HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2410-3552 City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Planning and Development Services
Meeting Date: December 9, 2024
Report #:2410-3552
TITLE
Approval of Contract Amendment Number 1 to Contract Number C21179976 with TruePoint
Solutions, LLC in the Amount of $362,312 through December 31, 2026 to Provide Technical
Support of Services Related to the Land Use Management Permitting System (Accela); This
Amendment Results in a Revised Total Contract Not-to-Exceed Amount of $1,263,995. CEQA
Status: Not a Project.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend that the City Council approve and authorize the City Manager or designee to
execute Amendment No. 1 to Contract C21179976 with TruePoint Solutions, LLC (Attachment
A) for technical support of services related to the land use management permitting system. This
amendment results in a revised total contract not-to-exceed amount of $1,263,995 and extends
the term by two years.
BACKGROUND
The City released the original Request for Proposal (RFP) for technology support in 2013, based
on which a contract was established with TruePoint. In February 2013, the City approved a
professional services contract (S13149314) with TruePoint for an amount not to exceed
$85,000. The contract was amended three times to increase funding for various added
projects.1 During this time, Accela mobile applications were launched, Accela Citizen Access was
implemented, online permits were established, and other permit streamlining upgrades were
implemented on Accela.
1 City Council, June 3, 2013; Agenda Item #9; SR #3775,
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports-
cmrs/year-archive/2013/id3775truepoint.pdf; City Council, October 7, 2013; Agenda Item #9; SR #4056,
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports-
cmrs/year-archive/2013/id4056_phaseiii_techenhanceofblueprint.pdf; City Council, October 5, 2015; Agenda Item
#4; SR #6079, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-
manager-reports-cmrs/year-archive/2015/id-6079.pdf
A new contract with TruePoint was established in 2017 which was amended and extended
through 2020.2 During this term, TruePoint provided ongoing maintenance and implemented
fee calculators and electronic document review software, DigEplan, during the Santa Clara
County Shelter in Place order, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which allowed the City to provide
remote online plan review services.
For the existing contract, an RFP was issued for Accela Support Services on August 13, 2020,
and TruePoint's proposal was selected.3 This contract began on January 1, 2021, and is set to
expire on December 31, 2024, with a total contract authority of $901,683.
ANALYSIS
In December 2023, the City’s contract with Accela was extended4 and will end on September
30, 2026. TruePoint has customized and maintained Accela for the City’s needs, improving the
permitting experience for staff and for the public. An RFP for permitting software and support
services is expected to be released in early 2026.
The contract consists of two tasks: (1) ongoing maintenance, and (2) major projects. The
following tasks have been fully or partially completed:
•Accela – GIS integration (Status: Underway, 20% completion)
•Long-Range Planning project module (Status: Complete, 100% completion)
•Modify Impact Fee calculations (Status: Underway, 50% completion)
•Report Buildout for Metrics (Status: Underway, 90% completion)
•Re-evaluate current Mobile Solution implementations (Status: Complete, 100%
completion)
•Evaluate and track metrics (Status: Complete, 100% completion)
The contract amendment will allow TruePoint to provide ongoing maintenance and complete
outstanding projects.
For the two years of this amendment, additional work will be focused on completion of the
major projects listed above and ongoing maintenance of the system, increasing the total
contract authority from $901,682 to $1,263,995. The attached Exhibit C of the contract details
the costs. The amendment reflects an average hourly rate increase of 10%, aligning with market
rates for similar technical services. Specifically:
2 City Council, June 19, 2017, Agenda Item#4, SR# 7888,
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports-
cmrs/year-archive/2017/id-7888-truepoint.pdf
3 City Council, December 14, 2020; Agenda Item #10; SR #11792,
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports-
cmrs/year-archive/2020-2/id-11792.pdf?t=60086.04
4 City Council, October 2, 2023; Agenda Item #7; SR #2307-1759,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/portal/viewer?id=2714&type=0
•Consultant hourly rate: Increased from $143.58 to $157.93.
•Project Manager hourly rate: Added at $173.73.
The City is not bound to fully utilize the contract and use of the contract will be based upon
City need and Council-approved budget.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding for this contract in FY 2025 is within budgeted levels adopted by the City Council, no
additional funding is requested. If sufficient funding is not available in the budgets of the
following years, contract use will be limited to available approved budget. Technology costs are
cost recovered at the Development Center through a 6% technology fee that is assessed on
private construction projects. Planning fees also capture technology costs for the intended
purpose of technology maintenance and enhancements.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
The services were coordinated with internal stakeholders and the service provider.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This contract amendment is not a project pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act
Guidelines Section 15378.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: TruePoint Solutions Contract, C21179976 Amendment #1
APPROVED BY:
Jonathan Lait, Planning and Development Services Director