REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approval of Budget Modification No. 17 to Provide Funding for Temporary Planning Staff and Authority to Modify Contracts (F15-17)
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Council approval is requested for Budget Modification No. 17 to provide $300,000 over the next two years for temporary planning staff due to increased workloads and vacancies. Approval is also requested to delegate authority to the City Manager to modify contracts awarded in conjunction with this request, as more fully explained below.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
N/A.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Development activity in Sunnyvale has been trending up for the past four years and is expected to continue at a high level for the next several years. This reflects the strength of the Silicon Valley economy and Sunnyvale's desirability as a place for business and residential growth. This growth is represented by both new development as well as investments to modernize existing older buildings. Additional resources are needed in the Planning Division in order to keep pace with the increased number, scope and complexity of permit applications. The current situation has been complicated by key staffing vacancies that staff is actively trying to recruit for in an already competitive market.
Staff has identified a number of firms who can provide on-call temporary planning service over the next two years. In order to ensure the best level of availability to meet workload demands, four on-call contracts would likely be issued under the City Manager's award authority, each one estimated at $70,000. If viable temporary staff could not be selected through the consulting firms for whatever reason, the contracts would be adjusted downward in order to hire qualified temporary employees directly through the City's Department of Human Resources. Additional administrative support would be required as well, estimated at $20,000, which could be separately procured through a temporary staf...
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