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Home My WebLink AboutStaff Report 2511-5458CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting Monday, June 01, 2026 Council Chambers & Hybrid 5:30 PM Agenda Item 12.Approval of Amendment No. 1 to 14 Professional Services Contracts for GIS On-Call 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, to increase the Not-to-Exceed Compensation by $2,000,000 and Extend the Term for One Year; CEQA Status – Not a Project. City Council Staff Report From: City Manager Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR Lead Department: IT Department Meeting Date: June 1, 2026 Report #:2511-5458 TITLE Approval of Amendment No. 1 to 14 Professional Services Contracts for GIS On-Call 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, to increase the Not-to-Exceed Compensation by $2,000,000 and Extend the Term for One Year; CEQA Status – Not a Project. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute Amendment No. 1 to 14 GIS on-call professional services contracts with each of the vendors listed above, to increase the not-to-exceed compensation by $2,000,000 annually and extend the term for one year. This amendment results in a revised total contract Not-to-Exceed amount of $4,000,000. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager or their designee to approve Year 2 for 14 existing on-call professional services contracts for GIS support, supplemental staffing, and programming services. The total spending across all 14 contracts combined will not exceed $2,000,000 per year. No vendor is guaranteed work; services will be used only as needed and issued through task orders with defined scope, schedule, and price. These on-call contracts provide specialized GIS expertise to support the City’s ongoing transition to an enterprise ArcGIS platform and several multi-year initiatives, including utility network migrations (electric, water, gas, wastewater), electric grid modernization, public works asset management, and key integrations with systems such as SAP, Accela, Laserfiche, and outage management tools. This work enables more reliable operations, better data for decision-making, and improved public-facing and internal applications without adding permanent staff. BACKGROUND 1. Year 1 is nearing completion, and the City continues to require GIS on-call support. Staff is now requesting approval for Year 2, from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, and an additional $2,000,000 for a new not-to-exceed amount of $4,000,000. Table 1. FY26 GIS On-Call Projects by Funding Source (see further details below table) Funding Source / Department Amount Task Orders Electric Service Order System Electric Utility – Utility Network Model (UNM) Migration & Integration Modernizing Legacy Utility Applications Electric Grid Modernization Support New Utility GIS Tools in Development Citywide IT operations and technology improvements Upgrades and maintenance of City’s GIS platform Automation of routine GIS workflows across Utilities, Planning, Public Works, and other City departments to improve efficiency and reduce errors Integration of GIS with enterprise systems such as ERP, Permitting System, customer service, utility management, and permitting tools Replacement of a cloud-based civic technology platform ArcGIS Integrations 1 June 17, 2025 City Council Staff Report: https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=17567 Table 1. FY26 GIS On-Call Projects by Funding Source (see further details below table) Funding Source / Department Amount Task Orders Transition to an in-house ArcGIS-based tree maintenance system To support the City’s transition to a modern, enterprise-level GIS architecture centered on ArcGIS Enterprise, the Information Technology Department (ITD) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in early 20253. The intent was to establish a pool of qualified vendors capable of providing GIS on-call services from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030. Each on-call contract is based on hourly rates that vary by role and expertise, reflecting vendor specialization across the scope of work. The on-call structure allows departments to access GIS expertise as needed, without adding full-time staff positions, while maintaining flexibility as project priorities evolve. ANALYSIS These on-call contracts are recommended to continue in Year 2 because multiple complex, multi-year GIS initiatives are already underway or scheduled to begin in FY27. The contracts provide the staffing flexibility and specialized expertise needed to keep these projects on schedule and support technology and utility modernization goals. Major GIS initiatives expected to be supported by these on-call contracts in FY 2027: 1. Electric Service Order System (ESOS – New Project) o Replace manual workflows and multiple SharePoint sites with a centralized, GIS- integrated portal to manage electric service orders from planning through construction. o ESOS is expected to reduce delays, improve coordination, and automate currently fragmented processes. 2. Electric Utility – Utility Network Model (UNM) Migration & Integration o Migration from legacy CAD-based mapping to Esri’s Utility Network Model has begun. o Remaining work includes multi-year integrations with ERP, Permitting System, the Outage Management System (OMS), and Automated Utility Design (AUD). 3.Future UNM Migrations – Water, Gas, and Wastewater: Similar migrations and integrations are planned for water, gas, and wastewater utilities, mirroring the electric utility roadmap. 4.Modernizing Legacy Utility Applications: Replace outdated, custom tools with modern ArcGIS-based systems across utilities to improve maintainability, integration, and functionality. 3 2025 RFP: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/palo-alto-ca/projects/140924 5.Electric Grid Modernization Support: Provide GIS support for smart grid initiatives such as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Distribution Management System (DMS), FLISR (Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration), EV load forecasting, and related analytics. New Utility GIS Tools in Development: Continue development of tools for water sampling, hydrant maintenance, backflow prevention, and main replacement tracking. ArcGIS Integrations: Documentation Management System: Department-specific integrations began in FY 2026. Replacement of a cloud-based civic technology platform that manages zoning, construction and planning information, projected to save approximately $60,000 per year in license costs. Public Works Asset Management: Transition from a commercial tree maintenance system to an in-house ArcGIS-based system, improving integration with SAP and Accela and reducing external licensing costs. Rapid GIS Infrastructure Growth: The City’s ArcGIS platform has quadrupled in size in two years due to increased demand for internal and public-facing applications, requiring scalable support, performance tuning, and ongoing maintenance. Upgrades and maintenance of the City’s GIS platform, data migration from legacy systems to modern GIS platforms Development and enhancement of web maps, dashboards, and mobile apps for staff and public use Support for asset and infrastructure management (e.g., electric lines, water pipes, street trees) Automation of routine GIS workflows to improve efficiency and reduce errors Integration of GIS with enterprise systems such as ERP, Permitting System, customer service, utility management, and permitting tools Maintenance of foundational spatial datasets (e.g., parcels, utilities, maintenance records) Technical support to ensure systems are secure, highly available, and high-performing Real-time mapping and data solutions for operations such as outage tracking and field inspections Utility GIS consultants to support Water, Gas, and Wastewater UNM migrations and system integration experts to connect UNM with SAP, Accela, OMS, AUD, and other systems Electric utility consultants with smart grid and GIS alignment expertise GIS integration specialists for AMI, DMS, OMS, and FLISR Data scientists and machine learning engineers to develop forecasting and optimization tools (e.g., load prediction, EV planning) Specialists to integrate CAD drawings into GIS for utilities and public works projects Services under these on-call contracts will be assigned via task orders. Before issuing a task order, staff will assess whether work can be performed internally or requires specialized consultant support. Task orders will include documentation and knowledge transfer requirements to ensure the City retains institutional knowledge. Contractors will be selected based on availability, relevant expertise, and alignment with project requirements. Staff will evaluate each task order’s scope, contractor qualifications, and billing rates to ensure appropriateness and cost-effectiveness. Department directors or their designees will approve all task orders, including contractor selection and budget adherence. City Manager or designee will approve any task order over $100,000. Project managers will oversee deliverables and budgets and will approve invoices only after confirming that billed hours match work performed and that deliverables meet City standards. These on-call contracts use the City’s standard professional services template, which allows the City to: Terminate for convenience with written notice, terminate due to non-appropriation of funds, temporarily suspend work by written notice, and elect not to issue additional task orders. FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT Funding for these on-call contracts in FY 2027 ($450,000) is within proposed budgeted levels within the Information Technology Fund. The Not-to-exceed amount is higher than the budgeted amount to allow for other departments to be able to utilize these on-call contracts with their contract services or capital budgets. Funding for subsequent years of the contract will be subject to approval through the annual budget development process. ITD is funded by an internal service fund. Approximately 49% of the department is General Fund funded with the remaining 51% funded by enterprise and special revenue funds. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ITD collaborated with other departments to identify GIS needs, prioritize projects, and confirm that the proposed on-call contracts and Year 2 extension will support key operational, regulatory, and modernization objectives. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The approval of this contract is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines section 15061(c)(3) because it can be seen that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. ATTACHMENTS Lynx Technologies Inc, Contact Number C26193271A5 Seven Tablets Inc, Contract Number C26193271B6 iSpatial Techno Solutions Inc, Contract Number C26193271C7 Geodesy, Contract Number C26193271D8 Utility Data Contractors, LLC, Contract Number C26193271E9 NV5 Geospatial Inc, Contract Number C26193271F10 SSP Innovations, Contract Number C2619327G11 Timmons Group, Contract Number C26193271H12 Infojini Inc, Contract Number C26193271I13 Sybyte Technologies Inc, Contract Number C26193271J14 360S2G, Contract Number C26193271K Enterprise Maps, Contract Number C26193271L Farallon Geographics Contract Number C26193271M Arini Geographics, Contract Number C26193271N APPROVED BY: 5 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on- call/2026/c26193271a.pdf 6 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on- call/2026/c26193271b.pdf 7 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on- call/2026/c26193271c.pdf 8 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on- call/2026/c26193271d.pdf 9 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on- call/2026/c26193271e.pdf 10 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on- call/2026/c26193271f.pdf 11 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on- call/2026/c26193271g.pdf 12 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on- call/2026/c26193271h.pdf 13 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on- call/2026/c26193271i.pdf 14 https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/it-department/cmr-attachments/gis-on- call/2026/c26193271j.pdf