Amendment to Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. Fire & Life Safety Inspection Contract for Services

Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Rocklin authorizing the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 1 to the Contract for Fire & Life Safety Inspection Services with Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. and approving additional budget appropriations in the amount of $27,100.

The Rocklin Fire Department (Department) conducts more than 700 fire and life safety inspections annually for new development, tenant improvements, and for occupancies mandated by the State of California. These inspections help to keep our community safe by ensuring that suppression and detection systems along with architectural design comply with the local and State regulations. Inspections are conducted by Fire Inspectors who are certified by the State of California and possess the necessary experience to conduct both development inspections and code enforcement inspections.

On September 11, 2018, the City Council passed and adopted Ordinance 1104 regarding the establishment of Service Fees, which became effective October 11, 2018. The fees are codified in the Rocklin Municipal Code at Chapter 3.32.050.  Pursuant to Chapter 3.32.050, the City Council passed Resolution 2018-245 establishing Service Fees effective January 1, 2019, which include fees to cover the Fire Department’s increased scope and depth of fire inspections in order to ensure compliance with applicable fire codes. 

On April 30, 2020, the City entered into a one-year contract with Bureau Veritas North America, Inc. for fire & life safety inspection services, for an amount not to exceed $50,000. This contract provided for the equivalent of one qualified Fire Inspector on a part-time basis to assist in providing inspection services to our community.

The Department currently uses a retired annuitant and the contractor to complete Fire Inspector duties. The Department will be eliminating the annuitant position effective March 13, 2021, which will result in the need for the contractor to provide additional Fire Inspection services.

As a result of increased fire & life safety inspections, construction permit inspections and mandated inspections per the State Fire Code, it is anticipated the need for services provided by Bureau Veritas will continue and exceed the current contract amount of $50,000. Therefore, the Department is requesting City Council approval to amend the Contract to extend the term through the end of Fiscal Year 2020/21, and increase compensation by $70,000 to an amount not to exceed $120,000.

The compensation paid to Bureau Veritas under the Contract and Amendment is projected to be recouped through the service fees charged pursuant to Resolution 2018-245.  To date, the Fire Prevention program has received approximately $161,000 in fees for plan review and inspection services.

For the current fiscal year, with the approved Contract Amendment; the fiscal impact will result in an increase in operating expenditures, resulting in the request for additional budget appropriations of $27,100. 

The following account in the table below will be allocated for fire inspection services and the Wildland Fire Protection Agreement for the remainder of the fiscal year.