title
PURCHASE OF RADIO EQUIPMENT
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve a motion to:
1. Adopt findings approving an exception to the competitive bidding process and authorize the use of the Cooperative Agreement with the Houston-Galveston Area Council for the purchase of a radio core from Motorola Solutions;
2. Authorize the City Manager to redirect Fiscal Year 2017-18 funds approved for Stockton Police Department workstation consoles to this radio equipment purchase;
3. Authorize the City Manager to purchase radio equipment from Motorola Solutions in the amount of $696,389; and
4. Authorize the City Manager to take any and all appropriate actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this motion.
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Summary
The components of the City’s radio infrastructure, which supports emergency communication within the City, have reached, or are reaching, the end of useful life and need replacement, upgrades, and in some cases, additional components. Without this key equipment maintenance, public safety staff does not have the necessary communication support for their daily jobs. Staff from the Information Technology (IT), Fire, and Police Departments have been working on a comprehensive plan for emergency radios and infrastructure over the last several years to identify priority replacements, allocate adequate funding, and develop long-term maintenance and replacement financing structure. This request before Council is for a key component needed immediately to complete installation of the Fire Department’s dispatch consoles purchased in 2015 and will also support the future upgrade and installation of Police workstation consoles. The existing equipment currently in use is in a continual state of disrepair, requiring costly repairs and causing operational impacts to Fire radio communications. Staff recommends Council adopt findings to support an exception to the competitive bidding process, authorizing the purchase of radio infrastructure components and integration services from Motorola Solutions in the amount of $696,389, and that funds be redirected from the Police workstation upgrade project.
DISCUSSION
Background
On July 21, 2015, City Council approved an agreement for Purchase of Fire Dispatch Consoles with Lathrop-Manteca Fire District. This agreement combined use of a Homeland Security grant and City Radio Internal Service Fund (ISF) replacement dollars to acquire six (6) dispatch consoles for the Fire Department. To fully implement this equipment, a new infrastructure component is required, referred to as a Core. Funding for purchase of a Core was delayed while City staff engaged in a formal assessment of its infrastructure by Forrest Telecomm Engineering, Inc. (Forrest).
Present Situation
The infrastructure assessment was completed, and Forrest recommended the Core as the highest priority for purchase and installation. By installing the Core, the new Fire dispatch consoles can be fully installed, and those consoles replaced will be available for potential parts as the Police dispatch consoles need repair and until such time as funding is identified and that equipment is also replaced. This purchase is just one in a series of future purchases as the City continues to rebuild and upgrade its emergency radio infrastructure. A complete upgrade and replacement plan are currently in development and includes preliminary cost estimates, potential funding sources, and a priority order recommendation. The full report will be forthcoming for Council’s approval; however, continued issues with the current dispatch consoles and the expiration of the maintenance provided by Motorola require immediate action on replacement.
Findings
Stockton Municipal Code section 3.68.070(5) provides for an exception to the competitive bidding requirement for those contracts where the City accesses the terms of a competitively bid and negotiated cooperative purchasing agreement:
1. The Houston-Galveston Area Council has established a Cooperative Agreement with Motorola, Inc. (Attachment A), to allow for pooling of various agencies’ purchasing volume to directly reduce the cost of radio systems.
2. By purchasing radio goods and services under the Cooperative Agreement, the City will realize a savings of approximately 16% off retail pricing.
3. The bid specifications used by the Houston-Galveston Area Council have been assessed by the Administrative Services Department’s Purchasing Section as compatible to the City of Stockton’s formal process, lowest pricing, awarded contract, and language allowing public agencies to avail of such process and pricing.
4. Motorola equipment has been the standard for Stockton’s public safety radios for more than 30 years.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The adopted Fiscal Year 2017-18 budget allocated $700,000 to the Radio Internal Service Fund for the purchase of replacement dispatch workstations for the Police department. The workstations, if purchased, would not operate properly without the purchase and installation of an infrastructure Core and there is not currently any identified funding for its purchase. The Police, Fire, and IT Departments have agreed to recommend reallocation of this $700,000 for the purchase of the Core and integration services to make the dispatch consoles, purchased by Fire in 2015, operational. The existing Fire consoles could then be used as replacement parts for the Police consoles until funds can be re-appropriated for their replacement.
Sufficient funding is available in Radio Internal Service Fund Account 503-5201-670 to execute the Agreement with Motorola in the amount of $696,389 (Attachment B).
Attachment A - Houston-Galveston Area Council Cooperative Agreement
Attachment B - Motorola Quote