25A - AGMT - PLAN CHECK SRVS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Plan Check Service Agreements July 15, 2014 Page 2 In the accelerated plan check process, the applicant submits the plans to the City along with a request for accelerated plan check. The applicant then pays the regular plan check fee, as well as an accelerated fee, which is based on the City's estimated number of hours required to check the plans. The plans are then sent to the consultant with a guaranteed turnaround time of 15- working days. This process benefits the applicant by providing an option to expedite plan check for large, complicated and /or urgent projects. Sustained growth from the building industry combined with current turnaround times for regular (non - accelerated) plan check exceeding seven weeks has resulted in an increasing number of projects requesting accelerated plan check. This increase has resulted in the current contracts with Scott Fazekas and Associates, Inc. and Century Structural Engineering Inc. being nearly expended and must be renewed in order to continue to provide accelerated plan check services. The Building Safety Division released a Request for Proposals on May 14, 2014 and received proposals from five firms. Based on a review of the qualifications, experience of personnel, demonstrated ability to meet the specified turnaround times, and price, staff is recommending that the City enter into agreements with all five structural plan check consultants. Two of the firms, Scott Fazekas & Associates and Century Structural Engineering Co. Inc. have contracted with the City for expedited plan check services in the past and were able to continually meet the City's requirements for availability of qualified engineering staff, turnaround time, locale, and fees. CSG Consultants, Inc., Melad and Associates and J Lee Engineering Inc., are also well -known in the structural engineering field and have experience working with municipalities for on -call plan check services. All of the recommended firms offer both full and structural -only plan check services at a competitive rate of 40 percent of the plan check fee calculated by the City and will process any required plan revisions and deferred submittals on a tiered rate system ranging from $85 to $100 per hour depending on the complexity level of the revision and plan check personnel assigned to the review. Accelerated plan check fees are paid entirely by the applicant. The increased number of available firms to whom the city may send accelerated plan checks will provide greater flexibility for the Building Safety Division to both ensure that plans are reviewed within the specified time frames, as well as route projects to firms that may specialize in a specific building type or construction method. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT Approval of this item supports the City's effort to meet Goal No. 3 Economic Development, Objective No. 3 (promote a solutions -based customer focus in all efforts to facilitate development and investment in the community). 25A -2