The proposed agreements with Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. and TRB+ Associates would provide for supplemental plan review, inspection and other permit related professional services for the Building Inspection Division. These agreements are expected to provide the support needed to review the large complex construction projects and provide inspectors on an as-needed basis to help county staff during periods of high construction activity and/or limited in-house expertise or staffing.
The Building Inspection Division regularly uses consultant services on an as-needed basis to assist staff with complex plan reviews and inspections of new buildings during periods of high construction activity and/or limited staffing resources. Consultant support for plan review and/or inspection services enhances staff's ability to reduce plan check turn-around time and manage the inspection workload as demand fluctuates. Consultant services also help maintain high customer service levels, without incurring the expenses associated with hiring permanent staff. As part of the competitive selection process, the Building Inspection Division issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from outside companies that provide plan review, inspection, and other permit-related services.
Six proposals were received by the County during the process, as follows:
Bureau Veritas North America, Inc.
TRB+ Associates
4Leaf Inc.
Willdan
West Coast Code Consultants, Inc.
NAV 5
The proposals were reviewed and evaluated by a panel of building professionals based on a list of criteria to determine each company's ability to meet specific needs of Building Inspection Division in four areas, plan review, inspection, code enforcement and counter and permit issuance services. These criteria were : A) Contractor minimum qualification requirements met, B), Quality and completeness of submitted proposal, C) Qualifications and experience, D) Demonstrated Competencies/Past performance E) Delivery schedule, and F) Reasonableness of costs, as determined from the County’s evaluation criteria process.
The following table provides a brief evaluation summary comparing the results of those firms that submitted a bid:
| Consultant |
Criteria Evaluation Total Points |
Average Percentage Ranking |
| TRB+ Associates |
461 |
92 |
| Bureau Veritas |
454 |
90 |
| 4Leaf Inc. |
327 |
65 |
| NAV 5 |
394 |
78. |
| Wildan |
339 |
68 |
| West Coast Code Consultants Inc. |
395 |
79 |
| |
|
|
1 Contractor Minimum Qualification Requirements met Pass/Fail
2 Quality and Completeness of Submittal 1-15 points
3 Qualifications & Experience 1-25 points
4 Demonstrated Competence 1-25 points
5 Delivery Schedule 1-15 points
6 Reasonableness of Costs 1-20 points
Based on the aforementioned criteria, staff recommends that Bureau Veritas North America, Inc., and TRB+ Associates be awarded contracts to provide plan review, inspection, and permit-related services to the County on an as-needed basis. By utilizing the two firms selected, staff will have the flexibility to assign projects to contract plan reviewers and/or inspectors who are best suited to meet Building Inspection Division needs.
Approval of the contracts will give staff the ability to spend up to $100,000 annually for such services with the ability to renew the amount each year for three years, resulting in an initial contract amount of up to $300,000 for each firm. Annual disbursement of agreement funds shall be at the discretion of the Department Director that exceeds $100,000. As proposed, each contract may be extended for two one-year terms by the Director, for a total term of five years. Extensions are contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the division in the annual budget for such fiscal year, as well as County Counsel approval of any related extension documents. The total not-to exceed amount for each contract would be $500,000 over the full five-year term. These actions will help the Building Inspection Division maintain responsive and accurate customer service throughout the contract period.
Refer to Attachments A and B