TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Philippe Eskandar, City Manager
BY: John Incontro, Police Chief
DATE: September 10, 2025
SUBJECT: REQUEST TO CARRY OVER FY 2024-25 FUNDS IN THE
AMOUNT OF $17,729.54 FROM ACCOUNT #103-30-4316-
0000 TO FY 2025-26 TO BE USED FOR RADIO REPAIR
AND MAINTENANCE
STRATEGIC PLAN CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
Safe Community
Efficient, Responsive, and Effective City Services
Fiscally Responsible and Transparent City Government
BACKGROUND
The Police Department’s mobile (in-car), portable (handheld), and dispatch console radios are essential equipment for maintaining reliable and secure communication for field operations, dispatchers, and with outside agencies.
The current radios are functioning and are in dire need of upgrading. Over the past few years, field personnel have experienced a variety of issues with the radios, including but not limited to, a non-operational emergency button on the handheld radios, broken or partial radio transmissions, dead zones, as well as outdated radio programming and firmware.
Historically, programming, firmware, file configuration, and creation of radio channels and zones, has been performed by Foothill Communications, a local two-way radio specialist. While Foothill Communications has provided the Police Department with reliable service, many of the radio performance issues should have been addressed in the past couple of years. The police radios are currently on firmware version R15, but the updated firmware is version R33.
While speaking to other local law enforcement agencies, staff discovered that most of the other agencies have Wi-Fi programming, allowing the radios to be Gretchen Shepherd Romey, Mayor
Tony Chou, Vice Mayor
Hunter Chang, Council Member
John Chou, Council Member
Calvin Lo, Council Member
updated remotely by the radio specialist. This not only decreases the time it takes to receive updates, but it also reduces the cost of in-person technical support and staff time, while completing necessary system upgrades. The current Police Department radios have this capability but have not been programmed for this functionality. The Police Department radios are outdated and in need of these essential system upgrades.
DISCUSSION
Staff relies on the expertise of our two-way radio specialist to make the necessary recommended updates, and Foothill Communications was asked to provide an estimate for this work. While waiting for Foothill Communications to respond to this request, staff consulted with other reputable two-way radio repair companies. One of the companies was COMMLine Inc., which has been used by other local law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, COMMLine Inc., did not respond to our request. The third was Landon Jensen with No Comms No Battle. Landon was very responsive and worked closely with Motorola to acquire pricing. In 2022, Landon and the APX Field Communications Group received an official Letter of Commendation from Los Angeles County. Aside from this and other accomplishments, Landon not only provides technical support and radio repair to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, but also San Marino Fire Department. Landon is highly recommended by the San Marino Fire Department staff and continues to service their radios.
Foothill Communications responded to our request and provided an estimated total cost for the project of $25,096.13. No Comm’s No Battle’s estimate for the same work was $17,900.89. The estimate from Landon includes a 1% service fee to be collected by the State of California, as the Motorola pricing is based on the State of California Statewide Technology Procurement Division contract. The 1% fee will be collected by the state at a future date but is included as part of the total cost analysis. Based upon cost, reputation, responsiveness, and reliability, staff recommends Landon Jensen with No Comms No Battle for this project, and future maintenance as needed.
FISCAL IMPACT & PROCUREMENT REVIEW
Annually, staff budgets for radio repair, estimating potential costs based upon recommendations from our radio repair specialist. During FY 2024-25, staff budgeted $20,000 under Account #103-30-4316-0000 Equipment Repair & Maintenance. At the end of FY 2024-25, there was $17,729.54 available; however, staff has been waiting for updated quotes for the firmware, software, and radio programming. Once pricing was provided, staff advised the Finance Department of the need to carry over funds to FY 2025-26. Staff requests the carry-over of $17,729.54 from FY 2024-25 to FY 2025-26 to be used for this essential maintenance. This was an approved expenditure in FY 2024-25, and due to the delayed receipt of updated quotes, the purchase will be finalized in the current fiscal year (FY 2025-26). The total cost of the project is $17,900.89, which includes a 1% administrative fee to be collected by the State of California at a future date. The initial fiscal impact to the City will be $17,746.51. The carry-over of funds will leave a balance of $16.97. If the carry-over is approved, the remaining balance of $16.97 and subsequent 1% fee ($154.38), will be paid using FY 2025-26 funds from Account #233-30- 4150-0500 Other Contract Services – I.T.
Vendor
Programming,
Firmware, &
Code
Development
AVTEC
Dispatch
Console
– Emergency
Buttons
Motorola
Solutions
– Software
License
TDMA
Total Cost
No Comms No
Battle $1,933.51 $374.85
$15,438.15
(Not incl.
1% charge
of
$154.38)
$17,746.51
Foothill
Communications $3,050 $1,135 $20,911.13 $25,096.13
COMMLine No Response No Response No
Response
No
Response
The rates for No Comms No Battle are as follows:
Scope of
Services
Communications
Troubleshooting
(hourly)
Communications
Troubleshooting
(after hours /
hourly)
Codeplug
Development
Radio
Programming
(bulk rate /
each)
No
Comms
No
Battle
$85 $100 $85 $16.25
There are no additional anticipated fees at this time. All additional radio maintenance will be paid using the FY 2025-26 budget.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's office has reviewed and approved as to form.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council approve the carry-over of $17,729.54 from FY 2024-25 to FY 2025-26 in Account #103-30-4316-0000. If the City Council concurs with staff’s recommendation, an appropriate motion would be:
“I move to approve the carry-over of FY 2024-25 funds in the amount of $17,729.54 from Account #103-30-4316-0000, to be used for radio repair and maintenance completed by No Comms No Battle; and authorize the City Manager to sign the necessary agreements with No Comms No Battle.”
ATTACHMENTS
1. No Comms No Battle - AVTEC Console Estimate #0019
2. No Comms No Battle - Programming, Firmware, & Code Development Estimate #0022
3. Motorola Solutions - Software License TDMA Operation Quote #3134065
4. Foothill Communications - Motorola TDMA Operation Quote #10586
5. Foothill Communications - Programming, Firmware, & Code Development Quote #10587
6. Foothill Communications – AVTEC Console Quote #10588