HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-06-13 - AGENDA REPORTS - UTILITY COST AUDITORAgenda Item: 13
1. CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: TAA,/�
DATE: June 13, 2023
SUBJECT: EXPENDITURE AUTHORITY INCREASE AND RENEWAL FOR
UTILITY BILLING AND FRANCHISE FEE AUDIT SERVICES
DEPARTMENT: Administrative Services
PRESENTER: Andrew Adams
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Authorize an expenditure authority increase to the existing contract with Utility Cost
Management, LLC, in the amount of $100,000, for a total contract amount not to exceed
$200,000.
2. Authorize a five-year contract renewal with Utility Cost Management, LLC, beginning in
Fiscal Year 2023-24, for ongoing utility billing and franchise fee audit services, not to exceed
$200,000 per year.
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all contracts and associated documents
subject to City Attorney approval.
BACKGROUND
The City has sought to reduce utility expenses by procuring utility billing and franchise fee audit
services from Utility Cost Management, LLC (UCM). Utility Cost Management, LLC, identifies
errors and rate changes, obtaining refunds and ongoing savings opportunities against the City's
utility service accounts, including gas, electric, water, and annual franchise fees.
Utility Cost Management, LLC measures and verifies those savings over the life of the contract
by gathering and organizing historical billing information on the utility accounts and franchise
fees serving the City's properties. Utility accounts are reviewed to determine whether they are
billed appropriately and whether they have been billed correctly in the past. Utility Cost
Management, LLC's analysis includes, but is not limited to, the investigation of billing
calculations, inapplicable rate schedules, proper metering of services, optional rates, the
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applicability of taxes and surcharges, baseline and lifeline allowance calculations, meter
multipliers, and the bearing of all rules and regulations.
In recent years, UCM has performed several audits of the City's electric and water utility service
bills. In 2015, UCM analyzed the City's Southern California Edison (SCE) electric utility bills,
including those for the City's Parks Division. Utility Cost Management, LLC's audit resulted in
annual, approximate savings of $75,000 and $100,000, respectively, for the City.
Additionally, in 2016, UCM evaluated SCE's offer to the City to purchase the streetlights. Utility
Cost Management, LLC, provided a fiscal analysis of SCE's initial streetlight purchase price,
which reduced the City's capital acquisition cost by over $650,000. Utility Cost Management,
LLC, charges a 42 percent fee based on cost savings realized, resulting from newly assigned
rates identified by UCM and implemented by the utility company.
As a part of their current contract, UCM is evaluating the City's streetlight electric utility bills
and has found lamp change errors and reoccurring savings opportunities, resulting in
approximately $100,000 in identified savings. Furthermore, UCM is working with SCE to make
billing corrections and issue possible retroactive refunds or credits in an estimated amount of
$300,000. Due to this savings projection, the amount due to UCM for its services will
correspondingly increase. Therefore, staff is requesting a one-time expenditure authority increase
of $100,000 associated with utility audit and analysis services held by UCM for a total annual
amount not to exceed $200,000 to support utility billing analysis for errors, credits, and cost -
saving opportunities. The increase in expenditure authority granted by the City Council does not
represent any guarantee of additional compensation under the terms of this existing contract.
Payment is solely based on anticipated cost savings realized due to ongoing savings identified
from corrected errors and retroactive refunds and credits.
While there are other alternative firms that offer billing and fee auditing services, staff
determined UCM to be the most qualified and capable based on their in-depth and historically -
driven understanding of the City's vast array of utility service accounts. Moreover, UCM
currently maintains an active contract with the California Special Districts Association, of which
the City has been authorized to piggyback off from, thereby removing any further competitive
process efforts, per the City's Purchasing Policy.
Finally, in addition to the expenditure authority increase, staff requests a five-year renewal to the
City's current agreement with UCM, beginning in FY 2023-24, not to exceed $200,000 per fiscal
year. During contract renewal negotiations, staff was successful in lowering UCM's fee from 42
to 30 percent, which will yield even greater potential savings for the City in the future.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds to cover costs related to this contract will be offset by savings in utility expense.
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