City Council Agenda Report
Meeting Date: August 6, 2024
From: Daniel Calleros, Interim City Administrator
Department: City Administration
Submitted by: Sara Sandoval, Administrative Assistant
Subject
Report on Five-Year Contract Award Approved by the City Administrator for the Interagency Communications Interoperability System
Recommendation
Receive and file report on the City Administrator’s finding that the Wireless Communications Use and Access Agreement with the Interagency Communications Interoperability System (ICI) is commercially unreasonable to rebid in three years pursuant to Vernon Municipal Code Sections
3.32.220 (B) and 3.32.110 (B)(3).
Background
The ICI System is a local government owned Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Network that provides public safety radio communications. The ICI System is fully interoperable as it allows all member entities the ability to communicate directly with one-another throughout the entire operational area. The Vernon Police Department (VPD) joined the ICI on June 18, 2019 and initially subscribed to the ICI system via a member-hosted subscriber agreement with the City of Montebello, a founding member of the ICI system. Since then, ICI has phased out the memberhosted subscriber agreements and transitioned to subscriber agreements directly between participants and the ICI.
The Wireless Communications Use and Access Agreement between VPD and ICI, effective July 1, 2024, set subscriber fees at $20 per month per radio and included a discount of 20% from the prevailing public safety subscriber rate of $25. The rate discount was provided because the City's water tower hosts key antennas and equipment that extend the ICI system's coverage throughout the Southeast Los Angeles area. With approximately 75 subscriptions required by the VPD, the annual cost was estimated at $18,000. The term of the agreement was for five years thus necessitating that the VPD request an exemption from the City’s requirement that professional services contracts be rebid every three years. Pursuant to VMC Section 3.32.110 (B)(3), based on the total contract amount of $90,000 ($18,000 annually), approval of this exemption fell within the authority of the City Administrator. Accordingly, the City Administrator found that it was commercially unreasonable to rebid the contract in three years due to the sizeable monetary investments made by the City on infrastructure and equipment to connect the VPD to the ICI system. This report is being provided to City Council for informational purposes only as required by VMC Section 3.32.110 (B)(3).
Fiscal Impact
The fiscal impact of the five-year term approved by the City Administrator is not-to-exceed $90,000. Sufficient funds for the agreement with ICI are available in the Police Department, Professional Services - Admin Account No. 011-030-300-529220 for the current fiscal year and will be budgeted for in subsequent years.
Attachments
None.