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ITEM: |
CONSENT
CALENDAR |
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23. |
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF EXPENDITURE FOR FUNCTIONALITY IMPROVEMENTS TO
THE ACCELA WATER DEMAND DIVISION DATABASE THROUGH ETECH CONSULTING, LLC (A
CONTRACTOR OF ACCELA) |
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Meeting
Date: |
June 20, 2022 |
Budgeted: |
Yes |
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David J. Stoldt, |
Program/ |
Accela
Upgrade |
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General Manager |
Line
Item No. |
XX-02-916000xx |
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Prepared
By: |
Stephanie
Kister |
Cost Estimate: |
$51,000 |
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Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on June 13, 2022, and recommended approval. |
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CEQA Compliance: This action does not constitute a project
as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section
15378. |
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SUMMARY: This item was approved by the Board on May 16, 2022. Unfortunately, the adopted recommendation included the wrong contractor name. The Board needs to re-approve the item with the correct contractor information.
A comprehensive new Water Demand Division database was launched in 2018. Staff identified several minor adjustments needed after the program was used for some time. This request is for $51,000 for additional work to revise and enhance the WDD database functionality. Changes required include expanding and launching the online portal so that the public may view documents, pay fees, and submit all types of applications. Additional reports will be created as well as new features to save staff time. Corrections to the allocation tracking, Second Bathroom Protocol tracking, and Mixed-Use tracking functionality will be attempted. Finally, an adjustment is needed related to the voiding of financial transactions.
The attached Statement of Work from ETech Consulting, LLC, (a contractor of Accela) included an estimate for an interface design document to connect with Monterey County’s Accela system. However, staff clarified that this amount was only for the development of a Scope of Work, not the actual intertie aspect. Eventually, staff would like to coordinate and cost-share with the County on an update that would allow seamless updates on permit status and construction plans between the two agencies, saving time for both staff and the public. This will need to be considered separately as a future budget item and the $8,000 has been removed from the proposal. However, in the interim, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) identified a need for an enhancement to the financial end of the program that is estimated to cost $5,000. The remaining $5,000 is for contingency.
RECOMMENDATION: The Administrative Committee recommends
that the Board authorize the
General Manager or the CFO to enter into an agreement with ETech Consulting,
LLC for the work identified in Exhibit 23-A and
by the CFO with an approved expenditure of up to $51,000. The District’s FY 2022-2023 Budget
includes $51,000 carried over from the FY 2021-22 budget for this project.
BACKGROUND: The District’s Water Demand Division (WDD) is responsible for processing water permits, conducting inspections, managing conservation and rebate programs, and other water use regulatory functions affecting residential and non-residential properties within the District boundaries. In 2017, the Board adopted a strategic goal to “Develop Long Term Information Technology Plan – Replace Water Demand Database.” The expectation for the new database was to have a single-entry comprehensive database system that would eliminate duplication of effort and increase the effectiveness and responsiveness of the WDD. The new system would also eventually allow property records to be available to the public via internet.
In 2017, the Board approved a contract with Accela/Etech Consulting to purchase, customize, and implement the use of their software database for the WDD. The specifications for the Accela program included tracking of various permits and inventories of water fixtures, water use capacity credits and debits, financial accounting for revenue and accounts receivables, and maintaining and tracking allocations for the various jurisdictions. Many of these specifications required customizations to the original software to make it functional. As work to customize the program to the District’s specifications went on, it was determined that Accela needed additional funding to make some of the modifications, while others were not technically possible with the software. The database was launched in 2018.
U:\staff\Boardpacket\2022\20220620\Consent
Calendar\23\Item-23.docx