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Planning and Building Department, Planning Services Division, Current Planning Unit, recommending the Board approve the following agreements for on-call land use planning services:
1) Make findings that it is more feasible and economical to engage outside consultants to assist the County with current planning and land use entitlement services on an as needed basis in accordance with Section 3.13.030 - Procedure of Chapter 3.13 (Contracting out) of Title 3 (Revenue and Finance), in the County Code of Ordinances;
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Agreement 3801 with Michael Baker International in an amount not to exceed $650,000 for a term of three years; and
3) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Agreement 3802 with Dudek in an amount not to exceed $150,000 for a term of three years.
FUNDING: General Fund, reimbursed by Developer Funds.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Planning and Building Department is facing the challenge of various new duties assignments, policies, ordinances, and regulations, resulting in an increased workload. In addition, the Department has acquired the Vacation Home Rental (VHR) function from the Treasurer Tax Collector. This includes all land use, permitting and enforcement activities (except first response handled by El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office in the field). Although the Department is working to hire staff to fill positions recently added to the Department’s personnel allocation to handle this workload, there is currently a lack of available Planning staff to handle the backlog of permit center and current planning projects, including the newly-assigned West Slope VHR workload.
The Procurement and Contracts Division completed a Request for Qualifications for Consulting Services for Community Development Services in February 2017. Michael Baker International and Dudek were ranked first and second on the list of firms qualified to provide services for land use planning.
Planning Services is proposing to contract with Michael Baker International and Dudek to provide supplemental staff and assistance with current planning activities, including environmental review, community outreach, meeting facilitation, application processing and other land use entitlement services as new development proposals are processed by the County. The not-to-exceed amount for the agreement with Michael Baker International is proposed at $650,000 because the County was recently approached with a complex development project that will require both contract Environmental and Planning services. The estimated cost associated with these services is $500,000. The Applicant intends to submit their application for processing in the next month.
The Department recommends the Board make findings in accordance with 3.13.030 of the County Code of Ordinances that it is more economical and feasible to engage an independent contractor for on-call planning services due to a lack of availability of qualified County employees to perform the work, and in order to satisfy necessary timeframes and schedules. Although the hourly rates proposed by the consultants are considerably higher than the costs for staff time, the anticipated number of hours of work needed does not warrant the addition of regular staff. Additionally, these costs would be borne fully by project applicants. At the present time, the department has limited necessary technical skill sets and resources to perform the needed services for various projects, in particular the larger, more complex development applications. Some of this work requires very specialized skill sets that are currently limited in-house, and it is not economically viable to expand and maintain those skill sets with full-time departmental staff. In addition, the on-call agreements will allow staff to continue to operate efficiently during intermittent peak workloads that result from fluctuations in the market and economy.
These proposed Agreements will allow staff to focus on on-going current planning duties that will enhance customer service, including proving more timely responses to customers, streamlining procedures, and accepting applications for VHRs and planning review.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could decline to approve the two contracts that would provide additional planning services; however; this would affect the Department’s ability to improve operational efficiencies, and could cause delays to other applications currently being processed and future projects as they arise.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Procurement and Contracts, County Counsel, Risk Management
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
General Fund funding for these Agreements is included in the adopted Fiscal Year 2018-19 Budget, and will be included in Planning and Building Department’s budget requests for future fiscal years. However, all expenditures will be reimbursed by Developer Funding.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk of the Board to obtain the Chair’s signature on two (2) originals for Agreement No. 3801 with Michael Baker International;
2) The Clerk of the Board to obtain the Chair’s signature on two (2) originals for Agreement No. 3802 with Dudek; and
3) The Clerk of the Board to return one (1) fully executed Original of each Agreement to the Chief Administrative Office, Procurement and Contracts Division for further processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Good Governance and Economic Development
CONTACT
Tiffany Schmid, Director
Planning and Building Department