Agenda - Council - 01/22/2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

CC Regular Session Meeting Date: 01/22/2019 By: Tim Gladhill, Community Development 7. 4. Information Title Adopt Resolution #19-032 Resolution Extending Certain Community Development Professional Services Contracts Purpose/Background: The City's Community Development Department consists of the following areas. • Planning (long-range planning, zoning administration, zoning code enforcement) • Economic Development (business retention and expansion, business subsidy requests) • Inspections (building code, electrical code, property maintenance code) For several years, the City has balanced in-house Staff with contracted Staff to more fluidly react to market conditions. These contracted services are typically not project based, but an extension of City Staff. Employees of these contracted services hold regular office hours and provide direct support to our residents and business owners. City Code Section 2-275 states that the City shall solicit Requests for Proposals (RFP) for services that exceed a City cost of $15,000 every three to five years. Said section goes on to say that the City Council may, at its discretion, formally extend a current standard services contract upon the recommendation of City Staff. Observations/Alternatives: Planning and Zoning (Land Use Planning, Zoning Administration, Code Enforcement) The City currently contracts with WSB Associates for planning, zoning, and code enforcement. WSB generally provides two (2) days of daily planning support plus various special projects. Ramsey's primary project manager bills at approximately $104/hour. As needed, Ramsey does receive backup at peak periods from an entry level planner with a billable rate of approximately $70 to $80. These are competitive rates and WSB has provided an excellent service. Additionally, the City is able to tap into other areas of expertise and service such as environmental planning, economic development, etc. There are other firms with a lower hourly rate; however, Staff would be concerned about quality of work, depth of backup, and additional services provided. Review of Land Use Applications is charged to an escrow established by the Developer/Applicant. The costs of Land Use Applications are the responsibility of the Applicant and are not charged to the City's General Fund. Review of Building Permits is funded through Permit Fees. Administration of Code Enforcement Cases is funded by the General Fund, but is slightly offset by Administrative Citation revenue. The hourly rate for contracted services is higher than hiring a planner directly. However, this arrangement allows the City more flexibility if activity levels drop. Activity levels can swing significantly in a 5-10 year period. Market Indicators are reflecting another strong year in 2019 and continue growth expansion beyond 2019, but a slight slowdown after 2019. At some point, Staff would like to discuss hiring an Assistant Planner for entry level projects such as permit review and code enforcement. However, Staff would like to monitor recent changes to the City's Code Enforcement Program to better understand workload before discussing this further. WSB also provides some economic development policy and marketing assistance on a project by project basis. Planning Alternatives