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CONTRACT K-1617-107: A CONTRACT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, THE NORMAN MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY, AND HARRIS CORPORATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $13,703,056.72 TO PURCHASE, INSTALL, AND PROVIDE MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE FOR PHASE III OF THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CITY’S EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.
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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 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 April 1, 2014, the citizens of Norman approved by vote a permanent Public Safety Sales Tax. The proposition approved by the voters specifically outlined several uses for the approved funds. One of the projects funded through the Public Safety Sales Tax vote was the replacement of the City’s current Emergency Communications System.
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) approved Resolution R-1415-90, authorizing the issuance of its Sales Tax Revenue Note, Series 2015 in the principal amount of $22,825,000; and the City Council authorized the NMA indebtedness (Resolution R-1415-91). The primary purpose of the 2015 NMA Revenue Note was to provide financing for the Emergency Communications System.
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: On March 16, 2016 the City released Request for Proposal (RFP) #1516-54 for the replacement of the Emergency Communication System. The City solicited responses to this RFP through newspaper ads, web page postings, industry publications, and notification of vendors that had previously contacted the City in regards to the project. The City hosted a mandatory pre-bid conference in which the vendors were provided tours of current City facilities related to the project and given a briefing in regards to the bid process. Vendors that attended the pre-bid conference submitted clarifying questions related to the RFP and answers were provided by the City to all inquiring vendors. In response to the City’s RFP, four proposals were received to include two from the companies holding the two biggest market shares in Public Safety Land Mobile Radio (LMR).
The City’s project consultant, TUSA Consulting, provided a two-pronged evaluation model for assessing each proposal. The first prong of the evaluation examined the technical compliance of each proposal. The second prong examined the cost impact of each proposal. At the conclusion of the response evaluations staff initiated contract negotiations with the #1 ranked proposer.
A contractual agreement has been reached with the #1 ranked project proposer, Harris Corporation, to purchase, install, and assist in maintaining a 700/800 MHz Digital Public Safety Radio Network (Emergency Communication System).
It is Staff’s expectation that Phase III of the Emergency Communication System project would be complete within 24 months following approval of this agreement.
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the agreement, K-1617-107, between the City of Norman, Oklahoma, the Norman Municipal Authority, and Harris Corporation for the purchase, installation, and maintenance assistance of a 700/800 MHz Digital Public Safety Radio Network be approved for $13,703,056.72.
NMA Revenue Note funding for this contract was appropriated as part of the City’s fiscal year 2016-2017 (FY17) Public Safety Sales Tax Capital Improvement Project Budget, Emergency Communication System, Construction (account 015-9319-419.61-01; project BP0030) and Materials (account 015-9319-419.63-01; project BP0030).