Title
Environmental Management Department recommending the Board authorize the purchasing agent to execute Agreement for Services 8110 with Accela, Inc. for the provision of EnvisionConnect software licensing and support services, with a not-to-exceed amount of $53,077.39 and a term of one (1) year, with a retroactive term start date of November 1, 2023.
FUNDING: Permit Fees.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On October 11, 2022, (File No. 22-1581), the Board approved Amendment I to Agreement for Services 4911 with Accela, Inc. for the provision of EnvisionConnect software licensing and support services in the amount of $48,694.89 with a one (1) year term extension. The original contract was approved on October 20, 2020 (File No. 20-0622) with a two-year term.
Prior to 2020, an Agreement for services (#181 S1511) was held with Decade Software Company, LLC (Decade), originating with Board approval on January 6, 2015 (Item No. 8, File No. 14-1120). On August 21, 2015, Environmental Management was notified by Accela Inc. (Accela) that the acquisition of Decade was completed on June 29, 2015, resulting in the need to amend the existing agreement. The first amendment to agreement #181 S1511, was approved by the Board on October 13, 2015 (Item No. 11, File No. 14-1120). A second amendment was approved by the Board on October 24, 2017 (File No. 14-1120), and a third and final Amendment was approved by the Board on October 30, 2018 (File No. 18-1583).
Following the acquisition of Decade, Accela became the sole provider of the EnvisionConnect Software (Software). The Software is essential for monitoring public and environmental health. The Software is utilized by Environmental Health Departments throughout the State of California (State). The Software provides the ability to track and maintain data and inspections for consumer food protection, recreational health, solid waste, hazardous waste materials, vector control, land management programs, billing, and permitting. Many of the programs are mandated by the State, with tracking, permitting, and reporting as mandatory requirements. The Software also interfaces with various State databases to comply with mandatory reporting, tracks staff hours, and generates operational data for mandated reporting purposes.
Environmental Management has reviewed and entertained proposals for the potential replacement of the Software, and we have included funding in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget. Numerous Environmental Health Departments are migrating from EnvisionConnect and there are several replacement vendors offering up software solutions. EMD is continuing our evaluation of the replacement systems along with IT and we anticipate a new solution before the expiration of this Contract in 2024. As such, it was determined that an additional one-year contract with Accela was necessary to bridge the gap as we finalize this migration.
A new, one year contract with a term beginning November 1, 2023, and ending October 31, 2024 and a not to exceed amount of $53,077.39 was drafted based upon Accela’s proposal and standard County Contract language and submitted to Accela Decade for partial execution on 10/23/2023. On October 26, 2023 Accela notified the County that their legal team was performing a review of the contract. Minimal changes were requested and negotiated, and the partially executed contract was returned to our Procurement and Contracts team on November 8, 2023.
As this is a software support services Agreement, services began on November 1, 2023, and the Agreement could not be changed to reflect a later start date as the licenses were already in use. Accela is currently offering the services and have partially executed an Agreement with a retroactive term start date of November 1, 2023.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may choose to not approve the proposed Agreement. This would result in the contract ending with Accela along with the termination of all support for services as well as a balance owed for the term used. This would limit Environmental Management from making any enhancements to the services provided to the public.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
See Discussion/Background above.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel has approved the proposed Agreement.
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost associated with this item. Funding for this software is comprised of a small portion of various Environmental Health, Hazardous Materials, Solid Waste, and Liquid Waste fees including, but not limited to, annual and project/event-specific permit fees for operating restaurants and other food facilities, pools, small water systems, construction or modification of septic systems and wells, underground storage tanks, hazardous materials business plans, construction, and demolition debris, and septage hauler fees. This Agreement is budgeted under Environmental Management Administration with its costs spread to the other programs in the same manner as other administrative costs on an annual basis. The Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget includes sufficient funding budgeted specifically for this software.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair’s signature on two (2) original copies of the Agreement.
2) The Clerk of the Board will forward one (1) fully executed original Agreement to the Chief Administrative Office, Procurement and Contracts Division for further processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
CONTACT
Jeffrey Warren, REHS, Director
Environmental Management Department