To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: JOE HOFFMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE
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APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH COMMLINE, INC FOR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT FOR AN AMOUNT OF $66,000 IN YEAR ONE WITH A 5% INCREASE PER ANNUM FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $364,691 FOR THE FIVE-YEAR TERM APRIL 1, 2022 - MARCH 31, 2027.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Redondo Beach has a significant inventory of public safety radio equipment utilized by Police and Fire personnel. Currently, this equipment is serviced and repaired by multiple vendors resulting in duplicative repairs and inefficient maintenance processes. A maintenance and repair contract with a single vendor for all public safety communications equipment will simplify the maintenance and repair process, ensure equipment compatibility across departments, and optimize the time technicians spend at City facilities, reducing City costs. A request for proposal process (RFP) was conducted to solicit the best single vendor for these services and COMMLine Inc. was selected from the three firms that submitted proposals.
BACKGROUND
The Redondo Beach Police Department, Fire Department, and the Police Emergency Communications Unit utilize a wide variety of public safety communications equipment. This includes portable (handheld) and mobile (vehicle mounted) radios, dispatch equipment, radio transmitters, repeaters, and the associated computer software and hardware that supports it. Currently these various pieces of equipment are being serviced by multiple vendors, some of whom charge a monthly service fee and others who charge on a pay-per-use basis or charge minimum service fees. This method generates inconsistent preventative maintenance practices and ignores periodic software and firmware upgrades.
A thorough review of the existing maintenance and repair practices was conducted which revealed that Avtec Scout, a critical piece of communications software, was out of date and the user license had expired in 2019. The cost to update and maintain this software will exceed $21,000 per year. Consolidating services would be a more efficient use of resources, as such, an RFP (2122-008) was prepared and proposals were received from three vendors. COMMLine Inc. was selected as the firm best matching the needs of the City at the most reasonable price. Approval of this agreement includes the cost of the annual software maintenance updates and allows for cancellation without penalty should the needs of the City change.
COORDINATION
The Police Department coordinated this service contract with the Fire Department, the City Attorney’s office, and Financial Services.
FISCAL IMPACT
The annual cost associated with the proposed COMMLine contract is $66,000 in year one, with a 5% fee increase per annum thereafter. Funding for the agreement is available in the existing Police, Fire, and Emergency Communications maintenance and operating budgets. No additional appropriation is required.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• COMMLine, Inc. Agreement
• COMMLine, Inc. Certificate of Insurance
• COMMLine, Inc. Proposal
• BearComm Proposal
• Foothill Communications Proposal