TO:
Honorable Mayor Powell and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
David N. Carmany, City Manager
FROM:
Richard Thompson, Community Development Director
Sal Kaddorah, Building Official
Gwen Eng, General Services Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Award of a Five-Year Contract for Building Plan Check, Building Inspection, and Fire Plan Check Services to Melad and Associates, Inc. (Estimated Annual Value of $268,000).
APPROVE
Body
________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to award a five-year contract to Melad and Associates for building plan check and inspection services, and fire plan check services with an estimated annual value of $268,000.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Sufficient funds are included in the budget for plan review and inspection services in the Community Development's and Fire Department's budgets. The contract provides that the City would pay the consultant 45% of the plan check fee based on the City of Manhattan Beach Resolution of Fees schedule. Therefore, the revenue received from the plan check fees cover the costs of these services as well as all indirect costs associated with these services.
DISCUSSION:
The City provides plan review and inspection services and oversees the administration and enforcement of various building codes regulating construction, use, and occupancy of all building and structures within the City. To ensure conformance with City standards, specifications and safety standards, the City reviews plans and specifications for proposed construction for conformance with code requirements.
Historically, the City has contracted for professional services to meet fluctuating demands during heavy construction periods and workloads. This arrangement helps the City provide consistent development services to contractors in a timely manner.
In Fiscal Year 2011-2012 the Principal Plan Check Engineer position was eliminated and those responsibilities were added to the Building Official's duties. The loss of this key position, combined with a projected increase in construction activity, necessitates the requirement for outside professional Plan Check and Inspection expertise. This allows the City to maintain a plan check turnaround time of 6 weeks, continue to offer accelerated plan check services, and maintain next business day inspection services. All of these customer service requirements are necessary to ensure that building activities continue at a steady rate for the City's clients. Not having the ability to provide this level of service may cause undue financial strain, delays and circumvention of building and safety codes for contractors, residents and businesses. The fees for outside services are cost recovery, as they are entirely funded by plan check and permit fees.
The contractor is required to provide building plan checking, inspection and fire protection plan check services. Of the 1,278 plan checks submitted last fiscal year, 90% are performed in-house and the outside plan check contractor reviews approximately 10%.
The City issued Request for Proposal #877-13 and eight responses were received. These vendors were evaluated upon the following criteria: cost, experience, turnaround time, ability to meet locally with design professionals, contractors and homeowners, other engagements, ability to provide inspection staff on short notice, desktop pickup and delivery, accelerated plan check services and references. The comparison in Attachment "1" shows the valuation of services.
Of the responses, one vendor, Melad and Associates, was ranked highest based on the evaluation factors of necessary experienced staffing, reasonable costs, meets turnaround times, ability to meet locally with applicants, offers free desktop pick up and delivery, able to provide inspection staff on 24 hour or less notice, and able to accommodate accelerated plan check services. The City has enjoyed a very successful professional working relationship with Melad and Associates for over 15 years.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to award a five-year contract to Melad and Associates for building plan check and inspection services, and fire plan check services with an estimated annual value of $268,000. The City may cancel the contract at any time without cause upon a 30 day notice.
Attachment:
1. Plan Check and Inspection Services Comparison
2. Agreement with Melad & Associates, Inc.