Title
Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution to Approve a Five-Year Renewal Agreement with Accela, Inc for Citizen Access and Platform Automation Systems for Permitting for a total amount of $567,946.42
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council approve a resolution authorizing the City Manager to approve payments for a five-year renewal agreement, to be paid annually, with Accela, Inc. for the Permitting System, which includes the Citizen Access and Platform Automation systems in use by the Community Development and Engineering & Transportation Departments. This agreement will add licenses for “digEplan” software, which will be used by staff to digitize several permit operations.
BACKGROUND
The City of San Leandro has maintained an annual subscription contract with Accela since 2013.
Analysis
The City of San Leandro subscribes to the Accela Civic Platform and Automation system, which is hosted by Accela and delivered over the Internet. This Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) system provides all of the core functions required by the Community Development and Engineering & Transportation Departments to issue, track, report, and accept payments for building, planning, fire, environmental service, and encroachment permits.
The City is charged a subscription license fee, which provides Staff with access to the online system. In addition, the vendor provides software updates and technical support and hosts the software in its datacenter. The City has typically maintained the agreement on a year-to-year basis.
However, due to the current budget climate, staff negotiated a longer-term commitment (five years) in exchange for locking in lower annual increases. For example, under the current year-to-year agreement, Accela can raise the annual fee by up to 7% per year. With the five-year commitment, the first-year increase will be 0% and Years 2-5 will be capped at 3%. Over the life of the contract, this would save the City approximately $74,000.
Meanwhile, the new digEplan software will be fully integrated into the Accela platform and enable digital operations of certain permit functions. The digEplan licenses will add $16,800 per year and will be capped at a 0% increase for the duration of the five-year contract. This feature will help with ongoing efforts to modernize permitting operations and increase options for remote services and telework, increasing efficiency during the shelter-in-place.
Previous City Council Actions
• On October 21, 2019, the City Council approved an annual renewal agreement with Accela for FY2019-2020 and FY2020-2021 for the combined amount of $173,211.74 ($86,605.87 in Fiscal Year 2019-2020 and $86,605.87 plus up to a 10% increase or $8,660 in Fiscal Year 2020-2021).
• On November 19, 2018, the City Council approved an annual renewal agreement with Accela for FY2018-2019 for $80,940.07, Reso. No. 2018-144;
• On May 21, 2018, the City Council approved an annual renewal agreement with Accela for FY2017-2018 for $80,940.07, Reso. No. 2018-045;
• On July 15, 2013, the City Council approved a Consulting Services Agreement with TruePoint Solutions, Inc. for Migration and Configuration of the Tidemark Permitting Software System to Accela Automation/Civic Cloud for $208,900.00, Reso. No. 2013-105.
Legal Analysis
The City Attorney’s office reviewed and approved the purchase agreements as to form.
Fiscal Impacts
The cost breakdown is as follows:
Year 1 (Fiscal Year 2020-2021) is $108,514.37;
Year 2 (Fiscal Year 2021-2022) is $110,554.07;
Year 3 (Fiscal Year 2022-2023) is $113,366.69;
Year 4 (Fiscal Year 2023-2024) is $116,263.69;
Year 5 (Fiscal Year 2024-2025) is $119,247.60.
Total five-year cost: $567,946.42.
Budget Authority
There are sufficient funds in the FY2020-2021 operating budget, Account 688-13-001-5311, for Year 1. Subsequent costs (Years 2-5) will be budgeted in the IT operating budget, Account 688-13-001-5311.
PREPARED BY: Tony Batalla, Chief Technology Officer, City Manager’s Office