ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: February 26, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: Consent - Resolutions TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Gregory Pronovost
DATE: February 14, 2025
SUBJECT: Cybersecurity products and services with Tec-Refresh
1. Resolution authorizing the Finance Director to dispense with bidding for purchase of Tec-Refresh products and services
2. Agreement with Tec-Refresh for purchase of cybersecurity products and services not to exceed $704,248.41
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the resolution and agreement
BACKGROUND:
Technology use within our organization is increasing steadily, permeating all lines of business, including those that historically have not been technology users. We must adapt our efforts to combat increasing ongoing threats to our systems and data. Cyberattacks are becoming more frequent and sophisticated, and government agencies are increasingly targeted by ransomware, phishing, and advanced persistent threats. Any organization alone is outnumbered and overwhelmed by cybercriminal activity's sheer volume and relentless nature. We must partner with cybersecurity a gencies for collaboration and information sharing to help us stay one small step ahead of those who wish to do us harm.
The Technology Services Department (TSD) maintains technology and cybersecurity infrastructure for the City organization. Current secur ity hardware is aging and is due for replacement. A 2023 organizational assessment by Moss Adams found, “The TSD has many firewalls nearing [end of life]. Managing and replacing hardware firewalls can be disruptive, expensive, and cause downtime. The TSD s hould explore the use of software-based firewalls where possible. Using software-based firewalls to filter traffic between networks can provide robust filtering while reducing cost, procurement time, and administrative burden on TSD staff.” The purchase of the cybersecurity products from Tec -Refresh outlined in the agreement lays the foundation to a ddress this portion of the organizational assessment and provides additional cybersecurity services to reinforce our current efforts to protect the city’s data and technical assets.
Bakersfield Municipal Code Section 3.20.060(D)(6) allows the City to dispense with bidding procedures when it is determined that work, supplies, equipment or materials are not available from local vendors and that it is in the best i nterests of the City, and to the City’s economic advantage that such work, supplies, equipment or materials be obtained at the lowest possible cost for the quality needed by entering into a city, county, state or federal government cooperative procurement contract that was competitively awarded by another governmental agency with the last 36 months or is one that is still current and active.
Tec-Refresh's products and services meet the criteria set forth in BMC Section 3.20.060(D)(6).
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funds for this purchase were included in Technology Services’ FY2025 budget COUNCIL GOAL:
Innovative and Efficient City Government
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. Agreement