DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Civtech SA Residency Program Contracts
SUMMARY:
Approval of these ordinances will:
A) Authorize a contract with Rise Civic Consulting, LLC in the amount of $195,100.00 for the delivery, implementation, hosting and maintenance of a digital affordable housing portal for the Neighborhood and Housing Services Department. Funding is available from the General Fund.
B) Authorize a contract with Appledore, Inc., in the estimated total amount of $336,600.00 for a homeless encampment services outreach application platform to enhance homeless service coordination amongst organizations and street outreach staff working with the unsheltered homeless population for the Department of Human Services. Funding for this contract will be provided from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Street Outreach program.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio (COSA) Neighborhood and Housing Services Department (NHSD) and Department of Human Services (DHS) were selected to participate in the 2019 CivTech Residency Program sponsored by the COSA Office of Innovation and Geekdom. The CivTech Residency program is designed to solicit partnership opportunities with technology companies to assist the City with a specific challenge/concern.
A. NHSD identified a need for a tool that would allow San Antonians experiencing low-income challenges with access to housing resources that not only fit their budget but also their lifestyle. The envisioned tool would empower community members to find housing in the neighborhoods they would like to live in and connect people needing second chance housing opportunities to landlords able to offer them.
B. The DHS Homeless Division identified the need to have user-friendly software to assess and document the needs and trends of those experiencing street homelessness in San Antonio. Specifically, DHS was seeking a tool to better serve the City’s homeless population by tracking individuals found in homeless encampments, collect a minimal amount of demographic information about them, identify their geo-locations and provide notifications to outreach teams that can provide them the appropriate services.
Based on these identified needs, the City issued a Request for Competitive Sealed Proposals (RFCSP) for “CivtechSA Residency Program” (RFCSP 6100011144) on February 15, 2019 with a submission deadline of March 25, 2019. Three proposals were received, and one proposal was incomplete and deemed non-responsive. The remaining two proposals were deemed eligible for evaluation. Rise Civic Consulting, LLC and Appledore, Inc. are recommended for contract award based on the City’s standard RFCSP evaluation process.
Megan Oswald, founder of M.G. Oswald and Associates, Inc., a Texas For-Profit Corporation, and Juan Cano, founder of Cano Development, LLC, a Texas Limited Liability Company, joined to create Rise Civic Consulting, LLC, a Texas Limited Liability Company, to develop a solution for this challenge.
Proposal responses were evaluated based on a total of 100 points: 40 points allotted for Experience, Background, and Qualifications and 60 points allotted for Proposed Challenge Solution. Pricing for a planned roll out or development costs were requested; however, pricing was not a scored criterion. The Evaluation Committee convened on April 22, 2019 to complete the evaluation and scoring. The Evaluation Committee members scored each Respondent’s Experience, Background & Qualifications and Proposed Challenge Solution. The selected Respondents Rise Civic Consulting, LLC. and Appledore, Inc. were then invited to participate in the 16-week Residency period which began on May 6, 2019 and ended August 26, 2019.
Both respondents, Rise Civic Consulting, LLC. and Appledore, Inc. moved forward with a 16-week Residency Program at Geekdom where they were provided with a Geekdom membership, a dedicated Geekdom workspace and access to Geekdom resources to assist with everything from talent acquisition to developing a business strategy for the customized product / solution.
A. Following the Residency program and the successful presentation of the design of the housing portal, Rise Civic Consulting, LLC. was asked to provide a quotation for the development and launch of the NHSD housing portal.
The term of this agreement will be upon award through completion of all services or August 1, 2021, whichever is sooner.
B. Following the Residency program and successful product demonstration, Appledore, Inc., demonstrated a successful integration with the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and the mapping tool to document encampments and the City’s efforts. It also enables outreach staff to send program referrals, has a bed reservation feature to connect clients to resources, and allows outreach staff to document and collaborate on one platform versus in silos. Appledore, Inc., was asked to provide a quotation for the development and launch of the NHSD housing portal.
The initial term of this agreement shall be for a one year period. Four additional one-year renewals at the City’s option shall also be authorized by this ordinance.
ISSUE:
A. This ordinance authorizes approval of an agreement with Rise Civic Consulting, LLC. for the delivery, implementation, hosting and maintenance of a digital affordable housing portal for the Neighborhood and Housing Services Department.
The Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Ordinance requirements were waived due to the lack of small, minority, and/or women businesses available to provide these goods and services.
This contract is an exception to the Local Preference Program.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) Preference Program does not apply to non-professional service contracts, so no preference was applied to this contract.
B. This ordinance authorizes approval of an agreement with Appledore, Inc., for the purpose of providing mobile application software to enhance coordination and collaboration across entities engaging and providing homeless outreach to the unsheltered population.
The Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Ordinance requirements were waived due to the lack of small, minority, and/or women businesses available to provide these goods and services.
This contract is an exception to the Local Preference Program.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) Preference Program does not apply to non-professional service contracts, so no preference was applied to this contract.
ALTERNATIVES:
A. Should this contract not be approved; the City would need to restart the search for a custom-built portal. This delay would greatly impact the City’s ability to provide a digital affordable housing tool for the residents of San Antonio.
B. Should this contract not be approved; the City would need to restart the search for a homeless encampment services outreach application platform. This delay would greatly impact the City’s ability to enhance the coordination of services for the City’s homeless population.
FISCAL IMPACT:
A. This ordinance will authorize a contract with Rise Civic Consulting, LLC. in the amount of $195,100.00 for the delivery, implementation, hosting and maintenance of a digital affordable housing portal for the Neighborhood and Housing Services Department. Funding is available from the General Fund.
B. This ordinance authorizes approval of an agreement with Appledore, Incorporated for the purpose of providing a mobile app software to enhance coordination and collaboration amongst entities engaging and conducting outreach to the unsheltered homeless population. The costs associated with the contract include a $100 one-time per agency fee and $85 per month/per user for 66 licenses and 10 agencies during the initial term. If the City adds 34 or more additional Users (totaling 100 Users or more), the User Fees may not exceed $80.00 per User and the yearly cost will adjust accordingly. The Appledore Contract will operate on a fiscal year time period (October-September). The initial term of this agreement will be prorated based upon the effective date of the ordinance awarding this contract through September 30, 2021. Future years estimated yearly costs are $67,320 based upon the initial 10 agencies and 66 users as detailed above however additional agency fees and licenses will be subject to and contingent upon appropriation of funding, therefore. The parties intend year one to include 10 partnering agencies and 66 user licenses at the above-mentioned rates.
RECOMMENDATION:
A. Staff recommends the approval of the contract with Rise Civic Consulting, LLC. for the delivery, implementation, hosting and maintenance of a purchase and commissioning of a digital affordable housing portal for the Neighborhood and Housing Services Department. Funding for the delivery of a custom-built system in the amount of $195,100.00 is provided from the general fund.
B. Staff recommends the approval of the contract with Appledore, Inc., for a homeless encampment services outreach application in the estimated total amount of $336,600.00.
This contract was procured by means of a Competitive Sealed Proposal and a Contracts Disclosure Form is required.