing similar services to comparable entities; 6) a willingness to accept the County’s contract terms; 7) a preference for local firms and 8) a preference for firms providing a living wage. Based on the evaluation, the panel selected Coastland Civil Engineering LLP and Interwest Consulting Group as the two vendors.
Each vendor will perform architectural, structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical plan review for buildings and structures for compliance with applicable Federal and State laws, building and safety codes, county ordinances, and acceptable engineering practices. Permit Sonoma elected to hire two vendors for redundancy. The assigned work will be split roughly half and half between to two vendors, but not to exceed the $175,000 per vendor per year.
Staff recommend executing a contract with each vendor for building plan review services contracts in an amount of $175,000 per vendor per year for an initial two-year term, with an option to extend for two additional years, for a maximum total not to exceed $700,000 per contract, or $1,400,000 total across both contracts, if all options to extend are exercised for both contracts.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Organizational Excellence
Goal: Goal 1: Strengthen operational effectiveness, fiscal reliability, and accountability.
Objective: Objective 4: Streamline routine administrative procedures and workflows and delegate more signature authority to department heads in order to re-direct work force resources to more strategic priorities.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
January 31, 2023 - Permit Sonoma Management Review
March 7, 2023 - Permit Sonoma Management Review Implementation Schedule.
June 13, 2023 - Permit Sonoma’s FY 2023-24 Budget Hearing Action
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$87,500 |
$350,000 |
$262,500 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$87,500 |
$350,000 |
$262,500 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
$43,750 |
$175,000 |
$131,250 |
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$43,750 |
$175,000 |
$131,250 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$87,500 |
$350,000 |
$262,500 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are sufficient budget appropriations in the current year budget to cover contract costs through the end of the fiscal year. Appropriations for future years will be requested through the annual budget process. Funding for each contract will be financed through a combination of the General Fund allocated by the Board during FY 2023-24 budget hearings for this purpose and permit fees. The fiscal impacts are distributed over three fiscal years to coincide with the term of each agreement.
Options to extend each contract for two additional one-year periods will be evaluated based on contract funding remaining on the original contract term.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Contract with Coastland Civil Engineering, LLP
Attachment 2: Contract with Interwest Consulting Group, Inc.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A