Title
Resolution to Approve a Professional Services Agreement with CRW Systems, Inc. ($61,000.00) and Authorize a Project Budget for Digital Plan Submission ($90,000.00)
Memorandum
Attached for your review and action is a resolution authorizing the creation of a project budget in the amount of $90,000 for the purchase, implementation and support of CRW Systems' electronic plan submission and review software module, eMarkup, associated training services, and supporting hardware for the City's Planning and Development records management system, TRAKiT. The City's Planning and Development Service Unit plans to leverage this new electronic plan submission and review platform, collectively called Digital Plan Submission, to transform the Planning and Development plan review process by streamlining project plan review workflows, increasing transparency to the project review outcomes and, providing online access to project plans under review.
For the past several years the City's Planning and Development Service Unit, along with many other service units, has been challenged to do more with less. The reduction in administrative support staff and increased demand for physical plan storage has posed a challenge for the construction permit and site plan review processes. Over the same period, electronic plan review software systems have emerged in the marketplace and the cost of large LCD monitors, and other viewing platforms, have come down considerably. The combination of these developments has made the notion of using an electronic plan review system at the City a viable option for conducting plan reviews.
The idea of leveraging an electronic plan review system has benefits both internally for staff and externally for the City's customers. Internally the City benefits by reducing the administrative tasks of routing, comparing and consolidating physical plans, allowing for better information sharing and enabling staff to collaborate more effectively on plan reviews. Externally, the City's many customers would save on plan printing and duplication costs, experience faster turnaround times on plan review iterations, and collaborate more effectively with City staff.
The City's Planning and Development Staff met with various stakeholders regarding the Digital Submission project including the various City staff that support planning and development activities, local architects, civil design firms, and the local builders association to present the project and address any concerns regarding the Digital Submission project that were brought forth. Stakeholders are very supportive of this initiative and have expressed a desire for this project to be implemented sooner, rather than later.
The resolution approves a Professional Services Agreement with CRW Systems in an amount not to exceed $61,000 for the purchase of a five concurrent user license for CRW's eMarkup Module, installation and configuration of the software and necessary staff training. Additionally, $19,000 of the project will go towards the acquisition of hardware required to successfully implement this project, including additional large screen monitors for plan reviewers, scanners for intake of paper plans and a public kiosk for reviewing plans. A contingency amount of $10,000 has also been included to account for any unforeseen hardware or software necessary to fully implement the Digital Submission platform.
Funding for the Digital Plan Submission and Review project is available in the FY2013 Construction Fund. CRW Systems received Human Rights and Living Wage compliance approval on November 29, 2012.
Staff
Prepared by: Dan Rainey, Director, Information Technology
Reviewed by: Tom Crawford, CFO and Financial Services Area Administrator and Sumedh Bahl, Community Services Area Administrator
Approved by: Steven D. Powers, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, Implementing an electronic plan submission and review software will increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and accuracy of the City's Planning and Development plan review process;
Whereas, Implementing an electronic plan submission and review software greatly benefit the customers of the City's Planning and Development Service Unit;
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor has standardized on CRW's TRAKiT software platform for managing the City's Planning and Development plan review process;
Whereas, CRW's eMarkup software platform is integrated with TRAKiT and allows TRAKiT users to leverage electronic plan submission and review to reduce paperwork and increase efficiency;
Whereas, eMarkup implementation and support services contract with CRW Systems will not exceed $61,000.00;
Whereas, The total Digital Plan Submission project budget is not to exceed $90,000.00;
Whereas, CRW Systems received Human Rights and Living Wage compliance approval on November 29, 2012; and
Whereas, Funding for the plan submission and review software for this project is available in the FY2013 Construction Fund;
RESOLVED, That City Council establish a project budget of $90,000.00 for the Digital Plan Submission project, including a $10,000.00 contingency, available for expenditure for the life of the project regardless of fiscal year;
RESOLVED, That City Council approve a professional services agreement with CRW Systems for the purchase, installation and configuration of the CRW eMarkup plan submission and review software and associated training services not to exceed $61,000.00; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take all necessary actions to implement this Resolution, regardless of fiscal year, including the authorization of expenditures from the established project contingency.