TITLE
Recommendation to adopt Specifications No. RFQ DV17-038 and award contracts to Bureau Veritas North America, Inc., of Costa Mesa, CA; California Code Check, of Westlake Village, CA; CSG Consultants, Inc., of Orange, CA; Interwest Consulting Group, of Huntington Beach, CA; Jason Addison Smith Consulting Services, Inc., dba JAS Pacific, of Upland, CA; J. Lee Engineering, Inc., of Alhambra, CA; Owen Group, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA; and The Code Group, Inc., dba VCA Code, of Orange, CA, for as-needed plan review and inspection services, in an annual aggregate amount not to exceed $725,000, for a period of two years, with the option to renew for two additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to enter into contracts with multiple consulting firms to provide as-needed plan review and inspection services. The demand for plan review and inspection services has increased steadily since 2012, and the Department of Development Services’ (Department) Building and Safety Bureau (Building Bureau) has added new budgeted personnel each year to accommodate the increased volume of projects. However, the hiring process has been lengthy and the Building Bureau has lost the services of an estimated 10 full-time positions, nearly 15 percent of its inspectors and plan checkers. Coupled with workforce shortages for medical leave or temporary duty assignments, the Building Bureau has experienced delays in meeting a standard 24-hour response time for inspections and has had to supplement staff shortages with temporary workers to maintain the service levels expected by the Department’s customers.
To address this deficiency, the Department conducted a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process on December 27, 2016. The RFQ was advertised in the Long Beach Press-Telegram on December 29, 2016, and 7,752 firms specializing in professional, scientific, architectural, and technical services, civil engineering and construction were notified of the RFQ opportunity. Of those firms, 69 downloaded the RFQ via the City’s electronic bid system. The RFQ document was made available from the Purchasing Division, located on the seventh floor of City Hall, and the Division’s website at www.longbeach.gov/purchasing <http://www.longbeach.gov/purchasing>. An RFQ announcement was also included in the Purchasing Division’s weekly update of Open Bid Opportunities, which is sent to 22 local, minority and women-owned business groups. Seventeen Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) were received on January 25, 2017. Of those respondents, none were Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MBEs), one was a Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE), six were certified Small Business Enterprises (SBEs), and none were Long Beach businesses (Local).
The selection committee evaluated the 17 SOQs submitted, and determined that the following eight firms were the most qualified to provide plan check and inspection services:
1. Bureau Veritas North America, Inc., of Costa Mesa, CA (not a MBE, WBE, SBE or Local)
2. California Code Check, of Westlake Village, CA (SBE)
3. CSG Consultants, Inc., of Orange, CA (SBE)
4. Interwest Consulting Group, of Huntington Beach, CA (not a MBE, WBE, SBE or Local)
5. Jason Addison Smith Consulting Services, Inc., dba JAS Pacific, of Upland, CA (not a MBE, WBE, SBE or Local)
6. J. Lee Engineering, Inc., of Alhambra, CA (SBE)
7. Owen Group, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA (SBE)
8. The Code Group, Inc., dba VCA Code, of Orange, CA (not a MBE, WBE, SBE or Local)
Local Business Outreach
In an effort to align with the City’s outreach goal, Long Beach businesses are encouraged to submit SOQs for City contracts. The Purchasing Division also assists businesses with registering on the PlanetBids database to download the RFQ specifications. Through outreach, 773 Long Beach vendors were notified to submit SOQs, of which 11 downloaded and none submitted SOQs. The Purchasing Division is committed to continuing to perform outreach to local vendors to expand the bidder pool.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Linda T. Vu on June 1, 2017 and by Budget Management Officer Rhutu Ahmin Gharib on June 13, 2017.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action to adopt Specifications No. RFQ DV17-038 and award contracts concurrently is requested on July 11, 2017, to ensure customers at the Development Services counter continue to receive plan check and inspection services in a timely manner.
FISCAL IMPACT
The aggregate authority of $725,000 is an annual not-to-exceed cost for a two-year period. The annual aggregate authority is based on anticipated needs to address workplace shortages, and is budgeted in the Development Services Fund (EF 337) in the Development Services Department (DV). The number of additional local jobs associated with this recommendation is unknown until as-needed services occur.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
AMY J. BODEK, AICP
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
JOHN GROSS
DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER