Logo courtesy of the Yuba City

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) – A major overhaul of Yuba City's financial and payroll operations is taking longer than planned, requiring another $101,750 in consulting services to complete the conversion.

The Yuba City City Council approved an amendment to its agreement with SDI Presence LLC of Los Angeles earlier this month as part of the consent calendar.

The additional expense covers $92,500 in professional services and a $9,250 contingency, officials said. The project involves replacing the city's existing financial management and human resources software with an integrated system intended to improve accounting, payroll processing, reporting and daily operations.

The city began the modernization effort in October 2022, when the council hired SDI Presence to assist with selecting a new software provider and overseeing implementation. In July 2024,

The council awarded the software contract to Tyler Technologies Inc. and authorized SDI Presence to provide implementation support. The council allocated $2,037,827 for the project, including $1.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding.

The original timeline called for implementation over two years, with approximately 12 months devoted to financial operations and another year for human resources and payroll. Both portions have been extended to allow additional testing and ensure the software functions properly before being placed into everyday use, officials said.

Information Technology Manager Brian Hansen identified the need for another 500 hours of consulting assistance to complete the project. SDI Presence agreed to continue providing those services at its original rate of $185 per hour rather than its current $210 hourly charge.

The consultant's responsibilities include coordinating work between the city and Tyler Technologies, managing project timelines and ensuring that necessary tasks are completed.

City officials said the additional assistance is intended to keep the conversion moving while addressing remaining implementation requirements.

Funding for the amendment is available within the city's existing technology modernization budget, which officials said has sufficient money remaining to cover the additional expense.

The council could have directed city employees to handle the remaining work internally but instead approved continuing the consulting agreement.