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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Shanita Thompson, Director IT Operations
Cmdr. Michael Doerzaph, Commander of Support Services
Gary Fript, Telecommunications Engineer
DATE: June 19, 2019
SUBJECT:
Resolution authorizing the upgrade of the Public Safety and Municipal Radio System software, consoles, and UPS batteries for the radio shelters with Harris Corporation, Lynchburg, VA for an agreement amount not to exceed $775,667.56 and to extend the current warranty for an additional 3 years.
PURPOSE:
The Harris Radio System is designed to support and provides 24/7 city wide communications for both Public Safety and our municipal employees. The current aged radio consoles have become obsolete and are out of warranty. The Maestro Console operating system is currently running on Microsoft Vista. As of April 11, 2017, Windows Vista customers are no longer receiving new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical updates from Microsoft. Maestro radio console software/hardware is no longer supported or manufactured from our radio vendor Harris Corporation as of 12-31-17.
BACKGROUND:
In 2008, the City of Aurora received a Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant (PSIC) from the Federal government to allow the Cities of Aurora and Naperville to improve communication capabilities for first responders to better serve our communities. Both Cities have been live on the Harris Open Sky radio system since November 2010. The interoperable voice/data radio system provides state of the art public safety communications on a federal, state and regional basis. The Open Sky radio system is proprietary hardware and software, which must be maintained by the Harris Corporation. The partnership with Naperville allows the two cities to share the infrastructure enabling cost sharing and reduced duplication.
The installation included a warranty and maintenance contract for a three-year period from November 2010 through November 2013. The maintenance contract included 24/7/365 monitoring and dispatching by Harris Corporation and covered the radio infrastructure, consoles, mobiles, portables, repeater stations, microwave equipment and other miscellaneous equipment. In August 2016, City Council approved to extend the contract for five years. The maintenance contract with Harris Corporation currently ends December 31, 2021. It is the intent to extend the current contract for an additional three year term, effective
January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024.
The City of Naperville receives their own invoicing for the costs of these services and maintenance. A previously adopted intergovernmental agreement (R06-496) with City of Naperville is being reviewed and updated by legal for future consideration by City Council.
The ability for both Aurora and Naperville public safety agencies to communicate daily is a critical public safety necessity for our citizens and business community. Both Aurora and Naperville have benefited from the long standing integrity of the current Radio System. In order to maintain the current level of robust geographic redundancy, both cities will need to upgrade the Harris Radio System core and consoles. Naperville is currently going through their legislative process as well, and this project is tentatively scheduled to begin by mid-July.
This solution will upgrade (21) Aurora radio consoles to the latest Symphony model for the primary dispatch center, backup dispatch center and EMA. Radio consoles are the primary interface used by dispatchers, police officers, firefighters and municipal city employees to communicate well performing daily job duties and receive emergency communications on our radio system. The radio console integrates with the 911 phone system that dispatchers use daily. This provides the ability to use a single headset regardless of desired communications medium. Outside of upgrading the radio consoles, this upgrade includes both aged software and server hardware replacements to the radio core. The upgrade will also replace aged power plant UPS batteries, access routers and Network Sentry's at our city's (8) field radio sites. Performing this while Harris is onsite helps to reduce cost and additional downtime that would occur is we wait to do it at a later date.
The current consoles used by dispatchers to communicate are now on their 8th year of use having served us extremely reliable. The city's radio system is tightly integrated (shared) with Naperville's, and will require both Cities to engage in this upgrade simultaneously.
As part of this upgrade, cost credit will be realized on Harris maintenance three (3) year agreement in the amount of $120,000.00 throughout the remaining contract term 12-31-2021. There are also additional system discounts given that includes trade-in credit for existing Core in the amount of $914,344.30.
Year Start End Current Maint Savings Add'l Savings Total New Maint
|
Year 9 |
1/1/19 |
12/31/19 |
$420,444.88 |
$20,180.00 |
$39,820 |
$60K |
$360,444.88 |
|
Year 10 |
1/1/20 |
12/31/20 |
$430,956.00 |
$30,000.00 |
NA |
$30K |
$400,956.00 |
|
Year 11 |
1/1/21 |
12/31/21 |
$441,729.90 |
$30,000.00 |
NA |
$30K |
$411,729.90 |
DISCUSSION:
The Harris Radio System console upgrade has been budgeted in the Information Technology's Public Safety account(s) 211-1380-419.38-03 ($82,500), 211-1380-419.64-11 ($667,500), and 211-1380-419.64-10 (26,000). The maintenance is already budgeted yearly in the Information Technology's general account 101-1380-419.38-03.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
Not performing this upgrade poses a security risk, as well as failures and downtime, for both the City of Aurora and Naperville's Public Safety and Municipal Radio Systems.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that City Council approves the resolution.
cc: Finance Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution authorizing the upgrade of the Public Safety and Municipal Radio System software, consoles, and UPS batteries for the radio shelters with Harris Corporation, Lynchburg, VA for an agreement amount not to exceed $775,667.56 and to extend the current warranty for an additional 3 years.
body
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the Harris Radio System is designed to support and provides 24/7 city wide communications for both Public Safety and our municipal employees; and
WHEREAS, the current aged radio consoles have become obsolete and are out of warranty; and
WHEREAS, both Aurora and Naperville have benefited from the long standing integrity of the current Radio System; and
WHEREAS, the city's radio system is tightly integrated (shared) with Naperville's, and will require both Cities to engage in this upgrade simultaneously; and
WHEREAS, the Harris Radio System console upgrade has been budgeted in the Information Technology's Public Safety account(s) 211-1380-419.38-03 ($82,500), 211-1380-419.64-11 ($667,500), and 211-1380-419.64-10 ($26,000). The maintenance is already budgeted yearly in the Information Technology's general account 101-1380-419.38-03; and
WHEREAS, in pursuant to Aurora Code Section 2-335(a)(3) the desired product is provided by only one source in this situation.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: a resolution authorizing the upgrade of the Public Safety and Municipal Radio System software, consoles, and UPS batteries for the radio shelters with Harris Corporation, Lynchburg, VA for an agreement amount not to exceed $775,667.56 and to extend the current warranty for an additional 3 years, through December 31, 2024.