Title
Report regarding a resolution approving a Fifth Amendment to the South San Francisco Fire Department's Professional Services Contract for Third-Party Plan Review Services with West Coast Code Consultants, Inc. (WC3) to increase the not-to-exceed limit from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000, provide a one-year extension, and align contract expiration dates with the Building Division to facilitate a coordinated procurement process. (Ian Hardage, Fire Marshal)
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution approving an amendment to increase the not-to-exceed limit from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000 and a one-year extension to the South San Francisco Fire Department's Professional Services Contracts for Third-Party Plan Review Services with West Coast Code Consultants, Inc. (WC3), and aligning contract expiration dates with the Building Division to facilitate a coordinated procurement process.
Body
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The Fire Department utilizes qualified third-party consultants to perform building and fire code plan reviews when project volume, specialized technical expertise, or workload demands exceed available in-house staffing resources. These services assist the Department in maintaining timely permit review while ensuring compliance with the California Building Code, California Fire Code, and applicable local regulations. The Fire Department utilizes third-party plan review services on an as-needed basis and coordinates closely with the City's Building Division throughout the permit review process.
The current Fire Department contract with WC3 expires one year prior to the Building Division's corresponding WC3 contract. Staff recommends a one-year extension of the Fire Department contract to align its expiration date with that of the Building Division. Aligning the contract expiration dates will allow the Building Division and Fire Department to conduct a single, coordinated procurement for third-party plan review and inspection services, rather than separate solicitations.
A coordinated procurement will:
• Reduce staff time dedicated to procurement and contract administration.
• Reduce costs associated with conducting separate competitive solicitations.
• Promote consistency in consultant qualifications, contract terms, and performance expectations.
• Improve coordination between the Building Division and Fire Department.
• Maintain uninterrupted third-party plan review services while the procurement process is completed.
The proposed action does not expand the scope of services or increase consultant authority. Rather, it extends the existing contracts for one year to maintain continuity of service while positioning the Building Division and Fire Department to complete a single, more efficient procurement process.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the proposed contract extensions will not increase the authorized budget for third-party plan review services. Consultant services will continue to be utilized only on an as-needed basis within existing budget appropriations and recovered in accordance with the adopted master fee schedule. The recommended action primarily aligns contract terms to improve future procurement efficiency and reduce administrative costs associated with conducting separate consultant solicitations. This increase in contract authority is to account for the expected expenditures with WC3 in the current fiscal year.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES ACTION PLAN
Approval of the proposed contract extension supports the City Council Priorities Action Plan Major Focus Area of Modern and Sustainable Organization by ensuring we have the spending authority to continue supporting growth and development while also planning for a more efficient future procurement for similar services that align with the City's Planning Division.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution approving the Fifth Amendment to the South San Francisco Fire Department's Professional Services Contracts for Third-Party Plan Review Services with West Coast Code Consultants, Inc. (WC3) to increase the not-to-exceed limit from $1,000,000 to $1,500,000, provide a one-year extension, and align contract expiration dates with the Building Division to facilitate a coordinated procurement process.