REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Authorization to Amend an Existing Temporary Personnel Services Agreement to Provide Professional Code Enforcement Services for Neighborhood Preservation (F16-86)
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Approval is requested for a Fourth Amendment to an existing temporary personnel services agreement with CSG Consultants, Inc. to provide professional code enforcement services for Neighborhood Preservation (NP). This amendment will increase the not-to-exceed value of the agreement by $48,000, from $100,000 to $148,000, and extend the agreement term through August 2016.
EXISTING POLICY
Pursuant to Chapter 2.08 of the municipal code, contracts greater than $100,000 require Council approval.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is a fiscal activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Since February 2015, CSG Consultants has been providing temporary code enforcement services to the Neighborhood Preservation Unit of the Department of Public Safety (DPS). CSG Consultants offers staffing resources to public agencies in the fields of building, engineering, construction management, community development, sustainability program support, and information technology services. The code enforcement personnel employed by CSG are highly qualified technical professionals who meet or exceed the requirements of the NP Specialist position. The duties of the code enforcement personnel will include conducting complaint-based and proactive property inspections; interpreting, documenting, and enforcing municipal code requirements; and conducting progressive enforcement, including issuing administrative citations. Continued staffing of the NP Specialist position by CSG personnel will help ensure that code enforcement complaints are responded to in a timely manner and that cases are effectively resolved.
Staff initially awarded a short-term contract in the amount of $50,000, but the contract was amended several times to its current level of $100,000. DPS has been utilizing CSG’s services to backfill for vacancies in the department. In January 2016, DPS learned that the 2015 summer recruitment for an NP Specialist was unsuccessful as none of the qualified candidates on the hiring list was able to pass the background check. In addition to applicants failing the extensive public safety background check, recruitment efforts are further hampered by a general lack of qualified applicants in this field and extensive competition for these employees from other agencies. Staff will be working to explore recruitment options that lead to successfully filling existing vacancies.
DPS is now working with Human Resources on a new recruitment, which is expected to commence in spring 2016 with hiring anticipated by the end of the year. As a result additional resources are being requested to be added to the CSG contract. Staff is requesting six months of additional funding for the contract to allow time for a competitive procurement to be conducted for these services to ensure the City is receiving the best possible price and service.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for temporary code enforcement staffing is available in program 473, Community Safety Services.
Funding Source
Community Safety services are funded by the General Fund.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Authorize a Fourth Amendment to an existing temporary personnel services agreement with CSG Consultants Inc., in substantially the same form as Attachment 1, increasing the not-to-exceed value from $100,000 to $148,000 in order to provide professional code enforcement services.
Staff
Prepared by: Pete Gonda, Purchasing Officer
Reviewed by: Timothy J. Kirby, Acting Director, Finance
Reviewed by: Frank Grgurina, Chief, Public Safety
Reviewed by: Walter C. Rossmann, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENT
1. Fourth Amendment to Temporary Personnel Services Agreement