REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BRYON HORN, Chief Information Officer
Information Services Department
BY: ED SMITH, Information Services Manager
Information Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Consultant Services Agreement with Byrne Software Technologies, Inc. (Byrne) in an amount not to exceed $70,000 for Cannabis Module Implementation Services.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council authorize the City Manager to enter a Consultant Services Agreement between the City of Fresno (City) and Byrne in an amount not to exceed $70,000 to configure, implement, and deploy the Cannabis Module (Module).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Manager desires to change processing and approval of permits for cannabis-related business from an existing provider to the Module. This will provide significant benefits to the City and to applicants doing business with the City, including:
• Create efficiencies thus reducing time spent processing applications.
• Process Cannabis applications in the same land management system used by Planning, Building, Fire, and Code Enforcement, allowing streamlining of workflows, easing clerical effort, centralizing applicant communication with the City to one centralized web site, and making it easier for departments to work together.
• Centralize records and reports into a system with greater internal oversight and IT support.
BACKGROUND
Under the direction of the City Manager, the Office of Cannabis Oversight is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the City’s cannabis laws and regulations.
On November 8, 2016, California voters passed Proposition 64, the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana (“AUMA”) Act. This law legalizes nonmedical, recreational marijuana, subject to the regulation of local government jurisdictions in the State of California.
On December 13, 2018, Fresno City Council adopted the Cannabis Retail Business and Commercial Cannabis Business Ordinance, which sets out the permitting framework and regulatory requirements for Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis businesses to operate within the City for commercial activities such as cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution. This ordinance was amended on January 30th, 2020, on June 25th, 2020, and may be further refined by the City Council.
The Office of Cannabis Oversight currently uses OpenGov and wishes to switch to the Module to integrate better with the land management system used by Planning, Building, Fire, and Code Enforcement to better streamline and unify common and shared workflows. The first renewals of our Cannabis-related permits are coming up in May of 2023, and the Office of Cannabis Oversight would like to start using the Module at that time.
In addition, the Office of Cannabis Oversight would like the additional flexibility and greater functionality available in the Module that is not currently available in OpenGov.
On October 21, 2022, the City issued an RFQ to solicit qualifications from consultants to implement the Module. Four responses were received; Byrne Software, Etech, IK Consulting and TruePoint Solutions. Byrne was selected based on their proposal, their familiarity with Module, cannabis regulations, and their familiarity with the City of Fresno Accela Civic Platform environment. Byrne software created the payment adapter we use in Accela to collect payments using Heartland Payment Systems. They also created the interface that creates the financial files that we import from Accela into Tyler Munis. After committee evaluation, Bryne Software was selected as the best fit for implementation of the Module.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The approval of this Agreement is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because no local firms responded to the RFQ.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for this contract exists in the City Manager’s Office FY 23 Budget
Attachment:
Consultant Services Agreement
Fresno CA Accela Cannabis Implementation Services SOW - Exhibit A
Proposal Costs - Exhibit A
Committee Evaluation