HomeMy WebLinkAboutC38750A-C Plan Review Inspection Services - IncreaseContract. Nos. C3875OA-C
STAFF REPORT
CITY OF PALM DESERT
DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND SAFETY
MEETING DATE: October 15, 2020
PREPARED BY: Russell A. Grance, Director of Building and Safety
REQUEST: Authorization to increase Plan Review 1 Inspection Service
Contracts.
Recommendation
By Minute Motion, authorize an additional expenditure of $150,000 total for
professional service agreements to Scott Fazekas & Associates (Contract No.
C38750A), Willdan Engineering (Contract No. C38750B), and Interwest
Consulting Group, (Contract No. C38750C) for building plan review/inspection
services for the fiscal year 2020/2021. The new cumulative total for these
services will be $300,000. Funds are available in the FY 2020/2021 budget.
Strategic Plan
Economic Development Prioritv No. 4: Expand and raise awareness of business -friendly
services in order to retain and attract businesses.
Providing business -friendly services, by maintaining timely commercial development
inspections, is an ongoing operations function. Timely commercial and residential
construction inspections help improve the economy and make Palm Desert a safer, more
attractive place to live.
Background Analysis
On June 11, 2020, City Council approved an extension of the professional service
agreements with Scott Fazekas & Associates, Willdan Engineering, and the Interwest
Consulting Group for building plan review services for FY 2020/2021 in an amount not to
exceed $150,000. The original $150,000 is for "Plan Review" services only and not
supplemental "Inspection Services". The proposed request increases the authorization
made by City Council on June 11, 2020, by $150,000 far a total authorization of $300,000
for professional architectural and engineering services. This request is needed to
continue contracting for plan review, building inspection, and certain permitting functions
through the remainder of the calendar year. Salary savings will cover the requested
action.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City did not fill several vacant positions within
the Building & Safety Department. Earlier in the year, two building inspectors left the
organization and another was promoted to the facilities supervisor position within the
Public Works Department, creating three vacant building inspector positions. In addition,
October 15, 2020 - Staff Report
Plan Review/Inspection Contract Services
Page 2 of 3
a management specialist retired effective October 1, 2020. The Building & Safety
Department has been utilizing contract inspection services to temporarily fill the two
vacant inspector positions and a contract permit technician to backfill for the retiring
management specialist.
Table 1 identifies the balance of the approved contracts as of mid -September. Table 2
projects the cost to continue to contract for inspection services. The balance of the
approved contracts in Table 1 is less than the projected costs identified in Table 2.
Table 1: Assessment of Current Contracts
Authorization by Contract
Scott Fazekas & Associates $75,000.00
YTD Expenditure (16,750.82)
Balance Under Scott Fazekas
& Associates $58,249.18
Willdan Engineering
$75,000.00
YTD Expenditure
f45,602,50)
Balance Under Willdan
$29,397.50
Total Remaining on the
A roved Contracts
$87,646.68
Table 2: Projected Cost to Maintain Three (3) Contract Positions through
12131 /2020
Position
HRS Cost
Total Cost
Building Inspector
681 $95.00
$64,695.00
Building Inspector
632 $95.00
$60,040.00
Permit Technician
592 $65.00
$38,480.00
Total Estimate
$TG3,215,00
While the COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts at a local, state, and national
level, building permit and inspection activity has remained fairly constant. From July 1,
2020, through September 22, 2020, the City received 816 building permits and conducted
3,035 inspections (2-FTE performed 1477, 2-Contract performed 1558) as compared to
894 building permits and 3,239 inspections (5-FTE) over the same period the prior year.
This fiscal year to date the department has performed 1,010 plans reviews and have only
sent 70 projects to the consultants for structural review.
The sustained workload supports the continuation of the contract services through the
end of the calendar year while the City conducts recruitment for one of the vacant building
inspector positions. It is expected that the City will continue to contract for one building
inspector through the end of the fiscal year.
October 15, 2020 - Staff Report
Plan Review/Inspection Contract Services
Page 3 of 3
Fiscal Analysis
There are monies available within the department's budget, including the salary savings
from several positions that are currently vacant, to cover this request.
LEGAL REVIEW
DEPT. REVIEW
FINANCIAL
REVIEW
Robert W. Hargreaves Russell A. Grance Janet M. Moore
City Attorney Director of Building and Director of Finance
Safetv
Interim City Manager ,Ra,,t4 69wdm
ASSISTANT
CITY MANAGER
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Andy Firestine
Assistant City Manager