To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: MARC WIENER, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
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APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH IWORQ SYSTEMS INC. FOR AN INTEGRATED BUILDING, PLANNING, AND ENGINEERING SOFTWARE SYSTEM THAT WILL ASSIST THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS WITH THE ISSUANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION PERMITS FOR AN ANNUAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $65,000 AND A TERM OF THREE YEARS
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Community Development and Public Works Departments are committed to enhancing customer service by making the City’s construction permitting processes easier and more efficient for applicants. To meet these goals, the Departments have been exploring innovative solutions that leverage technology to streamline operations and improve efficiency.
Last year, the City implemented a City Tech Solutions permit management system, which is a software platform that primarily serves the Building and Safety Division. The system includes a portal allowing customers to submit building applications and plans online, but at this time is unable to integrate with the City’s full range of permit services. As a result, staff is proposing to transition from the City Tech Solutions platform to iWorQ Systems Inc., which is a more complete system that also includes modules for Planning, Engineering, and Code Enforcement. The annual fee for the iWorkQ software is $7,000 less than the cost of the City Tech Solutions software, and would better meet the wider range of City needs. Full implementation of the program is anticipated to be complete in February 2025.
BACKGROUND
For a number of years, the Community Development Department used the Tyler Munis platform to manage and track all incoming building permit applications. While the finance application provides great value to the City overall, it is not fully equipped to be a permit management system. To address this, the Council identified a strategic planning objective to replace the system with a more modern, cloud-based platform that allows for online plan submission, processing, inspection, communication, and fee payment.
To better address the needs of the Community Development and Public Works Departments, staff recommends transitioning from City Tech Solutions to iWorQ Systems Inc. This advanced software platform offers a more user-friendly interface, robust features, and superior technical support. By adopting iWorQ Systems Inc, the Department aims to:
• Streamline Permit Processing: Simplify and expedite the permit application and approval process, reducing processing times for both applicants and staff
• Enhance Public Access: Provide a user-friendly online portal that allows the public to easily submit applications, track progress, and access important information
• Improve Efficiency: Automate routine tasks, reduce paperwork, and improve overall operational efficiency between Departments
• Enhance Data Management: Utilize advanced data analytics to identify trends, improve decision-making, and enhance service delivery
• Foster Internal Collaboration: The Community Development Department envisions iWorQ as a platform to consolidate review activities carried-out by its Building and Planning Divisions, as well as the Fire Department, Public Works Department, and Code Enforcement Division. This integration will strengthen collaboration, improve communication, and ultimately enhance the quality of service provided to the public
The software will simplify and improve the Department’s current permitting, plan check, and inspection process. With the online submission of plans, applications can be routed to multiple Departments for plan check with each group receiving automated notifications. Each step in the process is tracked and recorded, eliminating the potential for items to get stuck at any step in the process. Inspections will also be automated, with applicants having the ability to schedule inspections through the online portal which will eliminate the current manual process where individuals call and leave a voice message for staff. On the City side, schedulers can access information and assign inspections, with Inspectors being able to access inspection records online. The system has the ability to track activity levels and capture additional data and performance metrics. This data will allow the Community Development Department to produce regular activity and performance reports that can be utilized by City leadership.
The proposed Agreement is for an initial three-year term with the option for two additional one-year renewals. The first three years include software implementation, data transfer, and training at a total annual cost of $65,000 (billed annually). A two percent fee increase will be applied to years four and five of the Agreement, should the optional renewals be exercised by the City. The City has pre-paid for the first year of City Tech Solution and there will be approximately four months of overlap with the payments for iWorQ Systems Inc. However, the added cost for the overlap will be partially offset by the lower annual fee for iWorQ Systems Inc. As a part of the Agreement, iWorQ Systems Inc. has agreed to waive their one-time implementation fee of $45,900.
The City Attorney’s Office helped finalize the terms of the Agreement and finds the terms to be satisfactory. One area of note is that any legal action or proceedings would be heard in the State of Utah. While the City Attorney typically insists on California being the preferred jurisdiction, setting the venue in California would have raised the cost of the Agreement. The City Attorney’s Office was willing to accept this provision due to the low risk of future litigation for the subject software service.
COORDINATION
This item was coordinated with the Community Development Department, Information Technology Department and the City Attorney’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
The annual cost for the software is $65,000. Funding for the first two years of the agreement is available through remaining funds from the $200,000 appropriation for the software implementation project approved as part of Decision Package #57 in Fiscal Year 2022-23. Future year software license and maintenance costs will be paid from the Community Development Department’s annual budget for professional services.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• Agmt - iWorQ Systems, Inc.
• Insurance - iWorQ Systems, Inc.