HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004 CON Maximus - User Fee AnalysisAGREEMENT
BY AND BETWEEN
THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY
AND
MAXIMUS
THIS AGREEMENT is entered into this 6th day of January, 2004, by and
between the CITY OF NATIONAL CITY, a municipal corporation (the "CITY"), and
MAXIMUS (the "CONTRACTOR").
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the CITY desires to employ a CONTRACTOR to provide a
cost of services/user fee analysis.
WHEREAS, the CITY has determined that the CONTRACTOR is a
corporation and is qualified by experience and ability to perform the services desired by
the CITY, and the CONTRACTOR is willing to perform such services.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE PARTIES HERETO DO MUTUALLY AGREE
AS FOLLOWS:
1. ENGAGEMENT OF CONTRACTOR. The CITY hereby agrees to
engage the CONTRACTOR and the CONTRACTOR hereby agrees to perform the
services hereinafter set forth in accordance with all terms and conditions contained
herein.
The CONTRACTOR represents that all services required hereunder will
be performed directly by the CONTRACTOR or under direct supervision of the
CONTRACTOR.
2. SCOPE OF SERVICES. The CONTRACTOR will perform services
as set forth in the attached Exhibit 1 Section A - F.
The CONTRACTOR shall be responsible for all research and reviews
related to the work and shall not rely on personnel of the CITY for such services, except
as authorized in advance by the CITY. The CONTRACTOR shall appear at meetings
cited in Exhibit 1 to keep staff and City Council advised of the progress on the project.
The CITY may unilaterally, or upon request from the CONTRACTOR, from time
to time reduce or increase the Scope of Services to be performed by the
CONTRACTOR under this Agreement. Upon doing so, the CITY and the
CONTRACTOR agree to meet in good faith and confer for the purpose of negotiating a
corresponding reduction or increase in the compensation associated with said change
in services, not to exceed a factor of 15% from the base amount.
Revised August 2003
3. PROJECT COORDINATION AND SUPERVISION.
Kathleen Trees hereby is designated as the Project Coordinator for the CITY and will
monitor the progress and execution of this Agreement. The CONTRACTOR shall
assign a single Project Director to provide supervision and have overall responsibility for
the progress and execution of this Agreement for the CONTRACTOR. Richard Pearl
thereby is designated as the Project Director for the CONTRACTOR.
4. COMPENSATION AND PAYMENT. The compensation for the
CONTRACTOR shall be based on monthly billings covering actual work performed.
Billings shall include labor classifications, respective rates, hours worked and also
materials, if any. The total cost for all work described in Exhibit 1 shall not exceed the
schedule given in Exhibit 1 Section G (the Base amount) without prior written
authorization from the Project Coordinator. Monthly invoices will be processed for
payment and remitted within thirty (30) days from receipt of invoice, provided that work
is accomplished consistent with Exhibit 1 as determined by the CITY.
The CONTRACTOR shall maintain all books, documents, papers,
employee time sheets, accounting records, and other evidence pertaining to costs
incurred and in -kind services provided and shall make such materials available at its
office at all reasonable times during the term of this Agreement and for three (3) years
from the date of final payment under this Agreement, for inspection by the CITY and for
furnishing of copies to the CITY, if requested.
5. LENGTH OF AGREEMENT. Completion dates or time durations
for specific portions of the Project are set forth in Exhibit 1 Section H.
6. DISPOSITION AND OWNERSHIP OF DOCUMENTS. The
Memoranda, Reports, Maps, Drawings, Plans, Specifications and other documents
prepared by the CONTRACTOR for this Project, whether paper or electronic, shall
become the property of the CITY for use with respect to this Project, and shall be
turned over to the CITY upon completion of the Project, or any phase thereof, as
contemplated by this Agreement.
Contemporaneously with the transfer of documents, the CONTRACTOR
hereby assigns to the CITY and CONTRACTOR thereby expressly waives and
disclaims, any copyright in, and the right to reproduce, all written material, drawings,
plans, specifications or other work prepared under this agreement, except upon the
CITY's prior authorization regarding reproduction, which authorization shall not be
unreasonably withheld. The CONTRACTOR shall, upon request of the CITY, execute
any further document(s) necessary to further effectuate this waiver and disclaimer.
The CONTRACTOR agrees that the CITY may use, reuse, alter,
reproduce, modify, assign, transfer, or in any other way, medium or method utilize the
CONTRACTOR's written work product for the CITY's purposes, and the
CONTRACTOR expressly waives and disclaims any residual rights granted to it by Civil
Code Sections 980 through 989 relating to intellectual property and artistic works.
2 Revised August 2003
Any modification or reuse by the CITY of documents, drawings or
specifications prepared by the CONTRACTOR shall relieve the CONTRACTOR from
liability under Section 14 but only with respect to the effect of the modification or reuse
by the CITY, or for any liability to the CITY should the documents be used by the CITY
for some project other than what was expressly agreed upon within the Scope of this
project, unless otherwise mutually agreed.
7. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR. Both parties hereto in the
performance of this Agreement will be acting in an independent capacity and not as
agents, employees, partners or joint venturers with one another. Neither the
CONTRACTOR nor the CONTRACTOR'S employees are employee of the CITY and
are not entitled to any of the rights, benefits, or privileges of the CITY's employees,
including but not limited to retirement, medical, unemployment, or workers'
compensation insurance.
This Agreement contemplates the personal services of the
CONTRACTOR and the CONTRACTOR's employees, and it is recognized by the
parties that a substantial inducement to the CITY for entering into this Agreement was,
and is, the professional reputation and competence of the CONTRACTOR and its
employees. Neither this Agreement nor any interest herein may be assigned by the
CONTRACTOR without the prior written consent of the CITY. Nothing herein contained
is intended to prevent the CONTRACTOR from employing or hiring as many
employees, or subcontractors, as the CONTRACTOR may deem necessary for the
proper and efficient performance of this Agreement. All agreements by CONTRACTOR
with its subcontractor(s) shall require the subcontractor to adhere to the applicable
terms of this Agreement.
8. CONTROL. Neither the CITY nor its officers, agents or employees
shall have any control over the conduct of the CONTRACTOR or any of the
CONTRACTOR's employees except as herein set forth, and the CONTRACTOR
expressly agrees not to represent that the CONTRACTOR or the CONTRACTOR's
agents, servants, or employees are in any manner agents, servants or employees of
the CITY, it being understood that the CONTRACTOR, its agents, servants, and
employees are as to the CITY wholly independent contractors and that the CONTRAC-
TOR's obligations to the CITY are solely such as are prescribed by this Agreement.
9. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW. The CONTRACTOR, in
the performance of the services to be provided herein, shall comply with all applicable
State and Federal statutes and regulations, and all applicable ordinances, rules and
regulations of the City of National City, whether now in force or subsequently enacted.
The CONTRACTOR, and each of its subcontractors, shall obtain and maintain a current
City of National City business license prior to and during performance of any work
pursuant to this Agreement.
10. LICENSES, PERMITS, ETC. The CONTRACTOR represents and
covenants that it has all licenses, permits, qualifications, and approvals of whatever
nature that are legally required to practice its profession. The CONTRACTOR
3 Revised August 2003
represents and covenants that the CONTRACTOR shall, at its sole cost and expense,
keep in effect at all times during the term of this Agreement, any license, permit, or
approval which is legally required for the CONTRACTOR to practice its profession.
11. STANDARD OF CARE.
A. The CONTRACTOR, in performing any services under this
Agreement, shall perform in a manner consistent with that level of care and skill
ordinarily exercised by members of the CONTRACTOR'S trade or profession currently
practicing under similar conditions and in similar locations. The CONTRACTOR shall
take all special precautions necessary to protect the CONTRACTOR's employees and
members of the public from risk of harm arising out of the nature of the work and/or the
conditions of the work site.
B. Unless disclosed in writing prior to the date of this
agreement, the CONTRACTOR warrants to the CITY that it is not now, nor has it for the
five (5) years preceding, been debarred by a governmental agency or involved in
debarment, arbitration or litigation proceedings concerning the CONTRACTOR's
professional performance or the furnishing of materials or services relating thereto.
C. The CONTRACTOR is responsible for identifying any unique
products, treatments, processes or materials whose availability is critical to the success
of the project the CONTRACTOR has been retained to perform, within the time
requirements of the CITY, or, when no time is specified, then within a commercially
reasonable time. Accordingly, unless the CONTRACTOR has notified the CITY
otherwise, the CONTRACTOR warrants that all products, materials, processes or
treatments identified in the project documents prepared for the CITY are reasonably
commercially available. Any failure by the CONTRACTOR to use due diligence under
this sub -paragraph will render the CONTRACTOR liable to the CITY for any increased
costs that result from the CITY's later inability to obtain the specified items or any
reasonable substitute within a price range that allows for project completion in the time
frame specified or, when not specified, then within a commercially reasonable time.
12. NON-DISCRIMINATION PROVISIONS. The CONTRACTOR shall
not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age,
race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin,
physical handicap, or medical condition. The CONTRACTOR will take positive action to
insure that applicants are employed without regard to their age, race, color, ancestry,
religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, physical handicap, or
medical condition. Such action shall include but not be limited to the following:
employment, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising,
layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for
training, including apprenticeship. The CONTRACTOR agrees to post in conspicuous
places available to employees and applicants for employment any notices provided by
the CITY setting forth the provisions of this non-discrimination clause.
13. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. The CITY may from time to time
communicate to the CONTRACTOR certain confidential information to enable the
CONTRACTOR to effectively perform the services to be provided herein. The
CONTRACTOR shall treat all such information as confidential and shall not disclose
4 Revised August 2003
any part thereof without the prior written consent of the CITY. The CONTRACTOR
shall limit the use and circulation of such information, even within its own organization,
to the extent necessary to perform the services to be provided herein. The foregoing
obligation of this Section 13, however, shall not apply to any part of the information that
(i) has been disclosed in publicly available sources of information; (ii) is, through no
fault of the CONTRACTOR, hereafter disclosed in publicly available sources of
information; (iii) is already in the possession of the CONTRACTOR without any
obligation of confidentiality; or (iv) has been or is hereafter rightfully disclosed to the
CONTRACTOR by a third party, but only to the extent that the use or disclosure thereof
has been or is rightfully authorized by that third party.
The CONTRACTOR shall not disclose any reports, recommendations,
conclusions or other results of the services or the existence of the subject matter of this
Agreement without the prior written consent of the CITY. In its performance hereunder,
the CONTRACTOR shall comply with all legal obligations it may now or hereafter have
respecting the information or other property of any other person, firm or corporation.
CONTRACTOR shall be liable to CITY for any damages caused by
breach of this condition, pursuant to the provisions of Section 14.
14. INDEMNIFICATION AND HOLD HARMLESS. The CONTRACTOR
shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City of National City, its officers and
employees, against and from any damages and liability directly caused by the negligent
actions or willful misconduct of the CONTRACTOR, its employees or agents. The
CONTRACTOR shall not be responsible for any damages or liability resulting, in whole
or part, from the negligence or willful misconduct of the CITY or any third party.
15. WORKERS' COMPENSATION. The CONTRACTOR shall comply
with all of the provisions of the Workers' Compensation Insurance and Safety Acts of
the State of California, the applicable provisions of Division 4 and 5 of the California
Government Code and all amendments thereto; and all similar state or Federal acts or
laws applicable; and shall indemnify, and hold harmless the CITY and its officers, and
employees from and against all claims, demands, payments, suits, actions,
proceedings and judgments of every nature and description, including reasonable
attorney's fees and defense costs presented, brought or recovered against the CITY or
its officers, employees, or volunteers, for or on account of any liability under any of said
acts which may be incurred by reason of any work to be performed by the
CONTRACTOR under this Agreement.
16. INSURANCE. The CONTRACTOR, at its sole cost and expense,
shall purchase and maintain, and shall require its subcontractors, when applicable, to
purchase and maintain throughout the term of this agreement, the following insurance
policies:
❑ A. If checked, Professional Liability Insurance (errors and omissions)
with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence.
B. Automobile insurance covering all bodily injury and property
damage incurred during the performance of this Agreement, with a minimum coverage
5 Revised August 2003
of $1,000,000 combined single limit per accident. Such automobile insurance shall
include non -owned vehicles.
C. Comprehensive general liability insurance, with minimum limits of
$1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence, covering all bodily injury and property
damage arising out of its operation under this Agreement.
D. Workers' compensation insurance covering all of CONSULTANT's
employees.
E. The aforesaid policies shall constitute primary insurance as to the
CITY, its officers, employees, and volunteers, so that any other policies held by the
CITY shall not contribute to any loss under said insurance. Said policies shall provide
for thirty (30) days prior written notice to the CITY of cancellation or material change.
F. Said policies, except for the professional liability and worker's
compensation policies, shall name the CITY and its officers, agents and employees as
additional insureds.
G. If required insurance coverage is provided on a "claims made"
rather than "occurrence" form, the CONTRACTOR shall maintain such insurance
coverage for three years after expiration of the term (and any extensions) of this Agree-
ment.
H. Any aggregate insurance limits must apply solely to this Agree-
ment.
I. Insurance shall be written with only California admitted companies
which hold a current policy holder's alphabetic and financial size category rating of not
less than A•VII according to the current Best's Key Rating Guide, or a company equal
financial stability that is approved by the City's Risk Manager.
J. This Agreement shall not take effect until certificate(s) or other
sufficient proof that these insurance provisions have been complied with, are filed with
and approved by the CITY's Risk Manager. If the CONTRACTOR does not keep all of
such insurance policies in full force and effect at all times during the terms of this
Agreement, the CITY may elect to treat the failure to maintain the requisite insurance
as a breach of this Agreement and terminate the Agreement as provided herein.
17. LEGAL FEES. If any party brings a suit or action against the other
party arising from any breach of any of the covenants or agreements or any
inaccuracies in any of the representations and warranties on the part of the other party
arising out of this Agreement, then in that event, the prevailing party in such action or
dispute, whether by final judgment or out -of -court settlement, shall be entitled to have
and recover of and from the other party all costs and expenses of suit, including
attorneys' fees.
For purposes of determining who is to be considered the prevailing party,
it is stipulated that attorney's fees incurred in the prosecution or defense of the action or
suit shall not be considered in determining the amount of the judgment or award.
Attorney's fees to the prevailing party if other than the CITY shall, in addition, be limited
to the amount of attorney's fees incurred by the CITY in its prosecution or defense of
the action, irrespective of the actual amount of attorney's fees incurred by the prevailing
party.
6 Revised August 2003
18. MEDIATION/ARBITRATION. If a dispute arises out of or relates
to this Agreement, or the breach thereof, the parties agree first to try, in good faith, to
settle the dispute by mediation in San Diego, California, in accordance with the
Commercial Mediation Rules of the American Arbitration Association (the "AAA") before
resorting to arbitration. The costs of mediation shall be borne equally by the parties.
Any controversy or claim arising out of, or relating to, this Agreement, or breach thereof,
which is not resolved by mediation shall be settled by arbitration in San Diego,
California, in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the AAA then
existing. Any award rendered shall be final and conclusive upon the parties, and a
judgment thereon may be entered in any court having jurisdiction over the subject
matter of the controversy. The expenses of the arbitration shall be borne equally by the
parties to the arbitration, provided that each party shall pay for and bear the costs of its
own experts, evidence and attorneys' fees, except that the arbitrator may assess such
expenses or any part thereof against a specified party as part of the arbitration award.
19. TERMINATION. A. This Agreement may be terminated with or
without cause by the CITY. Termination without cause shall be effective only upon 60-
day's written notice to the CONTRACTOR. During said 60-day period the
CONTRACTOR shall perform all services in accordance with this Agreement.
B. This Agreement may also be terminated immediately by the CITY
for cause in the event of a material breach of this Agreement, misrepresentation by the
CONTRACTOR in connection with the formation of this Agreement or the performance
of services, or the failure to perform services as directed by the CITY.
C. Termination with or without cause shall be effected by delivery of
written Notice of Termination to the CONTRACTOR as provided for herein.
D. In the event of termination, all finished or unfinished Memoranda
Reports, Maps, Drawings, Plans, Specifications and other documents prepared by the
CONTRACTOR, whether paper or electronic, shall immediately become the property of
and be delivered to the CITY, and the CONTRACTOR shall be entitled to receive just
and equitable compensation for any work satisfactorily completed on such documents
and other materials up to the effective date of the Notice of Termination, not to exceed
the amounts payable hereunder, and less any damages caused the CITY by the
CONTRACTOR's breach, if any. Thereafter, ownership of said written material shall
vest in the CITY all rights set forth in Section 6.
E. The CITY further reserves the right to immediately terminate this
Agreement upon: (1) the filing of a petition in bankruptcy affecting the CONTRACTOR;
(2) a reorganization of the CONTRACTOR for the benefit of creditors; or (3) a business
reorganization, change in business name or change in business status of the
CONTRACTOR.
20. NOTICES. All notices or other communications required or
permitted hereunder shall be in writing, and shall be personally delivered; or sent by
overnight mail (Federal Express or the like); or sent by registered or certified mail,
postage prepaid, return receipt requested; or sent by ordinary mail, postage prepaid; or
telegraphed or cabled; or delivered or sent by telex, telecopy, facsimile or fax; and shall
be deemed received upon the earlier of (i) if personally delivered, the date of delivery to
the address of the person to receive such notice, (ii) if sent by overnight mail, the
7 Revised August 2003
business day following its deposit in such overnight mail facility, (iii) if mailed by
registered, certified or ordinary mail, five (5) days (ten (10) days if the address is
outside the State of California) after the date of deposit in a post office, mailbox, mail
chute, or other like facility regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service, (iv)
if given by telegraph or cable, when delivered to the telegraph company with charges
prepaid, or (v) if given by telex, telecopy, facsimile or fax, when sent. Any notice,
request, demand, direction or other communication delivered or sent as specified above
shall be directed to the following persons:
To the CITY:
Kathleen Trees, Director
Building & Safety Department
City of National City
1243 National City Boulevard
National City, CA 91950-4301
To the CONTRACTOR: Richard Pearl, Vice President
MAXIMUS
4320 Auburn Boulevard, Suite 2000
Sacramento, CA 95831
Notice of change of address shall be given by written notice in the manner
specified in this Section. Rejection or other refusal to accept or the inability to deliver
because of changed address of which no notice was given shall be deemed to
constitute receipt of the notice, demand, request or communication sent. Any notice,
request, demand, direction or other communication sent by cable, telex, telecopy,
facsimile or fax must be confirmed within forty-eight (48) hours by letter mailed or
delivered as specified in this Section.
21. CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND POLITICAL REFORM ACT
OBLIGATIONS. During the term of this Agreement, the CONTRACTOR shall not
perform services of any kind for any person or entity whose interests conflict in any way
with those of the City of National City. The CONTRACTOR also agrees not to specify
any product, treatment, process or material for the project in which the CONTRACTOR
has a material financial interest, either direct or indirect, without first notifying the CITY
of that fact. The CONTRACTOR shall at all times comply with the terms of the Political
Reform Act and the National City Conflict of Interest Code. The CONTRACTOR shall
immediately disqualify itself and shall not use its official position to influence in any way
any matter coming before the CITY in which the CONTRACTOR has a financial interest
as defined in Government Code Section 87103. The CONTRACTOR represents that it
has no knowledge of any financial interests that would require it to disqualify itself from
any matter on which it might perform services for the CITY.
❑ If checked, the CONTRACTOR shall comply with all of the
reporting requirements of the Political Reform Act and the National City Conflict of
Interest Code. Specifically, the CONTRACTOR shall file a Statement of Economic
Interests with the City Clerk of the City of National City in a timely manner on forms
which the CONTRACTOR shall obtain from the City Clerk.
8 Revised August 2003
The CONTRACTOR shall be strictly liable to the CITY for all damages,
costs or expenses the CITY may suffer by virtue of any violation of this Paragraph 21 by
the CONTRACTOR.
22. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
A. Computation of Time Periods. If any date or time period provided
for in this Agreement is or ends on a Saturday, Sunday or federal, state or legal holiday,
then such date shall automatically be extended until 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time of the next
day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or federal, state or legal holiday.
B. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which, together, shall
constitute but one and the same instrument.
C. Captions. Any captions to, or headings of, the sections or
subsections of this Agreement are solely for the convenience of the parties hereto, are
not a part of this Agreement, and shall not be used for the interpretation or
determination of the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof.
D. No Obligations to Third Parties. Except as otherwise expressly
provided herein, the execution and delivery of this Agreement shall not be deemed to
confer any rights upon, or obligate any of the parties hereto, to any person or entity
other than the parties hereto.
E. Exhibits and Schedules. The Exhibits and Schedules attached
hereto are hereby incorporated herein by this reference for all purposes.
F. Amendment to this Agreement. The terms of this Agreement may
not be modified or amended except by an instrument in writing executed by each of the
parties hereto.
G. Waiver. The waiver or failure to enforce any provision of this
Agreement shall not operate as a waiver of any future breach of any such provision or
any other provision hereof.
H. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California.
I. Entire Agreement. This Agreement supersedes any prior agree-
ments, negotiations and communications, oral or written, and contains the entire
agreement between the parties as to the subject matter hereof. No subsequent
agreement, representation, or promise made by either party hereto, or by or to an
employee, officer, agent or representative of any party hereto shall be of any effect
unless it is in writing and executed by the party to be bound thereby.
J. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon
and shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the parties hereto.
K. Construction. The parties acknowledge and agree that (i) each
party is of equal bargaining strength, (ii) each party has actively participated in the
drafting, preparation and negotiation of this Agreement, (iii) each such party has
consulted with or has had the opportunity to consult with its own, independent counsel
and such other professional advisors as such party has deemed appropriate, relative to
any and all matters contemplated under this Agreement, (iv) each party and such
party's counsel and advisors have reviewed this Agreement, (v) each party has agreed
to enter into this Agreement following such review and the rendering of such advice,
9
Revised August 2003
and (vi) any rule or construction to the effect that ambiguities are to be resolved against
the drafting party shall not apply in the interpretation of this Agreement, or any portions
hereof, or any amendments hereto.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this
Agreement on the date and year first above written.
CITY OF NATIONAL CITY
By:
Nick Inzu
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
George H. Eiser, III
City Attorney
(Two signatures required for a corporation)
By:
(Name)
(Title)
Y. --_
(Name)
\1J e
(Title)
10
Revised August 2003
Ms. Kathleen Trees
Building Official
City of National City
1243 National City Blvd
National City, CA 91950
Dear Ms. Trees:
MAXIMUS
HELPING GOVERNMENT SERVE THE PEOPLE`
December 12, 2003
I am pleased to present this proposal for a cost of services/user fee analysis to the city of
National City. In the current fiscal climate it is very important that local governments
have a complete understanding of their cost to provide services to their citizens. This
knowledge will allow the city council to knowledgeably set user fee cost recovery levels.
This proposal includes a complete cost allocation plan and user fee analysis. The cost
plan is important as it establishes the overhead component for the fee structure. It also
provides for cost recapture against state and federal grant programs: SB 90, CDBG, etc.
The user fee component includes our NEXUS building fee methodology, a structure re-
cently adopted by the city of San Diego.
MAXIMUS fees studies provide our clients with user fee information that speaks to both
current fees, and potential new fees. Perhaps most importantly, with our decades of ex-
perience, we have been extremely successful in helping our clients implement the studies,
a true test of a consulting engagement.
A distinct advantage in engaging our firm to provide the proposed cost of service studies
is our ability to couple local expertise with national resources. Our California team has
been on the cutting edge in delivering new and effective management tools to local gov-
ernment: performance -based management analysis, revenue alternative strategies, and
most recently a legally defensible building and safety fee structure.
The city is a current client of our firm, and we appreciate the valued relationship over the
past years. We are available to meet with you and the city manager at your convenience to
modify the following proposal to meet any specific needs of the city. I will send under
separate cover a hard copy of this proposal, and an example of a cost plan -fee study.
Very truly yours,
Richard Pearl
Senior Vice President
4320 AUBURN BLVD., SUITE 2000 SACRAMENTO, CA 95841 1916.485.8102 1916.485.0111 FAX I WWW.MAXIMUS.COM
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
SECTION I
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MAXIMUS is pleased to present this proposal to the city of National City. MAXIMUS is
the nation's, and California's leading provider of cost and revenue services to local gov-
ernment. We have gained our position of leadership through "Delivery of a Superior
Product at a Fair Price, for Today's Project...and Tomorrow's Service." We understand
the importance of this project to the city, and will do everything in our power to provide a
sound document, one that will be accepted by the organization and the community as bal-
anced, realistic, and valuable.
Fee Study Benefits:
1. Ensure fairness
& equity
2. Legal support
3. Knowledge for
management
decisions
Based on our years of user fee services to local governments, we have
come to recognize and understand the myriad motivations for cities to
engage in a study of their costs, both indirect and service -related (fees).
Among the many reasons are the desire to maximize revenues, ensure
fairness and equity, protect the city from litigation, and a general goal of
understanding the true cost of services to make quality management
decisions. By virtue of this study, the city of National City is being pro-
active in its review and analysis of existing and potential fees. The results of this study
will allow the city to better understand the true cost of providing city services, so it can
ensure appropriate fee levels and desired cost recovery.
We understand that the city's existing fee structure has not been modified for some time.
This situation normally results in several important circumstances related to revenue col-
lection and maximization:
• The increased cost of providing services over time, without a corresponding increase
in fees, typically causes under -recovery of costs. Over a significant period of time,
fee -related services tend to exceed the growth of the general CPI and other common
inflationary factors (although these factors may be applicable over the short-term).
• As time passes, the processes involved with city service delivery change, which re-
sults in outdated cost distribution to the fee -related services.
• Contributions to service delivery by other departments, offices, and programs, tend to
change, and the cost associated with those contributions becomes unknown or is omit-
ted in the fee determinations.
• Finally, outdated methodologies or assumptions may also cause the city to inadver-
tently overcharge for certain types of services (building and safety fees are most
common). This situation contravenes the traditional government concept of charging
only up to the full cost of the service provided. State law and official opinions are
quite clear that a governmental jurisdiction cannot charge more than the reasonable
cost of providing the service.
2
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
The factors described above will cause a fee schedule to become obsolete and prevent a
jurisdiction from realizing its true revenue potential.
MAXIMUS has been providing local governments with cost of service
analysis for over 25 years. We have worked with all 58 California
counties and over 200 California cities and special districts. Since
1983, we have performed over 100 user fee studies.
We are excited for the potential opportunity to serve the city of National
City. The detailed cost information resulting from the study can help
management make more informed and beneficial decisions regarding specific programs
and services. Furthermore, refined fees based on the actual cost of providing the services
can help citizens better understand and appreciate the fees they pay to their government.
Benefits Of The Study
Local governments are funded from a variety of sources, the primary sources being taxes,
subventions, fees, special charges, fines, and grants. As the traditional provider of basic
services, cities are constantly struggling with securing sufficient funding to pay for the
services expected/demanded/sought after by the citizenry. Many local government ser-
vices are "global" in nature (e.g., police and fire protection, open space, etc.). Other ser-
vices benefit a particular segment of the population, most often providing a direct mone-
tary benefit to the recipient. It is in this latter group that subsidy and recovery issues are
brought to the fore. Given the "sum -sufficient" nature of government financing, un-
recovered monies must be offset by a decrease in available funding for other public good
activities.
Users of services -
where they get a
specific advantage -
should pay for the
cost of that service
It is generally accepted that recovery of costs should be in direct proportion
to the individual/specific gain for services. This means that if a developer
wants to rezone farm land for a housing development, the city may not
want to charge that business a fee less than full cost, since to do otherwise
would require a subsidy for other services that must be made up by the
general citizenry who doesn't share in the particular benefit. Where new
development causes an increase in infrastructure requirements, that increase should logi-
cally be shared pro rata with the existing area proportionate to the degree that the new de-
velopment benefits from the infrastructure. Conversely, a recreation program could logi-
cally be heavily subsidized from the general tax base in order to promote the overall well
being of the general public, or to achieve specific socio-economic objectives.
The goal of the cost of service study is to create an empirical basis to
fairly and equitably allocate costs to the users of specific services. Once
this is accomplished, the next step is to determine the rate of recov-
ery/subsidy, which is a decision reserved for the legislative body — in this
To subsidize, or not to
subsidize: that is the
question... or is it bet-
ter to suffer the slings
& arrows of outra-
geous revenue short-
falls
3
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
case the city council. It is they who have to balance fiscal resources and service delivery.
An experienced consulting firm can provide not only the numerical data, but can add per-
spective and offer experience with other jurisdictions to the deliberations.
In addition to the equity issues noted above, a cost of service study will assure the city
that it is in compliance with state law. Legally (state constitution, various statutes, the at-
torney general), a governmental jurisdiction cannot charge more for a service than it costs
to provide that service. By determining the full cost of each fee, the city council can be
comfortable in the fact that if it wishes not to subsidize an activity, the full cost fee it sets
will be in compliance with the provisions of the law.
Finally, a cost of service analysis invariably has the effect of increasing revenue to the
general fund. As experts in cost determination, a goal of the study is to maximize poten-
tial revenue...within the bounds of proper and defensible accounting treatments
A. GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS
The Cost Services Division of MAXIMUS originally known as David
M. Griffith and Associates, Ltd., (DMG) was founded in 1976. In May
1998, DMG merged with MAXIMUS, Inc. and the combined firm is
now recognized as the nation's leading consulting organization pro-
viding a broad range of management, financial, operational, and human
resource consulting services to local and state governments. Our clients include over 2,000
governments, universities, and other public sector and not -for -profit organizations.
Consultants of MAXIMUS have been called upon to examine virtually every facet of local
government operations. Major public sector services offered by our firm include:
• Cost allocation and indirect overhead rates
• Cost of Service analysis (activity -based costing, fee for service, user fee, etc.)
• GASB 34 Implementation
• Revenue enhancement (impact fee analysis, TOT audits, revenue maximization)
• Operations improvement and performance measurement
• Fleet management consulting
• Franchise fee/transient occupancy tax audits
• State Controller's Report preparation
• State mandated cost recovery.
The Cost Services Division's Western Region is headquartered in Sacramento, California,
with additional offices in Oakland, Irvine, Seattle, and Denver. There are forty-five pro-
fessionals in the Region. Our goal is to provide the best possible service in order to meet
the city's needs while maintaining the professional integrity of the product. We built our
cost of service practice on the foundation that we continue to be the most knowledgeable
and technically advanced company that provides these services. We not only have exten-
4
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
sive experience in cost plan, user fee, and development impact fee studies, but also have
been leaders in the development of software specific to these applications. We believe that
we set the standard in activity based cost analysis for local agencies.
MAXIMUS is unquestionably a large firm. The size and breadth of our firm is advanta-
geous to our clients because of our capability to provide virtually seamless consulting ser-
vice covering many disciplines. The firm, however, has never forgotten its roots or the
reasons for its continued growth, which is based on individualized service, quickly and
professionally provided.
B. STAFFING
With the highly experienced team MAXIMUS brings to this project, city staff require-
ments are held to a minimum. Obviously, however, there is information only city staff
can provide. Another necessary commitment is the review and critique of data, assump-
tions, and recommendations. While we cannot project a certain number of hour's com-
mitment, we can assure the city it will not be burdensome. The city should anticipate 3-5
hours for any one person associated with the data collections. Senior staff will most likely
require more hours due to project and data review.
C. DELIVERABLE PRODUCTS
MAXIMUS will provide the city of National City with the following:
➢ User Fee Study — a study documenting all current and potential fee activities for
the following city cost centers: Building, Engineering, Planning, Code Enforce-
ment, police, fire, and recreation.
➢ Fee Schedule — a consolidated schedule of all fees derived from the fee study,
with our recommendations for fee adjustments.
➢ Comparison — A comparison of the city of National City's fees to other surround-
ing jurisdictions. Please note that the comparison will be general in nature since it
is very difficult to "line-up" direct "apples -to -apples" fee comparisons (cities call
the same service by different names, or group fees, etc. We will, however, be able
to provide a range for comparison analysis.
5
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
SECTION II
USER FEE STUDY PROPOSAL
A. USER FEE ANALYSIS - SCOPE
MAXIMUS will identify and calculate the full cost of all fees, both current and potential,
in the planning, building & safety, engineering, police, and fire operations. At the con-
clusion of the above analysis we will then prepare a report of our findings and present fee
recovery recommendations. The report will include current fees and recovery levels as a
percentage of full costs, full costs, recommended fees, and remaining subsidy. Finally, we
will assist the city with a fee implementation strategy.
We will create a central services cost allocation plan to determine overhead costs to cre-
ate full cost values within each operation, as well as to charge any appropriate state or
federal grants.
User Fee Analysis
User fee studies:
current & potential fee
recovery areas; ad-
dresses equity issues
The purpose of a user fee study is to determine the full cost of services
offered by the agency for which user fees are currently being charged or
could be charged. The full cost is then compared to current revenues to
determine the amount of subsidy (or occasionally, overcharge). With this
knowledge decisions can be made concerning appropriate fee ad-
justments. MAXIMUS can assist in understanding economic issues such as elasticity of
demand and will provide information on what others are charging. However, in the final
analysis, the actual decision to increase or decrease fees is a local decision.
The underlying rational to charge full cost for user fees is simply this: the city is provid-
ing a distinct service or product to a business or individual who is gaining a monetary,
emotional, or recreational benefit. Equity says that others who do not participate in that
benefit should not subsidize individuals or businesses. For example, why should a long-
term resident living downtown contribute towards a subsidy to a developer opening up a
new subdivision on the edge of town?
Historically, subsidy issues were not stressed since there were alternative tax avenues
available to fund government services. This is no longer the case. We recognize,
however, that there are circumstances and programs, which probably justify a subsidy, i.e.
youth, senior, and disadvantaged recreation programs, certain classifications of code
enforcement, library services, etc. With this in mind, MAXIMUS has developed a
6
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
service/benefiting agent matrix to help place the subsidy issue in proper context. The
matrix with typical fee issues is first shown in conceptual form then in detail for selected
fees. Please note that the table includes only fee -oriented activities.
MAXIMUS believes that construction of the matrix is important in generating acceptance
of fee for service cost recovery levels by the city council and community/business groups.
Through this visual perspective the rationale for cost recovery becomes clear and
defensible.
Following the matrix generic presentation is a display of how a jurisdiction's specific fees
could be placed into the general matrix.
(TABLE FOLLOWS)
7
Cost of Service Proposal
City of National City
PUBLIC POLICYMATRIX
Primarily the
comm. w/ some
indiv . benefit
TYPE OF SVC.
Primarily the
indiv. w/ some
comm. benefit
Public
TAX V. FEES
i
Public/Private
Individual
Benefit
Private/Public
Private
8
100% Taxes
Mostly taxes &
some fees
Mostly fees &
some taxes
100% Fees
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
DEPARTMENT/FEE
PUBLIC POLICY FEE
MATRIX:
FEE:
Priv/Individua Mostly Private/ Mostly Public/ Public
1
Oriented: Some Public: Some Private: Oriented:
CURR. FULL RECM "/" RECM %n RECM %o RECM
FEE COST FEE Subs. FEE Subs. FEE Subs. FEE Subs.
PLANNING
Conditional Use Permit 1,500 2,500 2,500 0%
Lot Line Adjustment 850 1,250 1,250 0%
Tentative Map 2,500 4,000 4,000 0%
Design Review 500 1,000 800 20%
Environ. Impact Review 3,000 6,000 6,000 0%
Appeal 25 800 100 90%
General Plan Update 0 125,000 0 100%
CODE ENFORCEMENT
Apartments (>4) 0 1,500 1,500 0%
Private Residences 0 300 200 33%
Restaurants 750 1,000 1,000 0%
ENGINEERING
Street Cut 35 90 90 0%
Tentative Map 850 1,225 1,225 0%
Public Right of Way 0 600 300 50%
Plan Check 1,000 1,400 1,400 0%
RECREATION
Adult Sports
Tennis 2 5 4 20%
Dance Classes 30 40 35 13%
Trips 30 60 40 33%
Youth/Seniors
Tennis 2 5 3 40%
Trips 20 40 25 37%
Golf 10 30 25 17%
9
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
Our fee analysis for the planning, engineering, and code enforcement operations is based
on a standard -cost methodology, including all direct and indirect costs. The fees are de-
termined based on a build-up of hours and resultant cost derived from each appropriate
worker's input into the service area. Specifically, each staff member is asked how much
time he/she spends on each service area. Costs per hour for salary costs are developed and
augmented by all appropriate support costs. This format has been used in nearly 100 user
fee studies and is totally accepted by city staffs and community groups.
Building & Safety Fees
Our approach for building and safety fees are somewhat different, due to
both historical precedent and current legal actions. Prior to 2000, all of our
firm's user fee analysis of building departments were constructed on a cost -
revenue match -up basis, i.e. the calculation would be at the gross service
level (industrial, commercial, residential, alterations plan checking and/or
inspection services). We then would recommend that the UBC and trades
tables be adjusted based on the revenue/cost percentage variance. This method was used
in the absence of a more definitive model acceptable to the building industry.
For the past several years, many California jurisdictions have been facing a controversy in
building and safety fee setting. In the early 1990's, a special interest group began com-
bating local governments over what was termed "excessive fees." The challengers/critics
of local government fees have asserted that the traditional UBC and valuation rate tables
traditionally used by building and safety departments to set fees could not be statistically
supported, which results in fees unrelated to actual cost.
NEXUS: legally
defensible, cost
based
In response to the needs of local government and to help them protect
themselves from successful fee challenges, MAXIMUS developed a new
fee analysis model for building and safety fees. This new model, NEXUS,
has similarities to our standard fee analysis model, but we tailored it to
address the particular nature of this operation. Essentially, we create a cost per square
foot of occupancy -type, based on time spent per activity. We address miscellaneous fees
in the same fashion. We believe this meets the standard called for in the Attorney
General's opinion 92-506, which stated that full cost recovery is appropriate as long as
there is a "nexus" or linkage between the services provided and the fees charged. The
resulting schedule is easy to understand by the community and easy to administer by the
building department. All of our new clients are accepting the NEXUS methodology for
their fee studies.
More recently, we have added a revenue and staffing forecasting module to the program
which, when estimated activity unit volume can be projected generates future staffing
levels and revenue. This can be important in budget preparation.
The NEXUS model has been implemented in: San Diego (city), Chico, Vallejo, Belmont,
Malibu, and is in the process of being adopted or developed for: Orange County, Napa
10
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
County, Butte County, and the cities of Lancaster, Livermore, Banning, Benica, Santa
Maria, Woodland, Hercules, and Ventura.
B. OVERVIEW OF OUR APPROACH
There are five aspects of our approach, which we believe are most significant.
1. Interactive Work Program- The MAXIMUS approach is to work closely with man-
agement and staff to produce an analysis of cost of services and revenues that is thor-
oughly understood and verified by city staff. To this end, we repeatedly review our
analysis and findings with staff, elicit their input, and draw upon their intimate
knowledge of city operations. This is not to say that there may not be a divergence
of opinion at the recommendation stage. Our goal, however, is to provide the client
with the best information and statistics possible. Final implementation decisions, of
course, remain with management and city council.
2. Experienced Team - MAXIMUS has been in existence nationally since 1975 and in
California since 1979. Its Western Region management team has decades of
California experience. Most all MAXIMUS consultants have more than five years of
experience in achieving the goals the City wishes to accomplish with this project.
3. Proven Methodology - MAXIMUS has produced thousands of cost plans for all
sizes of cities and counties. We are the recognized experts in this field, both locally
and nationally. We have produced nearly 100 user fee studies in California, and an
equal number in other states. Our systems have been time -tested. Of critical
importance, however, is that our consultants are proven in their particular fields of
experience. We get the job done, to our client's complete satisfaction.
4. Computerized Support - MAXIMUS will utilize its user fee model (MAXFEE),
which has been developed specifically to determine the full costs of governmental
services.
5. Realistic Pricing - MAXIMUS's strategy has always been to provide exceptional
service at a fair price. We are in the California marketplace for the long-term. A
client well served will return for future engagements.
11
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
C. WORK PLAN
MAXIMUS will initially calculate a cost allocation plan for overhead cost determination.
We will then separate all costs and revenues within the various fee -related departments,
and other appropriate functions into tax -based and fee -based groupings. Within the latter,
we will then identify and calculate the full cost of all existing fees within the departments
under study. Additionally, we will calculate the full cost of potential fees for these de-
partments based on experience gained from previous engagements.
At the conclusion of the above analysis we will prepare a report of our findings and pre-
sent fee recovery recommendations. The report will include current fees, recovery levels
as a percentage of full costs, full costs, recommended fees, and remaining subsidy. We
can provide a fee schedule and plan, as well as assist the city with an implementation
strategy.
The following section describes the specific tasks that will be performed in order to ac-
complish the goals of this study.
Specific Tasks to Be Performed
Task 1: Project Initiation
In our first task we will carry out those activities required to begin the engagement in a
manner that will ensure timely and successful project completion. The specific activities
include the following:
Meet with the Finance Director and other appropriate city representatives to discuss the
goals, objectives, and overall scope of the engagement. Our designated Project Manager
will represent MAXIMUS in this initial meeting. It is important that individuals who will
be most directly concerned with the ultimate engagement results represent the city.
Based upon this meeting, we will finalize the scope of the engagement. Any significant
variations will be documented in writing and provided to the city.
Task 2: Develop Schedule of Service Areas to Be Analyzed
MAXIMUS will develop a schedule of current and potential fee -for -service activities.
Our experience in working with many other cities will aid in identifying potential fee ser-
vices.
Task 3: Develop Direct Service Costs
12
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
For each fee -for -service activity (or a non -revenue producing service for which a fee
could be imposed), MAXIMUS will develop the direct costs of providing the service.
Direct costs generally include the salaries and benefits of those individuals actually per-
forming the service and any services and supplies that can be directly attributable to the
service. To the extent possible, we identify as many costs as possible as direct and treat
the appropriate remaining costs as indirect. Based upon our extensive experience, we
know that most supervisory and service and supply costs will be treated as indirect costs.
In any case, a hallmark of our approach is a fully substantiated cost analysis.
For building -related fees, we will identify service costs based on the NEXUS model. In
this instance, we would identify productive hourly costs on an occupancy basis (residen-
tial dwelling, restaurant, retail store, commercial high rise, etc.) and calculate the total
cost on a square footage basis. This methodology would replace the UBC rate tables as a
charging mechanism. We believe this methodology produces a stronger nexus between
permit/plan check fees and costs.
While NEXUS is not a required format, i.e. a revenue/cost match up approach could be
taken, it is less defensible and would need to be updated more frequently to adhere to the
Attorney General's Opinion 92-506. All of our recent user fee study clients have opted for
NEXUS. If the city wishes to use the revenue -cost match up, we will, of course, use that
approach.
Task 4: Distribute Department/Program Overhead Costs
MAXIMUS will distribute indirect costs to each service or activity. In general, these costs
reflect supervision occurring at the department/division/program level and associated ser-
vices and supplies. Our approach to this distribution depends on the complexity of the
governmental unit being analyzed.
Task 5: Match Service Revenue with Service Costs
We will match the total cost of each service with the fee revenue received from each ser-
vice. In its basic form, the resulting table illustrates the total tax subsidy or the revenue
surplus generated by each service. This table provides a departure point for use in fee
discussions.
Task 6: Review Cost, Revenue, And Subsidies With Departments
The cost, revenue, and subsidy analyses developed by MAXIMUS are based on informa-
tion supplied by city departments. In Task 6, we return to each department to review the
preliminary results. We believe this to be an extremely important step, as it is the de-
partments that must ultimately be comfortable with our cost analysis and methods. Based
upon the departmental reviews, we make appropriate changes.
13
Cost of Service Proposal City of Na anal City
Task 7: Review Cost And Revenue Relationship With City Management
Once we reach consensus with departments that the analysis portrays reality, we will re-
view results with management. Cities usually find it desirable to eliminate subsidies, but
there are issues to consider before making fee adjustments:
■ It may not be politically feasible to raise a particular fee.
■ It may not be legal to raise a particular fee.
• An undesirable social consequence may result from raising a particular fee (e.g., a
group may be excluded from a desired service).
• An undesirable economic consequence may result (e.g., a fee increase may result in
less revenue due to decreasing demand).
Based upon these discussions and our experience, we will formulate appropriate recom-
mendations.
Task 8: Revise Analysis/Recommendations
Based on our discussions with senior management, we will make appropriate revisions to
the study and/or analysis.
Task 9: Develop Implementation Strategy
A principal objective of the firm's approach to all of our engagements is to facilitate posi-
tive change. We will work with senior staff to develop an appropriate and effective im-
plementation strategy that will reflect the city of National City's needs. We will also
work with the city to address on -going maintenance of the study results.
Task 10: Prepare and Provide Draft Report
The project report will be presented to department heads in draft form. This step offers
an opportunity to discuss individual recommendations in detail. Based upon these dis-
cussions, we will modify the draft report as required and submit it in final form.
Task 11: Present Final Report
The product from the proposed engagement is often controversial. We believe it is ex-
tremely important that all parties fully understand the basis for and rationale behind the
project findings and recommendations. To this end, we are committed to providing all in-
terested parties with an understanding of our approach and results. This typically re-
quires:
14
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
• A presentation to management with less emphasis on detailed methodology, and
greater emphasis on the impact of recommendations and implementation strategies.
• Engagement presentations to the city council to provide an overview of the project
and its findings and to answer any questions concerning the project.
Task 12: Project Close Out
At the end of the project, we will perform those activities necessary to ensure successful
project completion, including:
■ Answer remaining questions and explain outstanding issues, and
■ Discuss update requirements and strategies.
Work plan Flexibility
Tasks 1-12 discussed above summarize the activities necessary to accomplish most cost
plan and fee study projects. However, we remain flexible throughout the engagement,
which allows us to modify this approach to meet the unique circumstances experienced
by each client. Consequently, if this work plan does not specifically meet your needs, we
will work with you to revise our approach to fully accomplish the goals of this project.
15
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
D. PREVIOUS COST PLAN/USER FEE EXPERIENCE
Following is a list of our California cost plan and user fee studies:
Cost and Fee Studies - Cities
Alameda Hercules
Anaheim Hermosa Beach
Beverly Hills Lancaster
Brisbane La Quinta
Burbank Livermore
Camarillo Lompoc
Campbell Long Beach
Carlsbad Menlo Park
Culver City Millbrae
Cupertino Mountain View
Dana Point Oakland
Emeryville Oceanside
Fairfield Ontario
Fresno Palm Springs
Hayward Palmdale
Mission Viejo San Jacinto
Escondido Irvine
Blythe Indian Wells
Butte
Napa
Orange
Pasadena
Petaluma
Port Hueneme
R. Cucamonga
Redding
Redlands
Redondo Beach
Redwood City
Rialto
Ridgecrest
Riverside
Sacramento
San Fernando
San Francisco
San Jose
Vista
San Mateo
San Carlos
User Fee Studies - Counties
Lassen
Santa Cruz
Nevada
Tuolumne
Santa Barbara
Santa Clara
Santa Monica
Santa Paula
South Gate
So. San Fran.
Stockton
Suisun City
National City
Union City
Vacaville
Ventura
Watsonville
Visalia
Woodland
Whittier
Temecula
Thousand Oaks
Shasta
Yuba
E. REFERENCES
Our firm currently has more cities and counties under contract in the United States to pro-
vide cost plan services than all other firms combined. We believe we have achieved this
position of leadership through:
• Comprehensive responsibility for establishing an indirect cost recovery
system
• Guaranteed approval of our plans by federal and state representatives
• Thorough knowledge of regulations pertaining to cost recovery and working
relationships developed in government at all levels.
16
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
Any of our clients in California or elsewhere may be contacted concerning our services.
Specific governmental references are listed below:
City of Chico:
Mr. Tony Baptiste
Community Dev. Dir.
(530) 895-4872
City of San Diego
Mr. Dan Culp
Sr. Management Analyst
1222 First Avenue, MS401
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 446-5261
City of Fresno
Ms. Ruth Quinto
Controller
(559) 498-4757
City of Vallejo
Mr. Wm. Miller
Asst. Finance Director
555 Santa Clara Ave.
Vallejo, CA 94590
(707) 648-4343
Concerning our knowledge of building fee structure and current litigation, please contact
Mr. Jeff Dunn, partner, Best, Best & Krieger, LLC. (949) 260-0962.
F. STAFFING
The preparation of central service cost allocation plans and comprehensive user fee studies
is a primary MAXIMUS service to local government. MAXIMUS is able to assign a team of
knowledgeable, experienced consultants to the engagement.
Specific areas of expertise of our proposed project team include:
■ Governmental cost accounting
• Knowledge of governmental service delivery within each of the departments to be
analyzed
• User fee service structure and service type in other California city governments
• Development of presentations for City Councils and the general public.
Our project organization and project team members are described below.
Richard Pearl — Sr. Vice President, Western Region
Mr. Pearl will be the Project Director for the engagement, responsible for overall project
management and official presentations. Mr. Pearl has been with the firm for 27 years and
has participated in scores of user fee studies and hundreds of cost allocation plan analysis
over the years. He is an expert on cost of service and revenue enhancement opportunities.
17
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
PROJECT MANAGER - The project manager is responsible for the day-to-day
supervision of the engagement. The project manager will participate directly in
departmental interviews, fee identification, cost development and report preparation. The
project manager will be responsible for apprising the City of progress on an on -going basis.
Our Project Manager is Mr. Chad Wohlford. Mr. Wohlford has over 12 years of
professional analytical, management, and consulting experience in state, local, and federal
government finance and operations.
As a MAXIMUS consultant, Mr. Wohlford has managed various revenue projects, gov-
ernment cost allocation plans, government process improvement projects, and govern-
ment performance measurement projects. He has developed and analyzed costs for spe-
cific government programs, gathered and analyzed utilization data, studied operations,
and developed methodologies to appropriately allocate costs among programs. Examples
of his past and current California clients include the counties of Napa, Butte, Sacramento,
Merced, Orange, San Mateo County, and San Diego; the cities of San Diego, Chico, Plea-
santon, Santa Rosa, Hawthorne, Pasadena, La Palma, El Segundo, Santa Clara, San Lean-
dro, and Clovis; the State of California, Port of San Francisco, Irvine, South Bay Re-
gional Communications Authority, and Rincon Valley Fire Protection District.
As Senior Administrative Analyst for the Sacramento County Department of Heath and
Human Services, Mr. Wohlford served as the principal budget and contracts administrator
and administrative analyst.
Analytical Staff - MAXIMUS will utilize additional consultant and senior consultant
staff in data gathering and information processing. Potential staff include: Mike Adams,
Dawn Steele, and Nicole Kissam).
G. PROJECT COST AND SCHEDULE
1. Proposed Cost
MAXIMUS will complete the proposed tasks and deliverable products (cost plan and
user fee study for the planning, building, engineering, police, fire, and recreation depart-
ments) for a fixed fee of $45,000 plus a maximum of $2,000 in expenses.
MAXIMUS always conducts user fee studies under a "fixed fee" arrangement. In this
manner, our clients know the entire cost of the project prior to the commencement of the
engagement. Furthermore, this approach eliminates the perception or potential perception
that our determination of costs and fees was influenced by possible increases to our own
bottom line (as could be the case of a contingency fee basis). This approach enhances the
credibility of the study outcomes (new fees) with the city departments, your customers/fee
payers, and the general citizenry.
18
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
All of the services we propose to the city of National City are included in our proposed
price, including consultant labor, expenses, travel, and associated project costs. Unless
the city requests additional services or materially changes the scope of the project, our
price will not change. If the city requests additional services, we will mutually agree
upon the associated project cost before beginning work on the additional tasks. In short,
we will not perform additional work or charge additional fees without the city's permis-
sion.
H. COST NOTES
With the current economic constraints placed on our clients, we have taken special efforts
to present the most cost/effective pricing plan possible. Our proposal price assumes that
the study will not require more than two revisions to any component analysis, i.e. an
original run and two subsequent re -runs to fine tune the analysis. It also assumes that we
will not we devote more than 32 hours of professional time to this project after delivery
of our final draft report for further editing, research, meetings or work of any kind related
to this project. Should we need to devote time in excess of 32 hours after delivery of the
draft, we would charge our additional services at the rates noted below.
It is very rare for us to charge a client for additional services. This provision is an incen-
tive to the city to bring the project to the implementation phase and a protection for our
firm's promise to live within a fixed fee. Actual time spent after delivery of the draft is
unlikely to exceed 24 hours.
MAXIMUS current professional service rates are: vice president - $220/hour; Director -
$175/hour; manager - $125/hour; senior consultant - $105/hour; consultant - $85/hour
1. Project Payment Schedule
The city would be invoiced based on the following deliverable completion:
Milestone
% of Total Cost
Draft cost of service analysis
(data)
60%
Draft fee report
20%
Final fee/operations analysis
10%
Completion of all services
10%
TOTAL
100%
2. Project Schedule
19
Cost of Service Proposal City of National City
The city of National City proposed cost of services study constitutes a complex set of op-
erations. A MAXIMUS cost of services study typically entails several iterations (reviews)
by staff until both staff and MAXIMUS professionals are confident that the numbers pre-
sented represent the actual cost of providing the services. In our experience, and with
good city cooperation, the process will take approximately two and one half to three
months to complete the factual data process, (i.e. delivery of the "full cost" numbers).
The next phase, acceptance of the draft and final report, and presentation to the city coun-
cil, can take another one to three months, depending on local timing.
CONCLUSION
We are excited for the potential opportunity to serve the city of National City. Our com-
pany motto is "Helping Government Serve the People." Based on our experience with
other cities and counties throughout the West, we believe that the city and its citizens
would reap many benefits from this study. The detailed cost information resulting from
the study can help management make more informed and beneficial decisions regarding
specific programs and services. Furthermore, refined fees based on the actual cost of
providing the services can help citizens better understand and appreciate the fees they pay
to their government.
20
City of National City, California
COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT
MEETING DATE January 6, 2004 AGENDA ITEM NO.
3
ITEM TITLE A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH MAXIMUS TO
PROVIDE THE CITY WITH COST OF SERVICES/USER FEE ANALYSIS
Kathleen Trees 4213
PREPARED BY ZZ��o. _ ���/,,,,_ DEPARTMENT
EXPLANATION '�-GP� ����
Building & Safety
To avoid large user fee increases, the City Council has previously recommended more frequent, modest user
fee increases to keep pace with inflation. The last City user fee review was conducted in 2001. Due to
increases in labor, materials and supplies, some of the current user fees are not sufficient to cover the cost of
City services. In addition, new services have been added in which the fees have not been established.
In the past, the City staff in each department has calculated their cost of services. In recent years, however,
cities have been challenged in the courts on their development fees. With this in mind, staff decided to
contract with a consultant that is an expert in calculating fees that can be defended in the courts. Several
proposals were received and MAXIMUS was chosen based on their experience and superior method of
calculating building department fees.
See attached Executive Summary and proposal prepared by MAXIMUS for more information.
Environmental Review ✓ N/A
Financial Statement
$47,000 to be paid out of Unreserved Fund Balance.
Account No. 001' 'A05 i2`19-G,0
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the Resolution.
BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
N/A
ATTACHMENTS ( Listed Below) Resolution No. 2004-1
Resolution
Contract
Executive Summary
A-200 (9/80)
RESOLUTION NO. 2004 —1
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AN
AGREEMENT WITH MAXIMUS TO PROVIDE THE
CITY WITH COST OF SERVICES FEE ANALYSIS
WHEREAS, the City desires to employ a consultant to provide a cost of
services/user fee analysis; and
WHEREAS, the City has determined that Maximus is a program management
and operations consultant and is qualified by experience and ability to perform the services
desired by the City, and Maximus is willing to perform such services.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
National City hereby authorizes the Mayor to execute on behalf of the City an Agreement with
Maximus to provide a cost of services/user fee analysis. Said Agreement is on file in the office of
the City Clerk.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 6th day of January, 2004.
ATTEST:
Mich el Dalla, Ci Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
George H. Eiser, III
City Attorney
Passed and adopted by the Council of the City of National City, California, on January 6, 2004,
by the following vote, to -wit:
Ayes: Councilmembers Inzunza, Morrison, Natividad, Parra, Ungab.
Nays: None.
Absent: None.
Abstain: None.
AUTHENTICATED BY:
NICK INZUNZA
Mayor of the City of National City, California
lerk of the City National City, California
By:
Deputy
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the above and foregoing is a full, true and correct copy of
RESOLUTION NO. 2004-1 of the City of National City, California, passed and adopted by the
Council of said City on January 6, 2004.
City Clerk of the City of National City, California
By:
Deputy