DATE: 02/18/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Police Department
2026-63
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
ACCEPTANCE OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 HOMELAND SECURITY PROGRAM
GRANT AND AUTHORIZE A PURCHASE ORDER TO MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to accept the Fiscal Year 2023 Homeland Security Program Grant and approve the purchase of twenty-six (26) APX NEXT multi-band portable radios and associated accessories from Motorola Solutions, Inc. These radios leverage existing infrastructure within the Public Safety Enterprise Communication network to enhance operational effectiveness, responder safety, and multi-agency coordination without duplicating existing systems.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Authorize the submittal for and acceptance of the Federal Department of Homeland Security Program through the State of California, Riverside County’s Fiscal Year 2023 State Homeland Security Program Grant award in the amount of $218,000.
b. Approve an appropriation and estimated revenue increase of $218,000 within the Reimbursement Grants Fund 480 for the Police Department to purchase handheld radios, which will be reimbursed with the above-noted grant funds. c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to issue a purchase order to Motorola Solutions, Inc. for the purchase of twenty-six (26) APX NEXT multi-band portable radios and associated accessories, in an amount of $218,000. d. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute any grant-related agreements or amendments necessary to complete this purchase, subject to legal and financial review.
e. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to negotiate and execute any nonsubstantive extensions, amendments, and change orders up to $21,800 or 10% of the original purchase order amount as provided by the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) Section 3.08.060(j).
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Reliable, interoperable communications are foundational to effective public safety and emergency management operations. The City of Corona Police Department and its public safety partners respond to thousands of incidents annually, including routine calls for service, large-scale planned events, and unplanned incidents involving large crowds, critical infrastructure, or elevated threat conditions.
Historically, public safety agencies nationwide operated radio systems across disparate frequency bands and manufacturers, limiting interoperability during multi-agency incidents. The development and adoption of Project 25 (P25) standards addressed these challenges by establishing interoperable, standards-based land mobile radio (LMR) systems. The city has made sustained investments in P25-compliant systems and operates within the PSEC regional network to ensure seamless communications with neighboring jurisdictions and partner agencies.
In September 2023, the City Council approved the purchase of multi-band capable portable radios to replace legacy radios that had reached end of life. That investment modernized the Department’s core radio inventory, enhanced officer safety, and ensured compatibility with regional partners. The proposed SHSP-funded purchase is a complementary and additive investment focused on expanding access to advanced, interoperable radios for all field personnel and incident management roles.
ANALYSIS:
The State Homeland Security Program prioritizes investments that strengthen prevention, protection, response, and recovery capabilities for terrorism and other high-consequence all-hazards incidents. Communications capability gaps identified through the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment/Stakeholder Preparedness Review (THIRA/SPR) process consistently highlight the need for resilient, interoperable communications across disciplines and jurisdictions.
The APX NEXT multi-band capable portable radio directly addresses these gaps by providing Interoperability across multiple frequency bands, enabling seamless communications with law enforcement partners during joint operations. o Redundant communications pathways through traditional LMR systems and broadband connectivity via LTE and Wi-Fi, ensuring continuity of communications during network congestion, infrastructure disruption, or system failure. o Compatibility with the Motorola-based PSEC core, avoiding feature loss, workarounds, or reliability issues associated with non-native vendor radios. o Embedded GPS and advanced safety features that support real-time personnel tracking, enhanced situational awareness, and improved incident command and control.
The APX NEXT radios will be deployed to the remaining field personnel whose operational roles require direct, real-time communications, including field responders, command staff, emergency operations center personnel, and technology-enabled support functions such as intelligence analysis, aerial systems, or camera-based monitoring.
This project does not duplicate existing systems. Instead, it expands access to compatible, resilient radios that leverage infrastructure already installed within the PSEC network, including equipment previously deployed to support LTE/broadband functionality. By doing so, the City maximizes prior investments while incrementally strengthening its communications posture.
BASIS FOR DETERMINATION OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING
This method of procurement is permitted per the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) section
3.08.140(c), which states that competitive bidding is not required for non-public projects as follows:
“Competitive bidding already completed. When the Purchasing Manager and the authorized
contracting party, with the approval of the City Manager, determine that:
1) A competitive bid procedure has been conducted by another public agency including, but not limited to, another local agency, the state through the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS), the federal government through the General Services Administration (GSA), the U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance, or the Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA); and 2) The price to the City is equal to or better than the price to that public agency.” The City of Corona Police Department will use Los Angeles County issued Contract No.
MA-IS-2240228-2, with an effective date from July 1, 2025, valid through June 30, 2026, to Motorola Solutions Inc.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $218,000 within the Reimbursement Grants Fund 480 for the Police Department. These grant funds will be utilized to purchase hand-held radios for the Police Department, which will be fully reimbursed through the Federal Department of Homeland Security Program via the State of California, Riverside County's Fiscal Year 2023 State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) Grant award.
This is a reimbursement-based grant, meaning the City will initially expend funds for the purchase of hand-held radios and subsequently receive reimbursement from the grantor.
There is no General Fund impact, as all eligible expenditures will be fully reimbursed through the grant award. Grant funds must be fully expended in accordance with the grant agreement terms and conditions.
Category Amount/Details
📊 Total Grant Award $218,000
🏦 Fund Reimbursement Grants Fund 480
👮 Department Police Department
📅 Performance Period February 4, 2026 – May 5, 2026
⏰ Final Reimbursement Deadline Within 20 calendar days after May 5, 2026 💰 General Fund Impact None – Full reimbursement grant
🎯 Purpose Purchase of hand-held radios
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action merely approves an agreement for the purchase of multiband portable radios, and there is no possibility that this project will have a significant effect on the environment.
Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: MATTHEW WINDISH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS
MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: ROBERT NEWMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – FY23 SHSP Award Letter
2. Exhibit 2 – RES 2024-085
3. Exhibit 3 – Motorola QUOTE-3470683
4. Exhibit 3 – LA County_MA-IS-2240228-2 Executed