STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
September 23, 2025
CONSENT
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SUBJECT: SERVICE SUPPORT AGREEMENT FOR ONSITE NETWORK AND
CYBERSECURITY SUPPORT
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a three-year service agreement with Sidepath to not exceed $120,000 annually and a total contract value of $360,000;
2. Authorize the City Manager to extend the agreement for up to two additional one-year terms, provided that the annual cost increase does not exceed ten percent of the previous year’s rate and that sufficient funding is available in the approved budget; and
3. Determine that the award of the contract is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines.
Appropriation: Fund:
Submitted By: Jeremy Fimond Approved: David A Kiff
Jeremy Frimond, Assistant City
Manager
Dave Kiff, City Manager
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
This report recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a three-year agreement with Sidepath for onsite network and cybersecurity support services, in an amount not to exceed $120,000 annually, with an optional extension of up to two additional one-year terms. Sidepath has prior experience with the City, detailed knowledge of its IT systems, and received the highest proposal score during a recent competitive selection process.
The contract cost is included in the adopted FY 2025–26 budget, and no additional appropriation is required.
This action aligns with the City’s goal to maintain cybersecurity readiness. The action is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines.
DISCUSSION
Selection Process and Background
The City relies on professional IT service providers to support its full-time staff. These contractors help manage the City’s computer networks, firewalls, and cybersecurity protections. The City’s previous contract for these services expired on July 1, 2025. Since then, the City has continued services on a monthto-month basis while conducting a competitive selection process for a new agreement.
SERVICE SUPPORT AGREEMENT FOR ONSITE NETWORK AND CYBERSECURITY
SUPPORT
September 23, 2025
The City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for networking services, which was advertised from July 28 to August 11, 2025. A total of nine companies submitted proposals. Two were disqualified for not meeting the submission requirements.
A review committee of City IT staff evaluated the remaining seven proposals. The evaluation criteria included:
• Quality of the proposal
• Relevant experience with state and local government
• Technical expertise and staff qualifications
• Cost
• Availability and responsiveness
The top three results are shown below:
Vendor Average Score
Sidepath 93
BayInfo Tech 86
Lan Wan 86
Sidepath received the highest score. Combined with its institutional knowledge of the City’s IT systems and successful track record on prior contracts, staff recommends Sidepath for the new agreement.
Scope of Work
Under the new contract, Sidepath will:
• Provide proactive management of the City’s firewalls and network to protect against cybersecurity threats.
• Keep the City’s computer systems running efficiently through regular upgrades and patch management.
• Maintain and support critical equipment like routers, switches, and other network hardware. • Provide advanced firewall administration, VPN security, and testing of backup systems to reduce downtime.
• Station a dedicated technician onsite at City facilities during business hours, with after-hours support if emergencies occur.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
The Fiscal Year 2025-26 cost will not exceed $120,000 which is included in the adopted budget. No appropriation is required.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The recommended action is not a ”project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4) and (b)(5). The contract for onsite network and
SERVICE SUPPORT AGREEMENT FOR ONSITE NETWORK AND CYBERSECURITY
SUPPORT
September 23, 2025
cybersecurity services constitutes an administrative activity of the City that will not result in a direct or indirect physical change to the environment and a funding mechanism for the services. The action does not commit the City to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment and thus, does constitute a “project” under CEQA.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Professional Services Agreement with Sidepath (Pgs. 4-25) Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Mandy Low, IT Project Manager Jerry Soto, IT Manager