DEPARTMENT: Information Technology Services Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Craig Hopkins
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City Wide
SUBJECT:
San Antonio Public Safety Radio System
SUMMARY:
Consideration of the following ordinances totaling $2,863,221.00 for the Alamo Area Regional Radio System (AARRS) Project:
A. An ordinance authorizing multiple change requests to the $80,695,423.00 Radio Systems Agreement (Radio Contract) with Dailey and Wells Communications. Inc. (DWC) in the amount not to exceed $1,356,681.00.
B. An ordinance appropriating additional funds for the AARRS Project in the amount not to exceed $1,506,540.00 for fiber and lease incurred prior to implementation of the System.
C. An ordinance authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute system change requests and amendments to the Radio Contract, and its exhibits, up to $500,000 with concurrence by the City Attorney for the AARRS Project, subject to the availability of Funds and in accordance with the Interlocal Agreement approved by the City, CPS Energy and Bexar County.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On February 15, 2018, Council approved a contract with Dailey & Wells for the construction, system delivery, and system operation of a new P25 compliant public safety radio system, referred to as the Alamo Area Regional Radio System (“AARRS”). On the same date, Council also authorized the execution of an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) between the City, Bexar County (County), and CPS Energy (CPS) for County and CPS to make financial contributions to obtain minority ownership interests in the AARRS. The ILA sets out the terms of the shared ownership including, but not limited to, financial contributions, fiscal controls, governance, management, vendor oversight, construction, testing, delivery, operation, maintenance, technology upgrades and enhancements, selection of equipment, and the admission of radio subscribers.
To fund the City’s obligations created pursuant to the ILA and the Radio Contract, the City has set up an AARRS Project fund. The AARRS will replace the current Enhanced Digital Access Communication System (EDACS) and will provide public safety grade two-way radio communications for the City, Bexar County, CPS and surrounding participating agencies. Once installed, the system will manage an average of 400,000 radio calls per day from approximately 13,000 radios, which includes external agencies. The radio system will cover over 1,200 square miles of Bexar County and provide a single source of communications to dispatch all Police and Fire/EMS in the City and County in response to any emergency.
The AARRS consists of a network made up of interconnected system tower sites and related communications facilities that provide wireless connectivity to public safety users. To provide the coverage needed by the AARRS, the current radio network consisting of 14-cell tower sites is being increased to a 28-site network.
The Information and Technology Services Department provided a project status update to City Council at B Session on February 20. During the briefing, staff provided an overview of next steps, which included approval of lease agreements and change order requests related to the AARRS. On March 7th, Council approved seventeen (17) lease agreements, which include the additional tower sites and extend leases for existing tower sites, required to support the AARRS, as well as one (1) backup core location The remaining lease agreements will be brought forward to City Council for consideration at a future date.
As a result of the detailed design review required by the Radio Agreement, changes were made to the AARRS design, to include tower site changes, necessitating multiple modifications, deletions and additions to the scope of the Radio Contract This ordinance authorizes change requests to the $80,695,423.00 Radio Systems Agreement (Radio Contract) with Dailey and Wells Communications. Inc. (DWC) in the amount not to exceed $1,356,681.00. Further, this ordinance appropriates additional funds for the AARRS Project in the amount not to exceed $1,506,540.00 for fiber and lease costs.
In order to ensure work on the AARRS continues without interruption and that such system incorporates all necessary system upgrades, changes and modifications on a timely basis, this ordinance will authorize the City Manager or his designee to execute system change requests and amendments to the Radio Contract, and its exhibits, up to $500,000 with concurrence by the City Attorney. These approvals would occur without further action by the City Council, however, would be subject to the availability of funds for the Project. Additionally, the Interlocal Agreement executed by the City, CPS Energy and Bexar County provides for this authorization up to $500,000.
Attachment A provides a list of the change requests to the Radio Contract with DWC for approval in an amount not to exceed $1,356,681. It is sorted by major subsystem category and includes a brief description of the change request, the allocation of the cost of the change request to the City, County, and CPS Energy, and the total of each change request.
Attachment B provides information on the change request in the amount not to exceed $1,506,540.00 for fiber and lease incurred prior to implementation of the System. The costs of this change order will be paid to the commercial lessors for certain tower sites and CPS Energy for fiber. It is sorted by the same categories as noted in Attachment A.
ISSUE:
Consideration of the following ordinances totaling $2,863,221.00 for the Alamo Area Regional Radio System (AARRS) Project:
A. An ordinance authorizing multiple change requests to the $80,695,423.00 Radio Systems Agreement (Radio Contract) with Dailey and Wells Communications. Inc. (DWC) in the amount not to exceed $1,356,681.00.
B. An ordinance appropriating additional funds for the AARRS Project in the amount not to exceed $1,506,540.00 for fiber and lease incurred prior to implementation of the System.
C. An ordinance authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute system change requests and amendments to the Radio Contract, and its exhibits, up to $500,000 with concurrence by the City Attorney for the AARRS Project, subject to the availability of Funds and in accordance with the Interlocal Agreement approved by the City, CPS Energy and Bexar County.
ALTERNATIVES:
A. Should this action not be approved, the AARRS would have to identify an alternate design delaying the installation of the AARRS and requiring the continued reliance on the current emergency radio network which is approaching end of life.
B. Should this action not be approved, the AARRS would need to identify an alternate design delaying the installation of the AARRS and requiring the continued reliance on the current emergency radio network which is approaching end of life.
C. Should this action not be approved, future system change requests and amendments to the Radio Contract would require City Council action and could result in delays to the project.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The following table reflects the allocation of the change requests included in Attachments A and B to the City, County, and CPS Energy based upon the Interlocal Agreement. The amounts noted are an amount not to exceed. As noted in the table, the City’s share of the costs of the change orders is $1,411,056. Funds are available in the City’s Capital Budget to cover the City’s share of the cost of the change orders.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the following ordinances for the AARRS Project:
A. Authorizing the proposed change requests to the Radio Contract in the not-to-exceed amount of $1,356,681.00, for a revised total contract amount of $82,052,104.00.
B. Authorizing an increase in the AARRS Project budget in the not-to-exceed amount of $1,506,540.00 for fiber and lease incurred prior to implementation of the System.
C. Authorizing the City Manager or his designee to execute system change requests and amendments to the Radio Contract, and its exhibits, up to $500,000 with concurrence by the City Attorney for the AARRS Project.