MEETING DATE: 1027.08
AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of A budget Amendment for the Building
Safety Division for Contractual Structural, Electrical, Plumbing, and
Mechanical Plan Check Services.
ATTACHMENTS
Pages
1. Previous construction valuations, revenues, and staffing
1
2. Previous and proposed plan check firms
2ett&VZ- CI TY
BUILDING SAFETY DIVISION
Attachment #1 Building Safety Division Past Construction Valuations, Revenues, and Staffing
Levels_
Fiscal Year Construction Valuation of Building Safety Building Safety
Issued Building Permits Revenue Staffing
2001-2002 $21.7million $484k 10 full time staff
2005-2006 $132.3million $2.3 million 10 full time staff
2006-2007 $75.4million $2.3million 10 full time staff +
1 contract Building
Inspector
2007-2008 $180.4million $3million 10 full time staff +
1 contract Building
Inspector
2008-2009 $24.7million $685k 10 full time staff +
(1st 3 months) 1 contract Building
InspectoreaelteZe CITY
BUILDING SAFETY DIVISION
Attachment #2 Building Safety Division Past and Future Proposed Contract Plan Check Firms
Past contract structural plan check firms:
Hayer Consultants
4067 Hardwick St., PIV1B 250
Lakewood, CA, 90712
(562) 377-1678
Peter Erdelyi and Associates
9581 West Pico Blvd., Suite B
Los Angeles, CA, 90035
(310) 553-9339
VCA Code Group
2200 West Orangewood Ave., Suite 155
Orange, CA, 92868
(714) 363-4700
Proposed Future contract electrical, plumbing, and mechanical plan check firms:
Scott Fazekas & Associates
9 Corporate Park, Suite 200
lrvine, CA, 92606-5173
(949) 475-2901
JAS Pacific
4295 Jurupa, Suite 203
Ontario, CA, 91761
(909) 605-7777
VCA Code Group
2200 West Orangewood Ave., Suite 155
Orange, CA, 92868
(714) 363-4700
Fiscal Impact -Yet, [X]•N
Public Hearing: Attachments [X} ACtiorf:Item:
Contact Person/Dept.:
'Building Safety Division
[X]
Craig jOirtiOn Phone Number: 3iO 253-5802
Department
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Chief Financial Officer Approval:
'Jeff Muir (by M. Nolte r) (10/22/08)
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City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 10/27/08
Item Number: A-6
AGENDA ITEM: Approval of a Budget Amendment for the Building Safety Division
for Contractual Structural, Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical Plan Check
Services.
NOtifiCatiOrt :Master E-Mail Notification- List (1.0/22/0.8)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council approve a budget amendment for the Building
Safety Division for structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractual plan
check services in an amount not-to-exceed $150,000 to Account 10151500.371300
(Plan Check Services) and Account 10151500.619800 (Other Contractual Services).
A four-fifths affirmative vote is required to amend the budget.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
Valuation of building permits is an important measure of building activity. Over the
past several years, the Building Safety Division workload has increased substantially
which is reflected in construction permit valuations. (Attachment 1). In 2007-2008,
construction valuations were approximately $180.4 million as compared to $21.7
million in 2001-2002. While in-house staff has generally performed the majority of
the plan checks in previous years, Building Safety has contracted structural
engineering plan check services for some extraordinary projects. Even with these
services, the increased workload has negatively impacted plan check turn-around
times and customer service standards.
To this end, the Building Safety Division is now requesting funds to assist with
structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical plan checks for the remainder of the
2008-2009 fiscal year. These services would be applied only to the largest projects
and only when staff workload levels and availability do not facilitate prompt plan
check turn-around times. In the first three months of FY 2008-2009, Building Safety
has already issued permits with construction valuations of approximately $24.7
million.City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
Staff has identified proposed contract plan check firms (Attachment 2), that have
successfully provided contract structural plan check services to the Building Safety
Division in the past as well as those firms qualified to provide contract electrical,
plumbing, and mechanical plan check services in the future.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Staff is requesting a budget allocation and amendment of $150,000 for FY 2008-
2009 for assistance in plan check services. Revenues collected for plan check
services are anticipated to offset the increased appropriation request.
In FY 2007-2008 there were a total of 2,546 building permit applications submitted.
Only 708 applications required plan checks and of these applications, contractual
structural plan check services were utilized to finalize seven building permits. The
total Building Safety Division revenue for FY 2007-2008 was $3,034,993.
Approximately $1,055,378 was collected in plan check fees and $192,743 was
expended for contract structural plan checks.
To this end, staff proposes that contractual plan check service costs should be
funded by a portion of the City plan check fees collected. In general, structural
engineering review costs have averaged approximately 50% of plan check fees for
an individual project.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment #1: Previous construction valuations, revenues, and staffing.
Attachment #2: Previous and proposed plan check firms.
MOTION:
That the City Council:
1. Approve a budget amendment in an amount not-to-exceed $150,000 to Account
10151500.371300 (Plan Check Fees) and Account 10151500.619800 (Other
Contractual Services) to fund the services of contract structural, electrical,
plumbing, and mechanical plan check services.
A four-fifths affirmative vote is required to amend the budget