City Council Agenda Report
Meeting Date: June 16, 2026
From: Todd Dusenberry, General Manager of Public Utilities Department: Public Utilities
Submitted by: Adriana Ramos, Principal Management Analyst Subject
Support and Maintenance Agreement with Advanced Utility Systems Recommendation
A. Pursuant to Sections 3.32.220(B) and 3.32.110(B)(3) of the Vernon Municipal Code (VMC), find that it is commercially unreasonable to rebid the proposed agreement for support and maintenance every three years, as a substantial upgrade to the billing system has recently been completed, the software platform is proprietary to Advanced Utility Systems, a division of N.
Harris Computer Corporation (Advanced), and continuity of support is critical for maintaining the reliable operation of the City’s utility billing system; and B. Approve and authorize the City Administrator to execute a Support and Maintenance Agreement with Advanced, in substantially the same form as submitted, to provide software support and maintenance to the Infinity Customer Information System (CIS) billing system in an amount not-to-exceed $446,604.60 for a five-year term.
Background
The Vernon Public Utilities (VPU) customer billing system is operated by Advanced Utility Systems (Advanced) and operates on the Infinity Customer Information System (CIS). The system is essential for VPU’s Customer Service division, supporting billing for all electric, water, and natural gas services. It also accommodates the City’s time-of-use (TOU) tariffs for large commercial and industrial electric customers. For over a decade, the Advanced Infinity CIS has provided reliable and accurate billing data, demonstrated by the approximately 3,000 utility bills issued monthly to the City’s residents and businesses. The combined utility bills for electric, water, and natural gas services contribute more than $400 million in annual revenue collection to VPU.
On November 7, 2023, the City Council approved a Support and Maintenance Agreement with Advanced to provide software support and maintenance to the Infinity CIS billing system. The current agreement is set to expire on June 30, 2026. The data conversion and system upgrade with Advanced to transition from Infinity CIS Version 2.0 (V2) to Version 5.0 (V5). This project was essential because the outdated V2 platform had reached the end of its useful life and required an upgrade to ensure continued support from Advanced.
In October 2025, VPU successfully completed its multi-year customer billing system upgrade project with Advanced. The conversion to the Advanced Version 5.0 system will also assist the utility in its migration to the Tyler Technologies (Tyler) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Munis software platform, facilitating the automation of daily transfer file deliveries. With the new cloud-based V5 platform, VPU can explore integrating with the Tyler Munis utility module once it is ready to accurately support and bill Time-of-Use (TOU) billing, which applies to approximately 85% of VPU’s electric customers.
Additionally, the upgrade to V5 will enable VPU to automate manual tasks, streamline operations, and empower staff to focus on delivering exceptional customer service.
The proposed Support and Maintenance Agreement is exempt from competitive bidding and competitive selection pursuant to Vernon Municipal Code (VMC) Sections 3.32.110(A)(2) and
3.32.110(B)(1), respectively, because the necessary platform upgrades, software, and support services are only available from Advanced. Moreover, the Infinity CIS V5 platform and the Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface (REST API) currently used by the Customer Service Division of VPU are only compatible with Advanced's proprietary software. Transitioning to a different CIS provider would significantly increase costs due to the need for a separate data conversion process to establish a new billing platform. It would also require additional time for VPU staff retraining and could disrupt daily operations, adversely affecting utility billing processes. VPU's Customer Service Division will receive essential software updates, technical assistance, and client support from Advanced. The REST API is an industrystandard web service architecture that enables secure communication and data exchange between software applications over the internet. It is a crucial component of the City's upgraded billing platform, supporting integration with modern software and cloud-based services.
The proposed Support and Maintenance Agreement will have a five-year term. In accordance with Sections 3.32.220(B) and 3.32.110(B)(3) of the VMC, staff recommends that the City Council deem the proposed agreement for software support and maintenance of the Infinity CIS billing system as commercially unreasonable to rebid every three years. This recommendation is based on the recent completion of a substantial upgrade to the billing system, the proprietary nature of Advanced's software platform, and the importance of continuity in support for the reliable operation of the City’s utility billing system. A five-year term is recommended for VPU’s Customer Service to ensure they receive the necessary software updates, technical assistance, and client support from Advanced. Additionally, this arrangement will result in cost savings for the City by reducing procurement time and eliminating annual cost escalations over a longer period.
Therefore, VPU staff recommends that the City Council approve the Support and Maintenance Agreement with Advanced for a total amount not-to-exceed $446,604.60 for a five-year term.
Pursuant to VMC Section 3.32.030(A), City Council approval is required for the proposed contract, as the total value of the contract exceeds $100,000.
The proposed Support and Maintenance Agreement has been reviewed and approved as to form by the City Attorney’s Office.
Fiscal Impact
The fiscal impact is not to exceed $446,604.60. Sufficient funds are available in the Electric Fund, Customer Service, Professional Services-IT, Account No. 055-050-575-529210 for fiscal year 2026-27 and funds will be budgeted in subsequent years.
Attachments
1. Support and Maintenance Agreement with Advanced Utility Systems