Title
CONTRACT K-1617-108: A CONTRACT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, THE NORMAN MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY, AND TUSA CONSULTANT SERVICES II, L.L.C., IN THE AMOUNT OF $269,310 TO PROVIDE IMPLEMENTATION AND ACCEPTANCE TESTING SERVICES FOR PHASE III OF THE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
Body
BACKGROUND: In 2008 the City of Norman was informed by the manufacturer that the City’s Emergency Communication System, a fundamental component in public safety service delivery, would be end-of-life or no longer serviceable in 2018. The City’s Emergency Communication System is the primary means for 9-1-1 Communication Officers (Dispatchers) to notify Norman’s public safety first responders (medical, fire, and police) of requests for service from citizens as well as the primary means of communication between the same first responders. In addition, the City’s Emergency Communication System is the primary means of communication for incidents involving response from public safety partners from neighboring and shared jurisdictions. The City’s Emergency Communication System provides both operability for routine delivery City services and interoperability with partnering government entities during joint responses.
On August 12, 2014 Council approved contract K-1415-16 with RCC Consultants for consulting services related to Phase I of the City’s Emergency Communication System project. RCC Consultants successfully concluded their services contract that included a Needs Assessment, Development of System Alternatives, and Preparation of Budgetary Cost Estimates, on March 24, 2015.
On March 10, 2015, the Trustees of the Norman Municipal Authority (NMA) adopted Resolution R-1415-90, authorizing the issuance of its 2015 Sales Tax Revenue Notes, in the amount of $22,825,000; and the City Council adopted Resolution R-1415-91, authorizing the NMA indebtedness. The primary purpose of the 2015 NMA Sales Tax notes was to provide financing for the Emergency Communications System replacement.
On September 22, 2015 Council approved contract K-1516-42 with TUSA Consultants for consulting services related to Phase II of the City’s Emergency Communications System project. TUSA successfully concluded their services contract that included a review of RCC’s Phase I findings, development of a detailed system configuration, construction of a Request for Proposal (RFP), proposal solicitation, proposal evaluations, vendor selection, contract negotiations, and Council Study Session presentation on January 24, 2017.
DISCUSSION: The City is now prepared to enter Phase III of the Emergency Communication System. Phase III of the project will consist of implementing the Harris Emergency Communication System proposed for Council/NMA consideration in contract K-1617-107 and performing acceptance testing of the same.
Based on the experience and expertise needed to ensure the City successfully completes all tasks associated with Phase III of this project, staff recommends the City continue to contract for consulting services. Due to the experience gained during Phase II of this project, TUSA Consultants is uniquely positioned to assist the City of Norman with Phase III. TUSA Consultants has assisted multiple municipalities with the successful replacement of Emergency Communication Systems similar to the City of Norman’s system, in an ethical manner. In addition, TUSA Consultants also has an advanced knowledge of potential project partners through their service to the City of Oklahoma City on a similar Emergency Communication System project.
It is staff’s expectation that Phase III of the Emergency Communication System project would be complete within 24 months following approval of consulting services.
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the agreement, K-1617-108, between TUSA Consultants, Inc., the Norman Municipal Authority and the City of Norman for the provision of consulting services for Phase III of the replacement project for the City’s Emergency Communication System be approved for $269,310. Funding for this contract, provided by proceeds of the 2015 NMA Sales Tax Revenue Notes, was appropriated as part of the City’s fiscal year 2015-2016 Public Safety Sales Tax Capital Improvement Project Budget, Emergency Communication System, Design (account 015-9319-419.62-01, Project BP0030).