Attachment_to_RFP_Overview_and_intent_.pdf

I. Overview and Intent The City of West Sacramento (“City”) hereby solicits proposals for professional services to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the City’s Community Development Department; including, but not limited to, the following:

Development Process

1. Evaluating the City’s current development process to document current best practices that result in process efficiencies and transparency and identify inefficiencies and inconsistencies and detect their root causes.

2. Assessing staffing levels and classifications to ensure that the development review process is adequately supported by appropriately skilled personnel. This includes an analysis of current staffing levels, job classifications, and workload distribution to identify any gaps or areas for improvement.

3. Outlining specific, actionable recommendations to address and overcome the identified issues.

4. Establishing clear, transparent, and effective metrics on which the performance of the development review process can be evaluated.

Staffing and Organizational Needs

5. In addition to a focus on the development process, reviewing current operational processes and procedures through a comprehensive organizational assessment.

6. Customer Information and Interaction

The City aims to address inefficiencies in its development process to create a faster, more efficient process review and to establish clear timelines for processing. The City also aims to maintain and enhance its charm and diversity by ensuring that development projects within West Sacramento have an enduring quality and better align with the expectations of policy makers and aspirations of the community. The City seeks a consultant with the expertise and experience to make recommendations to satisfy all of these needs.

The following section describes the suggested minimum components that the City would like to be included in the scope of work; however, the goal of this RFP is to allow the consultant to use their expertise and creativity in presenting their proposal. The consultant is encouraged to include additional components not listed in this RFP; any additional scope shall be separate from the main proposal and included as an appendix.

The City expects that the successful firm will help identify organizational changes related to policy, process, and organizational effectiveness. The City’s intent is for the firm to make recommendations that will improve the development review process, and ultimately will improve the community of West Sacramento as a whole.

City staff will finalize the scope with the successful firm prior to contract authorization, and suggestions that extend beyond or less than those that are outlined in this request for proposals are welcomed and encouraged.

Attachment A City of West Sacramento

Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment RFP

Services shall be performed to the satisfaction of the City of West Sacramento designated representatives. Failure to perform the services in accordance with this proposal and to the satisfaction of the City designated representatives shall be grounds for cancellation by the City of West Sacramento.

The City of West Sacramento anticipates that the selected consultant will clearly identify and designate a lead individual as the project manager for the development services review comprehensive evaluation for the City.

A copy of the City of West Sacramento’s “Standard Professional Services Agreement,” Attachment “A” is included herein, as it will be the document executed into a final contract between the City and the provider of the services.

II. Background

The City is pursuing this comprehensive evaluation as part of a larger effort to identify and address the issues that discourage investment and increase skepticism in City staff and the development review process. Addressing inadequacies or inefficiencies in the City’s development process may also allow staff to be more productive and provide a better customer service experience.

Current Organizational Structure:

Development services are generally led by the Community Development Department (CDD). CDD is comprised of six divisions: Planning, Building, Transportation and Mobility, Development Engineering, Environmental Services and Sustainability and Code Enforcement. Engineering inspectors are currently located in the Capital Projects Department and are utilized for inspection of both public and private projects. There are currently 38 FTEs in the Community Development Department, with the Building Division experiencing some long-term vacancies in the plans examiner and building inspector positions.

The Department performs its functions through both in-house employees and through various professional service contracts, such as; environmental document preparation, technical reports, surveying services and currently most building permit plan checking and inspection services.

Related efforts the City has undertaken:

1. Central Permit Center:

The City centralized its various permitting functions into a “one-stop shop” in City Hall’s Central Permit Center. The intent of a single location of City permitting and business license activity improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the permitting process to attract investment opportunities and develop a business-friendly culture. Along one counter, an applicant can access the following development or permitting services: Business Licenses, New Construction, Remodel, zoning and General Plan information, Processing of Permit and Map Applications, inspection requests, Code Enforcement requests, Signs, and Utility Permits. Altogether the following five departments/divisions are represented: Planning/Business Licensing, Building, Development Engineering, Transportation and Mobility, Environmental Services and Sustainability, and Code Enforcement.

As part of the Central Permit Center’s purview, the City, led by the Building Division, has also made an effort to improve service by increasing the use of technology. The Building Division webpage offers a user-friendly interface that allows customers to purchase online basic permits, schedule inspections, view inspection schedule, fee estimator and permit tracking. Enhancing these offerings, especially interactive and responsive tools, is viewed as an area of opportunity.

In addition, the Building Division and Development Engineering Division coordinate with other entities involved in the development review process, including, Washington Unified School District, West https://www.cityofwestsacramento.org/government/departments/community-development/building-division

Attachment A City of West Sacramento

Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment RFP

Sacramento Fire Department, Sacramento County Regional Sanitation District (“Sac Regional” – wastewater treatment), Reclamation District 900 (RD900), West Sacramento Public Works Operations and Maintenance and the Yolo County Environmental Health Department.

2. Software & Technological Tools:

Accela: The City uses Accela for permitting, managing inspections, regulating land use, and tracking projects. It has been an important tool to facilitate interdepartmental coordination and review but could be better utilized and integrated.

3. Geographic Information System (GIS) Functionality & Capabilities:

The City has an accurate and up-to-date zoning map (either in electronic or hard copy formats) and a comprehensive, single repository of shape files. However, the City does not have extensive permitting or entitlement information in the form of GIS layers; including information important to reviewing a permit or entitlement application, such as parcel-specific permit records, conditions of approval, utility easements or special districts. GIS functionality is not currently housed within CDD.

4. Digital file management and retention:

The Building Division has recently mandated that all permit applications be submitted electronically through Accela Citizen Access (ACA). In addition, some of the building permit archive materials have been imaged and are available through Accela, although there remains a large volume of archived materials that haven’t yet been transferred to Accela.

5. Development and Permit Process Enhancements:

Persons can apply for and renew business licenses online through the Accela Citizen Access portal;

however, the interface is challenging for many as evidenced by the numerous “tech support” calls received during peak renewal periods.

All Planning applications (use permits, maps, etc.) are submitted electronically.

6. Open Counter deployment:

The City is in the final stages of developing “Permit Pal”, the name given to the OpenCounter web-based platform designed to streamline the process of obtaining permits and understanding zoning regulations for both residential and business purposes. It features three primary portals:

a. Zoning Portal: Assists users in determining the zoning requirements and restrictions for a specific property or area. Users can enter an address or select a location on a map to see relevant zoning information.

b. Residential Permitting Portal: Simplifies the process for residents to obtain necessary permits for home improvements, construction, and other residential activities.

c. Business Permitting Portal: Assists entrepreneurs and business owners in obtaining the necessary permits to start and operate their businesses.

7. Fee Structure The Finance Department has commenced the process of updating the City’s Book of Fees, starting with an update of all fees associated with the Community Development Department. The updated is currently being conducted by an outside consultant and is nearing the final stages of completion.

Some of the City’s impact fees have been recently updated, and others such as the Traffic Impact Fee (TIF), have not been updated for many years. The Finance Department has started the process of scoping the work to include in a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a nexus study and update of the

TIF.

II. Background