Explanation
Need: This ordinance is to authorize the Executive Director of the Civil Service Commission, contingent upon passage of Ordinance 2853-2022 and the transfer of funds included therein, to increase a contract with ForPsych: A Forensic Psychology Practice (ForPsych) for psychological screening of public safety recruits for upcoming classes at the Police Academy and the Fire Academy.
The Civil Service Commission needs to increase the maximum authorized expenditure in the current contract with ForPsych in order to add funds for upcoming screening services. Funding is typically added annually or prior to each academy class. As part of our 2022 budget development, Finance advised us they were purposefully under-funding entry-level safety psychological screenings but would monitor expenses as the year progressed and identify additional funds as determined necessary. The original academy classes identified for 2022 were two (2) Police Officer classes of 35 each (total of 70), and two (2) Firefighter classes of 35 each (total of 70). As the year progressed it was determined by Public Safety that there would need to be (3) Police Officer classes totaling 170 recruits, one (1) “lateral” class of (50) out-of-jurisdiction Police Officer recruits, and three Firefighter classes totaling 135 recruits. So, knowing the original 140 psychological assessments needed were under-funded to begin with, and then accommodating the increase in classes/recruits requiring a total of approximately 450 additional psychological assessments to cover upcoming Police and Fire classes beginning in December and first quarter of 2023, it becomes quickly evident how our original budget appropriation was grossly under-funded and a significant increase in funding is now required.
Since this is a professional services contract that has already been awarded through the regular Request for Proposals process (see below), the contract’s requirements cannot be awarded through other procure...
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