REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JENNIFER K. CLARK, AICP, Director
Planning and Development Department
BY: CHARLES CLARK, Building Services Manager
Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to as needed plan checking and inspection services:
1. Approve a consultant services agreement with Interwest Consulting Group, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $100,000; and
2. Approve a consultant services agreement with CSG Consultants, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $100,000.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Building and Safety Services Division (Division) of the Planning and Development Department has seen a continued increase of building permit applications and inspections as well as intermittent staff attrition. In order to efficiently process the increasing number of applications within acceptable timeframes, the Division has utilized the assistance of professional plan checking agencies. Staff executed a new solicitation for consultants to ensure the City of Fresno (City) is being provided the best value, while increasing the capacity of the Division, to include Certified Access Specialist (CASp) review and inspection. The City is required to employ or retain a sufficient number of CASps, with at least one-half of the CASps employed or retained being building inspectors. Currently the City does not meet this requirement. Staff recommend approving consultant agreements with both Interwest Consulting Group (Interwest) and CSG Consultants (CSG) in the amount not to exceed $100,000 each to provide these services.
BACKGROUND
The Planning and Development Department has successfully utilized the assistance of on-call plan checking consultants to support the Division’s workforce in times of high employee attrition or high application volumes.
The Building Division of the Planning and Development Department historically issues on average 30-40 permits daily. Depending on the project, these permits may require construction plans to be reviewed by one or multiple development disciplines by the Division’s various Plans Examiners and Engineers. Depending on the project type, these disciplines can include solar, structural, building, grading, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, Title 24 compliance review, and CASp review. All plans are reviewed per the California Building Code standards that are renewed and adopted every three years and typically receive two inspections for compliance throughout the construction phase.
These permits result in over 300 daily inspections for the division. The expectation is that inspections can be completed within one business day of request and will be completed on the day scheduled. With the increasing volume of permits and inspections, the implementation of that expectation is challenging. Seasonal variations limit the Department’s ability to predict daily activity levels. On-call services to pick up the overages based on staffing will improve customer service and responsiveness.
Additionally, Cal. Civ. Code § 55.53 (d)(2) states that “commencing January 1, 2014, a local agency shall employ or retain a sufficient number of building inspectors who are certified access specialists (CASps) to conduct permitting and plan check services to review for compliance with state construction-related accessibility standards by a place of public accommodation with respect to new construction, including, but not limited to, projects relating to tenant improvements that may impact access. If a local agency employs or retains two or more certified access specialists (CASps) to comply with this subdivision, at least one-half of the certified access specialists shall be building inspectors who are certified access specialists.” A CASp is a professional who has passed an examination and has been certified by the State of California to have specialized knowledge of state and federal construction-related accessibility standards.
Currently the City does not meet this requirement. The City employs three (3) CASps: one is a Building Inspector (Associate Environmental/Safety Consultant I), one is an Architect, and one is an ADA Coordinator. The City is including CASp Services in this contract to fulfill the obligation to retain a sufficient number of CASps to meet the needs of the jurisdiction until such time that a sufficient number of CASps are employed.
Under California Government Code Section 4467, Disability Access & Education, the City must collect an additional $1 with each business tax certificate application or renewal; 30% of the funds are collected by the Division of the State Architect and 70% of the funds are retained by City. AB1379 increased the amount from $1 to $4 on and after January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2023. The amount of the fee will revert back to $1 on and after January 1, 2024. January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2023, the City will retain 90% of the fees collected. The amount retained reverts back to 70% on and after January 1, 2024.
These funds can only be used for:
• Increasing Certified Access Specialist (CASp) training and certification within the local jurisdiction
• Activities or programs to facilitate compliance with construction-related accessibility requirements
• Related administrative services (maximum 5% of retained monies)
In accordance with the regulatory requirements, the highest priority shall be given to the training and retention of CASps to meet the needs of the public in the jurisdiction.
Therefore, in order to ensure the Division is maintaining with the increasing demand on the workforce and to accommodate for additional capacity for building inspections and CASp review, staff released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit for new consultants on September 29, 2021. In total, ten responses were received and reviewed by an evaluation committee. Of the ten responses, five were local firms and of those, two firms-Interwest and CSG-were found to be the best value for the City and are recommended for contract award.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, the approval of the agreements is not a “project” as defined by CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was implemented, CSG and Interwest meet the requirements of Fresno Municipal Code Section 4-109(b).
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds are currently appropriated in the FY2022 department budget.
Attachments:
Exhibit A: Consultant Services Agreement with CSG
Exhibit B: Consultant Services Agreement with Interwest