Title
Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution to Approve Amendment No. 2 to the Consultant Services Agreement for Third Party Plan Check Services Between the City of San Leandro and TRB+Associates (to increase the contract by $80,500 for an amount not to exceed $268,000)
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Construction activity in the City continues to be high and is projected to continue for at least the next year. Third party plan check consultants assist the City in managing the work load in order to meet deadlines and provide quality customer service. Staff recommends the City Council approve Amendment No. 2 to the Contractual Services Agreement with TRB+Associates to increase the contract amount by $80,500 and authorize the City Manager to execute this amendment for a not-to-exceed contract amount of $268,000. Amendment No. 2 will enable the City’s Building and Safety Services Division to continue providing plan check services in a timely manner, provide certified access specialist (CASp) services as required by State law and to supplement current staffing during this period of significant development and permit activity.
BACKGROUND
The City of San Leandro’s Building and Safety Services Division (Building) of the Community Development Department ensures minimum standards to safeguard life, limb, health, property and public welfare by regulating and controlling the design, construction, quality of materials, use and occupancy, locations and maintenance of buildings and structures within the City through plan review, permit issuances and inspections.
Third party plan check consultants assist the City during times of high activity to meet deadlines and enable the City to provide quality customer service. The FY 2018-19 Budget included $200,000 for Third Party Plan Check consultants: $150,000 for TRB+Associates and $50,000 for 4LEAF. When the City Council approved both contracts in June 2018, it granted the City Manager the authority to amend the contract up to a maximum of 25% of the $150,000 original total contract amount or a maximum of $37,500.
In March 2019, the City Manager approved Amendment No.1 to the CSA with TRB+Associates to increase the contract by $37,500 from budgeted FY 2018-19 Building funds to an amount not to exceed $187,500. Amendment No. 1 was necessary because the original contract amount had been depleted by end of February 2019 due to the high volume of permit applications. The amendment enabled Building to cover TRB+Associates services for March and partially April.
Analysis
The Chief Building Official recommends increasing only TRB+Associates’ contract because of its larger engineering staff, stronger experience with complex construction methods and the quality of past work. TRB+Associates and 4LEAF’s consulting services agreements end on June 30, 2019. Building plans to solicit a new Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in April-May 2019 for third party plan check services and anticipates selecting at least two qualified firms, which Building will bring forward for City Council review and approval for FY2019-2020 and FY2020-FY2021.
Building requests an additional $80,500 in Amendment No. 2 to cover the ongoing high volume of permit applications that are projected for part of April, May and June 2019. In addition to the high number of permits that Building staff and the third party consultants continue to receive and process, major development projects that may begin review before June 30, 2019 include the recently entitled 687 unit apartment building at 899 Alvarado Street and substantial capital improvements at Waste Management’s Davis Street Transfer Station. These major projects justify the need for this additional funding request because they will require extensive and detailed staff plan check review for their respectively large scales and complexities.
Legal Analysis
Amendment No. 2 to the Consulting Services Agreement with TRB+Associates was reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form.
Fiscal Impacts and Budget Authority
The original $150,000 General Fund expenditure and $37,500 for Amendment No. 1 were included the approved FY 2018-19 budget under account 010-42-002-5120. After the approval of Amendment No. 1, the available balance in 010-42-002-5120 is $80,500.
Consequently, the source of funding for the $80,500 increase under Amendment No. 2 is the remaining balance in 010-42-002-5120. The costs incurred by TRB+Associates are full cost recovery for the City in that they are charged directly to building permit applicants on a time and hourly rate basis.
ATTACHMENT
Attachments to Related Legislative File
• Amendment No. 2 to TRB+Associates CSA
PREPARED BY: Tom Liao, Community Development Director, and Jerome Smith Jr., Chief Building Official