Title
Report regarding resolutions approving agreements with Speridian Technologies LLC. for the implementation of the Clariti community development permitting software and with Clariti Cloud Inc. for a five-year subscription and support contract, totaling $1,808,017 (including a 15% contingency), authorizing the City Manager to execute the agreements and approving Budget Amendment Number 25-045 (Tony Barrera, Director of Information Technology)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommend the City Council approve agreements with Speridian Technologies and Clariti Cloud Inc. for the implementation and modernization of the permitting system. This will streamline the permitting process and provide easier navigation for the end users.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The City’s Community Development Permitting System has been in place for over twenty years, supporting multiple departments, including the Building, Planning, Engineering Divisions, Fire Department, and Code Enforcement. The permitting system is used to process permits for residents, businesses, and contractors. Additionally, the Finance Department uses the system for managing business licenses. While the system has provided stability for many years, it recently began experiencing issues and lacks modern features that could improve efficiency. Some of the key challenges are
• Aging Technology: The current system is over 20 years old. The permitting portal is very limited, making it difficult for the public to apply for permits.
• Support Limitations: It is increasingly difficult to acquire support for database issues.
• Software Instability: Persistent issues with the software hinder operational effectiveness.
As a result, the City partnered with Plante Moran, an experienced Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) consultant, to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment. The consultant facilitated in-depth interviews and workshops with staff across various departments to identify existing workflows, challenges, and requirements for Financials, Payroll, Human Resource and Community Development. This process allowed for the development of a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) to attract qualified vendors who offer solutions that align with the City’s operational and long-term goals. While the objective is to implement a complete solution encompassing Finance, Payroll, Human Resources, and Community Development, staff prioritized finding the best solution for permitting business processes.
The RFP combined requirements for all components and was posted on the City’s OpenGov procurement site. It was downloaded by eighty-two companies and eight companies submitted proposals, but only three submitted proposals related to the Community Development software.
A Community Development selection committee was formed made up of representatives from the Fire Department, Building Division, Code Enforcement, Engineering Division, and Finance Department.
The vendor selection process consisted of three rounds, using the following criteria:
Round 1: The IT Director reviews proposals to ensure they meet all the required criteria.
Round 2: Proposal are reviewed by the Selection Committee, to invite vendors back for demonstrations.
Round 3: Selection Committee scores the proposals based on demonstrations and reference checks.
After careful review of each proposal the selection committee decided to bring back two vendors for software demonstrations, Tyler Technologies and Clariti Cloud Inc. After several demonstrations the selection committee recommended Clariti Cloud Inc. as the preferred vendor, with Speridian Technologies as the implementation partner.
Below are the selection committee scores and the cost differences between all three vendors:
|
Vendor |
DBO |
CE Manager |
Fire Marshal |
Principal Engineer |
Financial Services Manager |
|
Speridian/Clariti |
78.5 |
97 |
90 |
89 |
77 |
|
Tyler/Energov |
71.5 |
86 |
80 |
69 |
70 |
DBO= Deputy Building Official
CE=Code Enforcement
Cost Proposals
|
Vendor |
Software |
Costs |
Notes |
|
Denovo Ventures LLC |
Accela |
$773,300 |
Up to $830,000 |
|
Speridian Technologies |
Clariti |
$685,164 |
|
|
Tyler Technologies |
Energov |
$653,366 |
|
Clariti Software is a cloud-based community development permitting solution built on the Salesforce platform, offering modern backend technology and a highly configurable design that can integrate the City’s workflows. Speridian Technologies is one of Clariti Cloud Inc.’s top implementation partners and will collaborate with City staff and the Clariti Cloud Inc.’s team to migrate the City’s business processes to the new platform.
Speridian Technologies’ scope of work includes configuring and deploying the Clariti Software to align with the City’s specific requirements. The implementation will cover key areas such as Permitting, Planning and Zoning, Code Enforcement, an Online Application Portal, Contractor Licensing, Address Management, Cashiering and Fee Management, Electronic Plan Review Integration, Inspections, Meeting Board Hearings, Integrations/Interfaces, Data Conversion, Training, and, optionally, Business Licensing.
After negotiations the City opted-in to include additional support from Clariti Cloud Inc. called Guardian support. Guardian Support will assign an Engagement Manager along with a systems architect, who will work closely with Speridian Technologies and the City’s project manager to ensure overall success of the implementation. Additionally, the City is requiring Speridian Technologies to be onsite for several phases of the project, bringing the total first year cost to $781,028.
The implementation timeline is expected to take 15 months from the start date.
Project Costs:
The total five-year cost for software subscription, implementation services and ongoing support with 15% contingency is $1,808,017 and is broken down below:
|
Vendor |
FY25 |
FY26 |
FY27 |
FY28 |
FY29 |
Total |
|
Speridian Technologies |
$625,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clariti Licenses |
$156,028 |
$163,829 |
$172,021 |
$180,622 |
$189,653 |
|
|
Clariti ongoing Support |
|
$47,263 |
$49,626 |
$52,107 |
$54,713 |
|
|
Subtotal |
$781,028 |
$211,092 |
$221,647 |
$232,729 |
$244,366 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
15% Contingency |
$117,154 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Totals |
$898,182 |
$211,092 |
$221,647 |
$232,729 |
$244,366 |
$1,808,017 |
FISCAL IMPACT
The implementation costs and ongoing expenses in subsequent years will be covered by the Permitting Technology Fee Account (Account No. 270-27445), which is funded by a 2% fee on all permits and business licenses. Currently, there is $1.1 million in the Permitting Technology Fee Account. The City has received approximately $200,000 per year from the Permitting Technology Fees and does not expect to draw on the General Fund. If additional funding is required, the Information Technology Department will request it during the normal annual budget process.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
The project aligns with the Quality-of-Life section of the strategic plan to improve the permitting process for residents, contractors and businesses.
CONCLUSION
The City’s permitting system has been in place for over twenty years and recently is experiencing many issues. Staff recommend Council approve the agreements to allow the City to migrate to Clariti Software, a modern cloud-based solution, to improve efficiency in the permitting process. This new modernized software will make the permitting process more efficient and easier for both staff and the public to use.
Attachments: Presentation