Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, October 06, 2020
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER AWARDING AND APPROVING CONTRACT SERVICES AGREEMENTS/AMENDMENTS FOR PROVISION OF ON-CALL EMPLOYEE RELATIONS INVESTIGATION SERVICES (CITY COUNCIL)
Body
I. SUMMARY
The City has utilized various third-party consultants for employee relations investigations and related matters in the past. However, the City's need for such services has substantially increased in recent months as several new matters requiring third party investigation services have arisen, beginning in the summer of 2019.
In an initial attempt to address the immediate demand, staff solicited interest from investigators recommended by the City Attorney's Office or senior staff in other cities, and two firms were retained under City Manager contract authority; and, pursuant to the City's purchasing ordinance, staff issued a Request for Qualifications ("RFQ") to retain a new on-call panel of firms with sufficient funding authorization to allow for performance of the necessary professional services on an on-call basis for a sustained period of time moving forward.
Staff issued the RFQ (Exhibit No. 1), received and evaluated the 15 proposals received in response, and based thereon, on September 1, 2020, recommended that the City Council award contract service agreements to the four highest rated attorney firms and the one highest rated non-attorney firm according to staff's Internal Panel Rating Worksheet (Exhibit No. 2). The City Council did not make the recommended award and instead requested that an external panel review the proposals and provide its recommendation, and staff was questioned as to whether four on-call firms were needed.
The external panel has been established and will be concluding its evaluation of the RFQ responses prior to October 6, 2020. The result of that evaluation, the External Rating Worksheet, will be walked on during the City Council meeting as Exhibit No. 3 to this ...
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