To: Board of Supervisors
From: Karen Caoile, Director of Risk Management
Report Title: Contract Amendment/Extension with Tuell & Associates, Inc.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Director of Risk Management, or designee, to execute a contract amendment with Tuell & Associates, Inc. to increase the payment limit by $750,000 to a new payment limit of $1,500,000 for workers’ compensation and risk management staffing services and extend the term through January 31, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost for temporary employee services is funded 100% through the Workers' Compensation and General Liability Internal Services Funds.
BACKGROUND:
Tuell & Associates, Inc. specializes in providing temporary highly experienced workers' compensation and general liability claims adjusters for County claims processing. Specialized temporary staff are needed to fill vacant funded positions in the Risk Management Department as it continues to recruit permanent staff. An extension of the existing contract with Tuell & Associates, Inc. is being requested while the Department is both attempting to permanently fill the vacant positions and undergoing the solicitation process to secure multiple vendors to provide temporary staffing as needed. The current contract with Tuell & Associates, Inc. is for $750,000 and expires January 31, 2024. The extension will be valid through January 31, 2025, or until a qualified pool of vendors is established via the County’s procurement process. The Department consulted with Labor Relations on January 4, 2024, regarding the contract extension and ongoing recruiting plans.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Risk Management will not have adequate technical assistance and staff to process workers' compensation and liability claims in the timely manner required to satisfy current regulations.