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APPROVE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT FOR ENGINEERING AND INTEGRATION SERVICES WITH TV PRO GEAR FOR GOVERNMENT ACCESS TELEVISION CHANNEL (CHANNEL 97) EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT AND DESIGN
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve a resolution:
1) Approving the execution of an agreement with TV Pro Gear in the amount of $213,611 for Government Access Television Channel (Channel 97) Equipment Replacement and Design, engineering, and integration services; and
2) Authorize the City Manager to increase the FY 2020-21 budget appropriation in the Public, Education, and Government Access expenditure line by $200,000; and
3) Authorize the City Manager to take necessary and appropriate actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this resolution.
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Summary
The City of Stockton has been operating a Government Access Television Station since 2003. The Channel also provides a video and audio feed to the City’s meeting and agenda system, Granicus. Most of the current production and broadcast equipment was purchased in 2003, with some minor substitutions and repairs through the years. This equipment, which is analog and not digital, is obsolete and failing.
The Channel 97 production and broadcast equipment needs were scheduled to be addressed concurrent with the anticipated relocation of City Hall and Council Chambers to 400 E. Main St. in 2015. When plans changed for the relocation of City Hall, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued in October 2017 to replace equipment in existing Council Chambers at historic City Hall, and no responses were received. A second RFP was issued in July 2019, and no responses were received. A Request for Information (RFI) was issued in November 2019 to determine interest, and a third RFP, delayed due to local and state emergencies associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, was issued in July 2020. Two (2) responses were received from qualified vendors in July 2020.
It is recommended that Council approve a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with TV Pro Gear for engineering and integration of Government Access Television broadcast equipment, replacement, and installation, for a total of $213,611 and to appropriate an additional $200,000 for this agreement and other Government Access Television expenditures in the remainder of the current fiscal year.
DISCUSSION
Background
The City of Stockton began operation and purchased equipment to produce and broadcast Government Access Television (then, Channel 42, currently Channel 97) programming in 2003. The current equipment purchased in 2003 is obsolete and failing.
In 2015, the City developed a plan for replacement of the equipment, which was to occur concurrent with the relocation of City Hall and Council Chambers to 400 E. Main St. A 1% Public, Education, and Government Access (PEG) fee was authorized with a Public Hearing under Resolution 2015-03-24-1601.
Some production equipment, for example, field cameras, has been replaced since the adoption of the PEG fee in 2015. Council Chamber cameras, sound equipment, program scheduling equipment, and elements of the control panel, such as VHS tapes used to record Council Meetings, are all original analog equipment and only transmit a signal with the assistance of digital converters installed by Comcast prior to the expiration of the local franchise agreement in 2012. Existing equipment is analog, does not easily or reliably integrate with digital equipment and network services. Analog equipment components that fail cannot be replaced with digital components.
When plans changed for the relocation of City Hall, an RFP was issued October 2, 2017, to replace the existing analog equipment in Council Chambers; six vendors attended an onsite walk-thru, and no bids were received. Interviews of those who attended the walk-thru revealed concerns about working in an older building. A second RFP was issued July 18, 2019; four vendors attended an onsite walk-thru, and no responses were received.
To generate interest and determine what changes may need to be made to the requirements, an RFI was issued November 7, 2019, and four vendors expressed interest in submitting proposals. Due to the local and state emergencies associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, a third RFP was delayed and not issued until July 9, 2020; two (2) responses were received from qualified vendors.
Present Situation
On May 14, 2020, the City advertised an RFP for Government Access Television Channel Equipment Replacement and Design, PUR 20-011. Two (2) proposals were received on July 9, 2020:
• TV Pro Gear (Glendale, CA) - $213,611
• Solutionz, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA) - $291,295
A selection committee reviewed the proposals for completeness and evaluated the proposals against RFP requirements, which included:
1) General information and qualifications;
2) Cost proposal;
3) Technical and service specifications; and
4) Overall feasibility of the project.
TV Pro Gear, the lowest bidder, was found to be qualified to provide the needed equipment, engineering, integration, design, and installation services. Their proposal and reference checks demonstrated technical capabilities and experience, providing the same services for other California cities, including Compton, Santa Clarita, and Santa Monica.
When City Hall and the Council Chambers are relocated, the equipment replaced under this contract will be relatively new and can be reused in the new, future City Council Chamber or used to provide broadcast capability from an alternate location, such as the Emergency Operations Center or Police Department Conference Room.
Equipment and facilities purchased will facilitate the continued broadcast of City meetings and production of programming for the Government Access Channel. In addition, new equipment will more easily facilitate remote meetings with integrated technologies, such as WebEx, and provide closed captioning capability.
Current Status
Government Access Channel programming includes city meetings, such as City Council Meetings, and informational segments about City programs and services. Channel 97 equipment provides both video and audio feeds to the Granicus system; Granicus recordings are recognized as the official record of City meetings. City Council Meetings are broadcast live on Channel 97 and streamed on the website using Granicus. Broadcast and streaming of City meetings is critical to government transparency and the City’s public image.
The City’s current Government Access Channel equipment is 17 years old. The equipment is beyond its useful life, and replacement parts and repair services are no longer available.
• Current Channel 97 equipment is obsolete, designed specifically for the current serving arrangement in the existing Council Chambers, and it cannot be relocated and installed in another location, as it is no longer supported by vendors.
• The analog equipment does not produce or transmit High Definition (HD) signals, as required by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), without the use of the digital converters installed by Comcast several years ago.
• Integrating and adapting with other technologies to facilitate meetings under current conditions, such as remote, virtual, or contactless meetings, introduces technical errors or difficulties that are not easily overcome, resulting in sub-par recordings and a frustrating experience for legislative bodies, public participants, and staff.
Staff recommends the City Council approve the resolution authorizing the execution of an agreement with TV Pro Gear for equipment replacement, design, engineering, and integration services for $213,611, approving a budget appropriation of $200,000, and providing the City Manager the authority to carry out the purpose and intent of the resolution.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The FY 2020-21 Annual Budget includes an appropriation of $100,000 for anticipated PEG support fee expenditures to fund equipment costs in the Special Revenue Fund account number 020-0134-510. With the approval of this agreement and for any unanticipated changing conditions associated with the intent of this contract and capital costs for the Government Access Television Channel in the current fiscal year, an additional budget appropriation of $200,000 in Special Revenue PEG support expenditure funds is recommended. PEG fees generate approximately $450,000 annually that must be used for equipment and facilities associated with the production and broadcast of Government Access Channel programming, such as City Council Meetings and informational programs about City programs and services. Sufficient funds are available from prior year PEG fees to support the recommended expenditure appropriation and this contract.
All operational costs for dedicated staff and any on-going expenses related to operation of the Government Access Channel will continue to be paid out of the existing Non-Departmental General Fund budget.