REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement with Accela, Inc. to Purchase Additional Licenses for Land Management Software and Increase the Maximum Compensation by $235,872.25 for a Maximum Contract Compensation of $2,875,172.25 and Approve the Related Budget Amendment
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance High-Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
On August 21, 2018, the City Council authorized staff to execute an agreement with Accela, Inc. (Accela) to purchase a land management software system called Civic Platform. Land management software provides a centralized platform for planning, permitting, licensing, and related activities.
City staff use Civic Platform to support a variety of service areas:
• Building, Planning, and Housing & Community Services Divisions for online permit submittal and payment services, plan review, inspection scheduling, affordable housing tracking, fee collection, and reporting.
• Fire Department for online permit submittal and payment services, plan review, operational permit inspections, and internal reporting tools.
• Land and Property Development Division of Public Works for processing and tracking site clearances, subdivision maps, title documents, and encroachment permits.
• Street Division-Stormwater Division of Public Works for code enforcement, inspections, fee collection, and reports.
• Water and Sewer Utilities Department for plan review and fee collection.
• Silicon Valley Power for plan review, fee collection, and meter release processes.
• Police Department for online submittal of abandoned vehicle abatement reporting by staff and members of the public, and the ability for personnel to make computer-aided dispatch audio requests.
The Accela Civic Platform permitting system went live in August 2021, and the City has experienced numerous benefits from its use. The integrated system allows for citywide collaboration, improving business processes and customer service by streamlining plan review, approval, and information sharing. Technological enhancements, such as a public permitting online portal, mobility through apps, and 24/7 availability from anywhere, have also been implemented.
DISCUSSION
Amendment No. 2 increases the number of named user licenses to address increased usage and adds new public safety shift-based licenses. The shift-based licenses have a lower cost per license and are intended to account for the unique hours/shifts of the public safety work.
Named User Licenses for Land Development
The agreement with Accela requires the City to purchase a named user license for each user. A named user license provides unlimited access to the licensed software for the individual user. When the City originally purchased the software in 2018, the Community Development Department (CDD) estimated a need for 140 named user licenses for City staff. Following the launch of the Civic Platform in the fall of 2021, the City required additional licenses for the platform since the use of the system had increased beyond what was originally anticipated. This widespread adoption by multiple City departments drove the need for additional named user licenses. In December 2021, the City Council approved Amendment No. 1 to increase the number of licenses from 140 to 240. This citywide expansion improved efficiency in plan reviews and inter-departmental coordination of permit applications. Additionally, the expanded use provided greater transparency in the plan review process, contributing to a higher level of customer service.
Adoption of the Accela Civic Platform continues to increase as departments identify new use cases to automate City services and improve efficiencies. Additionally, the City is filling vacancies, and these positions will need licenses.
The proposed Amendment No. 2 increases the number of named user licenses by 41, bringing the total number of licenses to 281 from the current 240 licenses per Amendment No. 1. As outlined in Table 1, 260 of the licenses would be attributed to specific departments while the remaining 21 would be available as a contingency to address future needs.
Table 1: Named User Licenses
|
Department |
Existing Named User Licenses |
Proposed Named User Licenses |
Total Named User Licenses |
Justification |
|
CDD |
89 |
+21 |
110 |
Hiring new staff and consultants involved in the development review process and inspections. |
|
City Manager’s Office |
1 |
0 |
1 |
N/A |
|
Finance |
7 |
+2 |
9 |
New staff support to promote cross-training and coverage. |
|
Fire |
34 |
-10 |
24 |
Named users are being transitioned to the shift-based license type. (Refer to the “Shift-Based Licenses for Public Safety” section for more information.) |
|
Parks & Recreation |
3 |
0 |
3 |
N/A |
|
Police |
3 |
0 |
3 |
N/A |
|
Public Works |
35 |
+10 |
45 |
Support staff to process, review, and approve encroachment permits which helps streamline services for our customers for proposed construction work in the public right of way. |
|
Silicon Valley Power |
31 |
+10 |
41 |
Support new and existing staff to process, review, and approve building permit and encroachment permits related to new customers for electric service and encroachment applications for any conflicts with electric infrastructure. |
|
Water & Sewer |
10 |
+1 |
11 |
The new license is needed by the new Water Conservation Specialist to begin reviewing Land Development projects for compliance with the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). |
|
System Administration |
13 |
0 |
13 |
N/A |
|
Sub-Total |
226 |
34 |
260 |
|
|
Contingency |
14 |
7 |
21 |
Contingency ensures flexibility to accommodate unforeseen City needs and growth. The City does not pay for any licenses that are not being utilized. |
|
Not-to-Exceed |
240 |
41 |
281 |
|
Staff actively manages the assignment of named user licenses citywide. When there are changes to staffing, licenses are re-assigned to new users.
Shift-Based Licenses for Public Safety
The Fire Department’s Code Enforcement module, designed for use by the Community Risk Reduction and Field Operations Divisions, is included in the original Accela contract. Accela will modernize the Divisions’ inspection operations by replacing fragmented databases with a unified platform already employed by the Community Risk Reduction Division for development-related operations. This transition will significantly enhance the integration and communication with both internal teams and external customers.
To fully implement this integration, the Fire Department is requesting 59 new shift-based licenses for the Field Operations Division and Fire and Police Communications. These licenses are tailored to meet the specific needs of the departments’ emergency response personnel, accommodating their varied work schedules and shared computer usage. With these licenses, the Field Operations personnel will be equipped to conduct inspections and manage critical code enforcement notifications across departments. Fire and Police Communication personnel will use the licenses to access essential emergency response information required by emergency responders during time-sensitive operations.
Table 2 Shift-Based Licenses
|
Department |
Existing Shift-Based Licenses |
Proposed Additional Shift-Based Licenses |
Total Shift-Based Licenses |
Justification |
|
Fire |
0 |
+54 |
54 |
To conduct fire inspections at businesses in the City. |
|
Police |
0 |
+5 |
5 |
For the Dispatch Center to obtain emergency contact information for businesses in the City (e.g., emergency contact information of property owner). |
|
Total |
0 |
59 |
59 |
|
|
Not-to-exceed |
0 |
59 |
59 |
|
Agreement Term
The current agreement will expire on November 30, 2025. Staff expects to bring forth an amendment or new agreement to extend the term at a later point in time. This allows staff more time to negotiate with Accela while enabling business operations to grow.
The approval of Amendment No. 2 will increase staff productivity and enhance customer service for the City’s permitting and fire occupancy process. By allowing expanded use of the Accela Civic Platform system, staff can better coordinate City activities, enhance internal and external communication, and provide more transparency into the process.
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(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fee for the additional named user licenses is consistent with the pricing outlined in the agreement at $2,073 per user/per year in the sixth year, with set increases each year over the remaining term of the contract. The shift-based license fee is $1,240 per device/per year in the sixth year of the agreement, with set increases each year over the remaining term of the contract. Through November 2025, the purchase of additional licenses will increase the maximum, not-to-exceed compensation by $235,872.25 for a revised maximum compensation amount of $2,875,172.25 as outlined in Attachment 2 (License Not-To-Exceed Breakdown By Agreement and Year). The FY 2024/25 budget for Accela licenses is $570,889 and is included in the Non-Departmental budget in the General Fund, which is subject to the approval of the FY 2024/25 operating budget. With the proposed increase recommended in Amendment No. 2, an additional $76,045 is required for FY 2024/25. The ongoing costs of the increased licensing will be factored into the budget development process.
The Technology Fee Reserve, which is sourced from a technology fee applied to various development and operational permit applications, funds Accela licenses. The following amendment is recommended to allocate available technology fee funds to cover the cost increase.
Budget Amendment
FY 2024/25
|
|
Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
|
General Fund |
|
|
|
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
Non-Departmental |
$26,733,386 |
$76,045 |
$26,809,431 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Technology Fee Reserve |
$2,581,145 |
($76,045) |
$2,505,100 |
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Fire Department, Information Technology Department, City Attorney’s Office, and the Finance Department.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement with Accela, Inc. to purchase additional licenses for Land Management Software and increase the maximum compensation by $235,872.25 for a maximum contract compensation of $2,875,172.25 in a final form approved by the City Attorney; and
2. Approve the FY 2024/25 budget amendment in the General Fund to increase the Non-Departmental appropriation in the amount of $76,045 and decrease the Technology Fee Reserve in the amount of $76,045 (five affirmative Council votes required for the use of unused balances).
Staff
Reviewed by:
Reena Brilliot, Acting Director of Community Development
Ruben Torres, Fire Chief
Gaurav Garg, Director of Information Technology / Chief Information Officer
Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Amendment No. 2 to Agreement with Accela, Inc. (2024)
2. License Not-To-Exceed Breakdown By Agreement and Year
3. Original Agreement with Accela, Inc. (2018)
4. Amendment No. 1 to Agreement with Accela, Inc. (2021)