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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Make findings that the provision of software licensing and support needed by the Public Housing Authority provided by Contractor are in the public's best interest and that there are specialty skills, qualifications, and equipment not expressly identified in County classifications involved in the performance of the work in accordance with El Dorado County Ordinance Code, Chapter 3.13.030(B);
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign the first amendment to Agreement for Services 4868 with Happy Software LLC, an MRI Software LLC company, increasing compensation by $10,000 for a new total compensation amount of $143,086, with no change to the term; and
3) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute amendments relating to Agreement 4868, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, which do not increase the maximum dollar amount or term of the Agreement.
FUNDING: 100% Public Housing Authority federal funds.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
Public Housing Authority (PHA) requires software to manage client information, appointments, renewals and reporting for the Public Housing Assistance program. Housing and Urban Development provides specifications for the software and only a limited number of vendors provide software in accordance with these specifications. The Public Housing Authority program staff initially selected the HAPPY (Housing Assistance Payments Program Yearly) product approximately fifteen years ago. In 2017 staff reviewed alternative vendors and chose to renew a contract for this product and to move to the cloud-hosted version of the HAPPY Software. In March of 2018 Happy Software was acquired by MRI Software LLC, making MRI one of the top providers in the public housing space. HAPPY Software has a client retention rate near 98 percent historically.
Agreement 4868 with HAPPY Software LLC, an MRI Software LLC company was approved by the Board on September 01, 2020, (Legistar item 20-0595) in which HAPPY Software contracted for the provision of software licensing and support to manage client information, appointments, renewals and reporting for the Public Housing Assistance program needed by the Public Housing Authority, for the term of September 01, 2020, through August 31, 2025, with a maximum contractual obligation of $133,086. Amendment I is being brought to the Board as there is an increase to the previous not-to-exceed amount of $133,086 to the new amount of $143,086, to add three (3) additional user licenses, and additional training hours to the current agreement. Other changes to the agreement include ancillary updates to and the addition of standard article language.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation, HHSA would continue to provide services through the existing contract without any updates or additional training.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 03/05/13, 12-1554, V4 HHSA/PHA 3-5-13 HAPPY Software Amendment II
2) 06/27/17, 17-0631, HHSA HAPPY Software Agreement 458-S1710
3) 09/01/20, 20-0595, HHSA Agmt 4868 HAPPY Software, MRI
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Approved by County Counsel, Human Resources, Information Technologies, and Risk Management.
The Auditor-Controller has been notified per Policy B-12
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agenda item. Sufficient appropriations were included in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget and will be included in future budgets for the term of the Agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Obtain signature of Chair on one (1) original first amendment to Agreements for Services #4868, titled "Add-on Order Document".
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Good Governance
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Interim Director, Health and Human Services Agency