HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2504-4544CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
11.Approval of Authorize the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute 14 Professional
Services Contracts for GIS On-Call Services, supplemental staffing, and programming
services: C26193271A with Lynx Technologies Inc, C26193271B with Seven Tablets Inc,
C26193271C with iSpatial Techno Solutions Inc, C26193271D with Geodesy, C26193271E
with UDC, C26193271F with NV5 Geospatial Inc, C26193271G with SSP Innovations,
C26193271H with Timmons Group, C26193271I with Infojini Inc, C26193271J with
Sybyte Technologies Inc, C26193271K with 360S2G, C26193271L with Enterprise Maps,
C26193271M with Farallon Geographics, C26193271N with Arini Geographics in an
Amount Not-to-Exceed $2,000,000 for a Term of One Year in Fiscal Year 2026; CEQA
Status – Not a Project. Title Updated, Supplemental Report added
City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: IT Department
Meeting Date: June 17, 2025
Report #:2504-4544
TITLE
Approval of 14 Professional Services Contracts for GIS On-Call Services, supplemental staffing,
and programming services: C26193271A with Lynx Technologies Inc, C26193271B with Seven
Tablets Inc, C26193271C with iSpatial Techno Solutions Inc, C26193271D with Geodesy,
C26193271E with UDC, C26193271F with NV5 Geospatial Inc, C26193271G with SSP
Innovations, C26193271H with Timmons Group, C26193271I with Infojini Inc, C26193271J with
Sybyte Technologies Inc, C26193271K with 360S2G, C26193271L with Enterprise Maps,
C26193271M with Farallon Geographics, C26193271N with Arini Geographics in an Amount
Not-to-Exceed $2,000,000 in Fiscal Year 2026; CEQA Status – Not a Project.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council approve and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute
fourteen separate five-year contracts for time-limited, on-call, as-needed, GIS project support
services for a collective total not-to-exceed amount of $2,000,000 in Fiscal Year 2026 with:
1. Lynx Technologies Inc, Contact Number C26193271A1;
2. Seven Tablets Inc, Contract Number C26193271B2;
3. iSpatial Techno Solutions Inc, Contract Number C26193271C3;
4. Geodesy, Contract Number C26193271D4;
5. Utility Data Contractors, LLC, Contract Number C26193271E5;
6. NV5 Geospatial Inc, Contract Number C26193271F6;
1 Lynx Technologies: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-
call/lynx-technologies-c26193271a.pdf
2 Seven Tablets: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-
call/seven-tablets-c26193271b.pdf
3 iSpatial Techno Solutions: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-
on-call/ispatial-techno-solutions-c26193271c.pdf
4 Geodesy: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/geodesy-
c26193271d.pdf
5 Utility Data Contractors: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-
on-call/udc-c26193271e.pdf
6 NV5 Geospatial: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-
call/nv5-geospatial-c26193271f.pdf
7. SSP Innovations, Contract Number C2619327G7;
8. Timmons Group, Contract Number C26193271H8;
9. Infojini Inc, Contract Number C26193271I9;
10. Sybyte Technologies Inc, Contract Number C26193271J10;
11. 360S2G, Contract Number C26193271K11;
12. Enterprise Maps, Contract Number C26193271L12;
13. Farallon Geographics Contract Number C26193271M13; and
14. Arini Geographics, Contract Number C26193271N14.
Staff will return for City Council approval in Fiscal Year 2027 through Fiscal Year 2030 based on
anticipated needs in the future.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
With the expiration of the City’s previous GIS on-call contracts awarded in 2019, staff issued a
new Request for Proposals (RFP No. 19327115) in early 2025 to identify multiple qualified
vendors who can provide project-based, time-limited professional services on an as-needed
basis. Following a competitive and structured evaluation process, fourteen firms are
recommended for contract award based on qualifications, experience, past performance, and
competitive pricing. These contracts will enable the City to meet evolving GIS project needs
over the next five years.
BACKGROUND
In 2019, the City’s Information Technology Department (ITD) issued RFP (CMR #1041316) and
awarded ten contracts for GIS on-call services. These contracts allowed City departments to
engage qualified firms to support time-limited GIS projects through task orders.
7 SSP Innovations: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-
call/ssp-innovations-c26193271g.pdf
8 Timmons Group: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-
call/timmons-group-c26193271h.pdf
9 Infojini: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/infojini-
c26193271i.pdf
10 Sybyte Technologies: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-
call/sybyte-technologies-c26193271j.pdf
11 360S2G: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/360s2g-
c26193271k.pdf
12 Enterprise Maps: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-
call/enterprise-maps-c26193271l.pdf
13 Farallon Geographics: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-
call/farallon-geographics-c26193271m.pdf
14 Arini Geographics: https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-
call/arini-geographics-c26193271n.pdf
15 January 15, 2025 GIS On-Call Professional Services RFP: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/palo-alto-
ca/projects/140924
16 May 11, 2020 City Council Staff Report: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-
minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports-cmrs/year-archive/2020/id-10413.pdf?t=50115.8
In support of the City's transition to a modern, enterprise-level GIS architecture centered on
ArcGIS Enterprise, staff issued RFP No. 193271 in early 2025 to replace the expiring contracts.
The goal was to establish a new pool of qualified vendors capable of delivering these services
from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030. The on-call structure allows the City to access GIS
expertise as needed, without committing to full-time staffing.
ANALYSIS
•Currently, electric service orders are tracked using manual workflows and
multiple SharePoint sites. ESOS will provide a centralized, GIS-integrated portal
to streamline customer service from planning through construction. This will
reduce delays, improve coordination, and automate a process that is currently
inefficient and fragmented.
•Migrated to Esri’s Utility Network Model (UNM) from outdated CAD-based
mapping.
•Integration with SAP, Accela, Outage Management System (OMS), and
Automated Utility Design (AUD) is still pending—this is a multi-year effort.
•These utilities will require similar migrations and integrations in upcoming years.
•Replacing outdated, custom tools with modern ArcGIS-based systems across all
utilities.
•GIS support needed for smart grid projects: Advanced Metering Infrastructure
(AMI), Distribution Management System (DMS), Fault Location, Isolation, and Service
Restoration (FLISR), Electric Vehicle (EV) load forecasting, and analytics.
•Includes: Water sampling, hydrant maintenance, backflow prevention, and main
replacement tracking.
•Laserfiche: Department-specific integrations starting FY2026.
•Accela: BuildingEye replacement in progress, projected to save $60K/year in
license fees.
8. Public Works Asset Management
•Transitioning from DaveyTree to an ArcGIS-based in-house system, improving
SAP/Accela integration and reducing external license costs.
9. Rapid GIS Infrastructure Growth
•The City’s ArcGIS platform has quadrupled in size in two years due to rising
demand for internal and public-facing apps.
Professional Services may include:
•Upgrading and maintaining the City’s GIS system
•Supporting data migration from older mapping systems to newer platforms
•Building and improving web maps, dashboards, and mobile apps for staff and public use
•Helping departments track and manage assets and infrastructure, such as electric lines,
water pipes, and street trees
•Automating routine GIS workflows to save time and reduce errors
•Connecting GIS with other City systems, for example customer service, utility
management, and permitting tools
•Keeping foundational maps and spatial data up to date, such as parcels, utilities, and
maintenance records
•Technical support to ensure systems/applications are secure, highly available, and
performing efficiently.
•Assisting with real-time mapping and data tools for operations like outage tracking or
field inspections
•Utility GIS Consultants to support migration of Water, Gas, and Wastewater data to
Esri’s Utility Network Model
•System Integration Experts to connect UNM with ancillary systems (SAP, Accela, OMS,
AUD, etc.)
•Electrical Utility Consultants with expertise in Smart Grid technologies and GIS
alignment
•GIS Integration Specialists for linking GIS with AMI, DMS, OMS, and FLISR systems
•Data Scientists/Machine Learning Engineers to develop forecasting and optimization
tools (e.g., load prediction, EV planning) and supporting integration of CAD drawings
into GIS, especially for utilities and public works projects
Vendors were asked to provide hourly rates for roles such as project managers, software
engineers, GIS analysts, database administrators, CAD engineers, and system administrators,
among others.
Table 1: Summary of Request for Proposal
Proposal Description GIS On-Call Professional Services RFP 193271
Date Solicitation was Issued January 15, 2025
Date Solicitation was Closed February 13, 2025
Proposed Length of Project 5 years
Number of Vendors Notified 3361
Number of Proposal Packages Downloaded 104
Total Days to Respond to Proposal 29
Pre-Proposal Meeting No
Pre-Proposal Meeting Date N/A
Number of Proposals Received 25
Proposal Price Range $25 – $325/hour depending on consultant
roles
Public Link to Solicitation https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/pa
lo-alto-ca/projects/140924
Proposals were evaluated by staff from the Information Technology Department based on
criteria outlined in the RFP, including proposal quality, feasibility and effectiveness of the
proposed solution, relevant experience and staff qualifications, financial stability, ability to
meet deadlines, past performance with the City and other agencies, and capacity to provide
ongoing support. This is an on-call contract for as-needed services, and each vendor submitted
hourly rates that vary by level of service and expertise, reflecting their specialization in different
areas of the scope of work. The selected vendors submitted well-structured proposals,
demonstrated proven experience, and showed a strong ability to meet current and future City
needs. Several have successfully worked with the City in the past and received positive
feedback for their responsiveness and service delivery. In addition to technical qualifications,
vendors were selected for their ability to meet operational and compliance requirements and
to support the City’s long-term goals.
On-call services will be assigned on a Task Order basis. A contractor will be selected based on
their resource availability and relevant expertise. Staff will be responsible for evaluating the
adequacy of each task order's proposed scope of work, contractor experience, and billing rates.
To provide checks and balances, department directors or designee will be required to approve
all task orders, reviewing contractor selection and budget adherence. The City Manager or
designee will approve any task order over $100,000. Designated staff will manage the
deliverables and budget of each task order, approving invoices to ensure that the billed hours
match the hours actually worked as well as acceptance of work progress and products.
Before entering into a task order, staff will review whether work demands and specialized skills
not available internally require use of a consultant. Task orders will also require consultants
provide documentation and effective knowledge transfer.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
LINKS TO CONTRACTS
•Lynx Technologies Inc, Contact Number C26193271A17
•Seven Tablets Inc, Contract Number C26193271B18
17 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/lynx-technologies-
c26193271a.pdf
18 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/seven-tablets-
c26193271b.pdf
•iSpatial Techno Solutions Inc, Contract Number C26193271C19
•Geodesy, Contract Number C26193271D20
•Utility Data Contractors, LLC, Contract Number C26193271E21
•NV5 Geospatial Inc, Contract Number C26193271F22
•SSP Innovations, Contract Number C2619327G23
•Timmons Group, Contract Number C26193271H24
•Infojini Inc, Contract Number C26193271I25
•Sybyte Technologies Inc, Contract Number C26193271J26
•360S2G, Contract Number C26193271K27
•Enterprise Maps, Contract Number C26193271L28
•Farallon Geographics Contract Number C26193271M29
•Arini Geographics, Contract Number C26193271N30
APPROVED BY:
Darren Numoto, Chief Information Officer
19 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/ispatial-techno-
solutions-c26193271c.pdf
20 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/geodesy-
c26193271d.pdf
21 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/udc-
c26193271e.pdf
22 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/nv5-geospatial-
c26193271f.pdf
23 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/ssp-innovations-
c26193271g.pdf
24 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/timmons-group-
c26193271h.pdf
25 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/infojini-
c26193271i.pdf
26 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/sybyte-
technologies-c26193271j.pdf
27 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/360s2g-
c26193271k.pdf
28 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/enterprise-maps-
c26193271l.pdf
29 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/farallon-
geographics-c26193271m.pdf
30 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on-call/arini-geographics-
c26193271n.pdf
Item No. 11. Page 1 of 1
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City Council
Supplemental Report
From: Darren Numoto, Chief Information Officer
Meeting Date: June 17, 2025
Item Number: 11
Report #:2506-4864
TITLE
Authorize the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute 14 Professional Services Contracts for GIS
On-Call Services, supplemental staffing, and programming services: C26193271A with Lynx
Technologies Inc, C26193271B with Seven Tablets Inc, C26193271C with iSpatial Techno
Solutions Inc, C26193271D with Geodesy, C26193271E with UDC, C26193271F with NV5
Geospatial Inc, C26193271G with SSP Innovations, C26193271H with Timmons Group,
C26193271I with Infojini Inc, C26193271J with Sybyte Technologies Inc, C26193271K with
360S2G, C26193271L with Enterprise Maps, C26193271M with Farallon Geographics,
C26193271N with Arini Geographics, Each in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $2,000,000 for a Term
of One Year; CEQA Status – Not a Project
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate, approve, and
execute one year contracts with each of the vendors above for on-call GIS services. Each
vendor is not guaranteed any amount of work; the City must approve a task order for specific
projects with binding terms on schedule and price. Each on-call contract will have a maximum
not-to-exceed of $2,000,000, and the total spend on all 14 contracts combined shall not exceed
$2,000,000.
BACKGROUND
The report originally distributed contained incorrect descriptions of multiyear terms and dollar
values recommended. This supplemental report revises the title and recommendation to
clarify the intent of the item.
Upon City Council approval of the revised recommendation, staff will revise the contracts to
reflect a one-year term with four optional years. Staff will return to Council for approval in
Fiscal Year 2027 through Fiscal year 2030 to amend the contracts term based on the anticipated
needs in the future.
APPROVED BY:
Darren Numoto, Chief Information Officer