COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: David Rowlands, City Manager
DATE: August 4, 2026
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Approving a Purchasing Agreement with The Redesign Group for a Unified Security Platform with Endpoint Protection, Threat Intelligence, and Automated Incident Response
Description:
The City Council will consider approving the award of a Purchasing Agreement to The Redesign Group.
Environmental Notice: The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Adopt a Resolution awarding a purchasing agreement to The Redesign Group for a unified security platform with endpoint protection, threat intelligence, and automated incident response; and
2. Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the agreement.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s current cybersecurity posture f ollows a traditional defense -in-depth model, relying on multiple independent systems that collectively address most cybersecurity needs. This approach has been in place for nearly a decade. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, the City must transit ion to a modernized defense -in-depth strategy that unifies core security functions including antivirus protection, artificial intelligence driven monitoring, internal threat scanning, automated threat response and remediation, and the ingestion of network and security data into a centralized data warehouse for advance threat detection and forensic analysis within a single integrated platform.
DISCUSSION:
The Information Technology Division conducted a comprehensive, multi -month assessment to determine how the City could consolidate its siloed cybersecurity services into a single, unified solution. The goal was to improve efficiency, eliminate fragmented systems, and leverage the City’s combined purchasing power to obtain enhanced cybersecurity capabilities beyond what is currently in place. After evaluating several 2 providers, the City identified Palo Alto Cortex as the recommended solution for six key reasons.
1. Consolidates Multiple Security Products into One Platform
Today, the City manages multiple independent security solutions for intrusion detection, endpoint protection, remote access, and threat monitoring. Each product requires separate administration, licensing, reporting, maintenance, and vendor management.
Palo Alto Cortex consolidates these capabilities into a unified security platform, providing:
• Centralized monitoring and threat response
• A single management console ("single pane of glass")
• Reduced administrative overhead
• Consistent security policies across systems
• Simplified change management and documentation
2. Significantly Improves Threat Detection and Response
While our current solution provides valuable intrusion detection, it primarily relies on signature-based detection. Today's threat landscape increasingly involves AI -assisted attacks, living -off-the-land techniques, and rapidly evolving malware that requir e behavioral analysis rather than signatures alone. Palo Alto Cortex addresses this with:
• AI-driven behavioral analytics
• Reat-time global threat intelligence
• Automated detection and response
• Correlation across endpoints, networks, cloud services, and users.
This results in:
• Faster identification of advanced threats
• Improved detection of zero-day attacks
• Automated containment and remediation
• Fewer false positives and reduced analyst workload
3. Enterprise-Class Endpoint Protection
The City's current endpoint protection provides traditional antivirus capabilities but lacks modern Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) functionality. Palo Alto Cortex XRD provides:
• Advanced endpoint detection and response
• Continuous endpoint telemetry
• Automated threat containment
• Integrated firewall and cloud analytics
• AI-assisted threat hunting
3 This represents a substantial improvement in endpoint security and is consistently recognized as an industry-leading platform.
4. Replaces Our Current VPN Solution
Migrating remote and VPN access to Palo Alto GlobalProtect eliminates the need for a separate VPN platform. Benefits include:
• Direct integration with firewall security policies
• Improved user experience
• Reduced maintenance requirements
• Lower annual licensing cost
• Less physical hardware needed
5. Better Financial Stewardship
Maintaining independent security products requires:
• Multiple vendor contracts
• Separate licensing agreement
• Independent maintenance renewals
• Additional staff time for administration
Consolidating these capabilities into a single platform provides:
• More predictable management
• Lower administrative costs
• Greater long-term return on investment
• Reduced exposure to vendor pricing uncertainty
6. Improved Operational Visibility
Rather than manually correlating information across multiple products, Cortex provides centralized visibility into the City's cybersecurity environment. Benefits include:
• Unified dashboards
• Consolidated reporting
• Simplified incident response
• Improved audit readiness
• Better executive reporting
• Faster compliance reporting
The result is stronger security with less administrative overhead.
The recommended system will be procured through a Cooperative Purchasing Agreement in accordance with the City’s Purchasing Policy. The selected vendor is an authorized participant in the National Association of State Procurem ent Officials 4 (NASPO), a nonprofit organization that supports public procurement professionals across all 50 states. Through NASPO’s program, recognized as one of the nation’s leading cooperative purchasing initiatives, states, cities, municipalities, and other eligible public entities gain access to rigorously vetted, competitively solicited contracts. These contracts leverage the collective purchasing power of participating jurisdictions, resulting in enhanced cost efficiency, streamlined procurement proc esses, and assurance of compliance with public sector standards.
Alternative(s)
City Council could decide not to award this Purchasing Agreement to The Redesign Group and direct staff to seek alternative ways, or, select to maintain and use the existing systems.
Fiscal Considerations
The total cost of the proposed project is $654,978.15 over five years, billed annually at $130,995.63. Funding for this initiative has been allocated in the approved Fiscal Year 2026–2027 budget and is made possible through the discontinuation of the standalone security applications listed above.
Impact on the Community
Implementing a unified cybersecurity platform such as Palo Alto Cortex will enhance the protection of the City’s digital infrastructure and the sensitive information entrusted to it by residents, businesses, and community partners. By strengthening threat detection, response, and overall system resilience, the City reduces the risk of service disruptions, data breaches, and operational outages that could affect public safety, essential services, and daily community interactions. Consolidating cybersecurity operations also improves reliability and efficiency across departments, supporting uninterrupted access to critical services such as public safety, utilities, permitting, and community engagement platforms which directly benefits the residents of Santa Maria. Ultimately, this investment helps safeguard the community’s data, maintains trust in City services, and supports a stable and secure technological foundation for future growth.
ATTACHMENT(S)
A. Resolution
B. Palo Alto MDR & PPG (5yr)