SARATOGA, California. Consent item 1.8 on the Saratoga City Council's June 17, 2026 agenda authorizes the Acting City Manager to execute a contract amendment with CSG Consultants, Inc. for Interim Building Official services. The amendment establishes a not-to-exceed contract total amount of $81,600. The item was on the consent calendar, which means it was acted on with the rest of the routine consent business unless removed for separate discussion.
Why cities contract for an Interim Building Official
A Building Official is the city employee responsible for enforcing the building, residential, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and energy codes adopted by the state and the city. The position is statutorily required under the California Building Standards Code. When a city loses its Building Official to retirement, resignation, or reassignment, contracting with a third-party consulting firm for an interim official is the standard bridge until a permanent recruitment is complete. CSG Consultants is one of the larger California municipal services firms providing this kind of plan check and code enforcement support.
How the $81,600 figure should be read
A not-to-exceed contract total of $81,600 is a budget ceiling rather than a guaranteed payment. Under typical interim staffing arrangements, the consultant invoices the city on an hourly or daily basis for the actual time worked, and the not-to-exceed amount caps the total expenditure that the Acting City Manager is authorized to approve under the amendment. The fact that this is structured as an amendment, not a new agreement, indicates that a base contract with CSG already exists.