Within its adopted 2017/18 budget, the City Council approved a Decision Package in the amount of $82,500 to provide for electronic permitting software to provide new efficiencies regarding development permit processing and records. The proposed Agreement with Accela serves to implement this Decision Package.
In this fast paced world where people have become accustomed to getting their information and services almost immediately, they have come to expect this same access from their government agencies. Trying to keep up with these technology demands is a challenge for Government agencies. We in government are constantly faced with new improved software and products that are better than the previously released version; however, we must have some stability of operations in place and need to be strategic and fiscal prudent when deciding to change. Local jurisdictions are also challenged with State mandates for streamlined processes, and a fast paced economy forces us to look at how we are providing services. As the expectations for delivering services has changed, so has the method. The traditional government model of purchasing on premise software or developing custom software to provide a service, although can still be effective, it is no longer the only option. New technological advancements offer local governments the opportunity to provide services which can be more efficiently done, by moving toward software’s that is hosted offsite.
A hosted solution (also known as cloud based computing) offers local agencies the opportunity to leverage the power of the internet to allow access to systems from anywhere you have an internet connection. The hosted software solutions reside outside the local agency and are managed by an external vendor or service provider. The service provider runs and maintains the hardware and updates the applications as technology moves forward. This allows the City to always be on the cutting edge of technology. This hosted solution offers cost savings to customers, by reducing commute time, processing time, and improving communication. The hosted solution decreases internal IT demands and can help reduce City overhead in the future. These are some of the reasons Community Development is recommending to move to a hosted Civic platform permitting system.
In 2015, staff established an in-house working group to evaluate the software available to Government agencies. The working group included all departments affected (Community Development, Fire, Public Works and IT). The group researched a variety of systems available including; Accela, Citizenserve, Hdl Prime, Trakit, and CSI. The different vendors provided different approaches and features to permitting solutions and all systems out there were not found to be on equal footing, varying in approach, etc., and a table outlining some of the system features is provided below. After conducting our research, interviews and presentations with potential vendors, and critically, speaking with other government agencies using the products, the vendor selected to pursue was Accela.
| Vendor |
Hosted
Cloud or City |
Finance module |
Civic module
(engineering, fire, building, planning) |
Citizen Portal |
Mobile applications |
Jurisdiction recommended |
Total
Points awarded |
| Accela |
Cloud |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
6 |
| Citizenserve |
Cloud |
Yes |
Partial |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
5 |
| Hdl Prime |
City |
No |
Partial |
Custom |
Custom |
No |
2 |
| Trakit (superion) |
Cloud |
Yes |
Yes |
Custom |
Yes |
No |
3 |
| CSI |
Cloud |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
4 |
On behalf of three Departments (Fire-Prevention, Public Works-Engineering, Com Dev-Building/Planning), the staff working group is recommending a hosted web-based electronic permitting system that incorporates Brea’s GIS mapping, multi-disciplinary electronic permitting, inspection, financial account tracking, central project documentation, and web portals for our customers. Accela will provide one electronic permitting system that can be used by multiple departments to share information and track project status. The Accela hosted Civic Platform solution is a web-based system that will help streamline the permit process, encourage collaboration, provide checks and balances and help with information transparency. The system will process records electronically and provide a single location for ease of use and a central record retention location. The Accela system will enhance processing and response times for permit processing and internally enhance customer service. Why select Accela? Currently, our Engineering and Planning divisions do not have a permitting software program to track projects, run reports, estimate future work or track efficiencies. This hosted electronic permitting system will enhance the departments’ ability to provide complete records to the public and offer a real time status check both internal and external. The ability to work on line is essential for the future of Government and the hosted solution will keep our City at the cutting edge of technology.
The working group presented the permitting system to the Brea Strategic Planning on Technology “SPOT” committee and proposed a decision package in 2016 for the 2017/18 budget year. The committee approved the system upgrade and the City Council 2017/18 Budget allocated estimated funds to transition and implement this new permitting solution.
Staff propose contracting directly with Accela as they are the sole distributor of their software for the past 15 years. Currently Accela is being used by the cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Yorba Linda, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Sacramento, and San Diego to name a few jurisdictions. The company is well known and respected in the industry and serve over 2,200 local and state government agencies across the USA. They are committed to their product and constantly advance the technology with current demands from their clients. Accela will be installing the latest version Accela 9.1 a hosted land management system that incorporates all the new tricks; Geo mapping, field apps, custom work flows and standard reports, the most secure ssl/tsl protocol insuring information is encrypted and authenticated and will also allow citizen access through web portal. By moving to a hosted land management system, the City of Brea will always be up to date with the latest and greatest technologies. As larger jurisdictions demand enhancements of Accela, improvements will continue and all of the subscribers will benefit from the advancements. |
The City Council approved a Decision Package and funding for this proposed software system in its adopted 2017/18 Budget. Additionally, it has long been a practice in Brea to have the end user pay for the services provided and this approach is proposed regarding the on-going funding for this system. Staff will be bring forward a new "technology fee" as part of our comprehensive update of development related fees for City Council consideration later this year. The proposed technology fee would be a nominal charge upon a development permit and collected at permit issuance to offset the annual service cost of the hosted system.
Brea staff anticipate 22 users on the new permit system for all departments. Accela have agreed to offer Brea a subscription unit price of $199.00 per user/month (which is a cost savings as compared to Accela's basic rate of $219 per user/month and even its CSA government pricing rate of $213.00 per user/month). Therefore, the Accela contract is valued at $52,560.00 for the first year with a 5% escalator per year thereafter. The Fee Study that proposes the new technology fee is subject to Council approval and may range from 0.05-0.1% of total permit valuation for a proposed fee. If the City, conservatively, averages $70M annually for construction valuation, the fee could result in $35,000 - $70,000 revenue, respectively.
In addition to the subscription cost of $52,560, the system will require a one-time third party implementation installation process. Proposals from third-party vendors have been reviewed and are the subject of a PSA action, together with funding appropriation request addressed within a separate staff report. |