DATE: September 22, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: 311/Customer Relations Management Software Agreement
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with Comcate Software, Inc., for 311/Customer Relations Management software, training, support, and data integration, effective upon execution, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract term and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $300,000.
REPORT
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action which will allow the County to enhance communication with and engage with residents. This system will empower residents and staff to report and track various county-related issues easily, whether through a user-friendly mobile application or an accessible website interface, and will integrate with existing systems to ensure efficient workflow coordination, data sharing, and improving geospatial analysis and resource allocations. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the County would need to acquire and implement a new 311/Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to monitor and manage resident feedback and day-to-day service engagement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Costs associated with the recommended Agreement will not exceed $300,000 for the total possible five-year term and will be paid for from the Department of Public Works and Planning’s Road Fund Org 45104514 and split with other departments that opt into using the service. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Road Fund Org 45104514 FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget and will be included in future Recommended Budgets.
DISCUSSION:
The Department of Public Works and Planning (PWP) is seeking a comprehensive and modern 311/CRM software solution to enhance communication and engagement with county residents. This system must allow residents to make service requests, allow management to assign tasks and resources, and allow staff to communicate regarding workflows and resolutions. This new 311/CRM system will play a pivotal role in improving service delivery, streamlining issue resolution, and fostering transparency between the county and its residents. ArcGIS and Cartegraph integration will allow data sharing between platforms to enable geospatial analysis, improved resource allocations and workflow coordination, and increased service efficiency. Mobile app integration will improve the ease of service reports and field staff response.
Under the guidance of the Purchasing Manager, the Department used the reverse Request for Proposal (RFP) process to solicit bids. Three vendors were identified as potential bidders: Civicplus, Granicus, and Comcate. The Department requested that each vendor perform a one-hour demonstration of their product before a Review Committee comprised of members from the Department of Public Works and Planning’s Road Maintenance & Operations Division (PWP, RMO) and the County Administrative Office (CAO). Members included the following County staff: Supervising Engineer (PWP, RMO), Information Technology Analyst (Information Technology Services Division), Information Technology Manager (PWP, Computer Data Systems), Engineer (PWP, RMO), Office Assistant (PWP, RMO), Production and Media Specialist (CAO), Communications Director (CAO). The review committee observed the demonstrations and requested written proposals from each vendor. Vendors were ranked by how well their proposals demonstrated select criteria, set forth by the Department, using a free-form evaluation tool which outlined pre-determined requirements. Cost proposals were submitted, however they were drafted in such a way that they were not readily comparable to each other, as different costs were associated with different phases of implementation across all bidders. Cost was not an appropriate basis for determining efficacy of the product being offered, due to the variability of the proposed solutions (i.e., each vendor is summarily offering different solutions via unique software applications). Upon final review, the committee submitted a recommendation to award Comcate with an agreement for services. All bidders were notified of the department’s decision to award Comcate the agreement on November 24, 2025. The recommendation was primarily based on the performance of the product and its highly efficient integration with software the County currently uses.
A phased rollout and integration approach is expected for this software, with PWP’s staff training on and adopting the software immediately and rolling out to other Departments that choose to opt in, later. Comcate will collaborate with County staff to ensure that the software continues to meet the needs of the County throughout the duration of the service.
The recommended agreement includes non-standard indemnification language that restricts the vendor’s duty to indemnify and defend the County against claims that might arise from the misuse or unauthorized modification of the technology, that results from combination with products or data beyond their control, or for uses not in accordance with the intended documentation. There is also a related liability limitation clause that restricts potential liabilities arising from this Agreement to the total fees paid or payable 24 months prior to the event giving rise to the claim. Risk Management has reviewed these terms and indicated that they recommend against liability limitations, in general, but noted that virtually all software agreements include them. Their recommendation to ask for a longer term than initially requested by the vendor (12 months) was accepted and incorporated. PWP believes that the remaining potential risks associated with these changes are acceptable.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Comcate
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia