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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Andrew Feuerborn, Director Data & Analytics
Ted Beck, Chief Information Security Officer
DATE: November 21, 2018
SUBJECT:
Ratification of emergency repair expenditures with CDW-G Corporation of Vernon Hills, IL for video surveillance cameras related hardware, software and professional/installation services under a National IPA purchasing contract in the amount of $168,000 at various City facilities.
PURPOSE:
The video surveillance cameras supports real time monitoring, theft reduction and evidence, access control and compliance with governmental regulations and public safety requirements. As a result maintaining a standard level of operations is critical for preserving business continuity and reducing risk exposure.
IT and City staff reported and identified a number of non-functional, mission critical video surveillance cameras located at the RiverEdge Park, Aurora Police Department Headquarters, Route 25 and 59 Transportation Centers that negatively impact public safety and security.
The Chief Information Officer requested authorization for the emergency expenditures which was approved by the Chief Management Officer and Chief Finance Officer.
Subsequently IT initiated the emergency repair work with the security vendor to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair those immediate break/fix issues at the various locations.
Estimates for the remaining break/fix work at the Route 25 and Route 59 Transportation Centers have now been acquired and included in this request for transparency.
BACKGROUND:
Citywide planning efforts are underway to assess and consolidate the City’s disparate security systems under a consolidated enterprise platform. By standardizing, the City gains the following benefits:
- Reduce loss, theft and vandalism, risk liability
- Experience easier installation and more effective implementation
- Improve storage and accessibility
- Enable remote monitoring
- Reduce costs and scale more easily
- Save time with distributed intelligence through predictive and performance analytics
- Upgrade centralized management software
- Improve productivity and public safety
Several more years will likely be required to complete this process based on the cost and complexity of this project, available funding, and the fact that some legacy systems are newer and more capable than others. These systems will be phased out over time as they age out and as funds are available.
Repairs have already begun at the following sites:
1) RiverEdge Park
2) Route 59 Train Station
3) Route 25 Transportation Center
4) Aurora Police Headquarters campus
In addition to implementing new security systems and upgrading others in order to remediate overall security issues, the City is also in need of an annual city wide maintenance contract with a security vendor and staff will provide a summary of this plan at a later date.
The following are some of the highlights regarding both the work that has already been performed and work that is requested for approval in this resolution. This work is necessary to continue to remediate issues identified at the various City facilities.
RiverEdge Park:
In the spring of 2018, Aurora Civic Center Authority staff determined that RiverEdge Park had a number of cameras down. These cameras were repaired in advance of the RiverEdge Park opening season.
Route 59 Train Station:
The Route 59 Train Station is the busiest train station outside of the City of Chicago. Given the volume of traffic going through this station it is important that the City maintain adequate video surveillance.
The site’s cameras are currently being operated on two different video recording systems. The parking lot cameras were migrated to the Genetec platform in 2017 during a re-design of the parking lot for the Station while the legacy analog cameras on the site have remained on an antiquated DVR system that was installed in approximately 2005. This thirteen year old system has experienced a recent failure of one of its three DVR recorders. Due to the age of the cameras and DVR neither are worth spending additional resources to repair or maintain.
Emergency repairs are currently underway at this site to address the most pressing needs which includes converting legacy analog cameras to digital signaling using a video encoder, adding some additional cameras and camera licenses to the parking lot and communications shelter, and re-positioning or re-aiming some existing cameras.
An overall system upgrade will be required to the facility’s security cameras at a later date. IT staff is currently working with city staff and the security vendor to determine additional coverage requirements at the site. This additional work is beyond the scope of this resolution therefore will be brought to Council for approval.
Route 25 Transportation Center:
While all of the cameras at the Route 25 Aurora Transportation Center (ATC) have been migrated to the Genetec platform, many of the cameras are analog in nature and were originally installed in 2005. Twenty nine failed cameras were identified initially by City staff. Additional cameras continue to fail at a higher rate based on their thirteen plus years of age and have an outdated level of video quality which hinders their intended effectiveness. In addition, the cabling originally used to install these cameras in 2005 is not compatible with today’s modern IP cameras. As a result, the City is currently conducting an infrastructure assessment at the Route 25 ATC site.
APD HQ Campus:
In June of 2018, the Aurora Police Department publicized an initiative to establish a safe location for internet purchase exchanges of goods and other personal transactions in the Police Department’s parking lot. As a result, IT identified the need to upgrade the existing camera with a more capable set of cameras which facilitated the consolidation under the City’s Genetec platform and delivered a higher quality service and reduced risk. That work has since been completed.
A summary of total current and estimated expenses is provided as an attachment to this agenda item.
* Work currently being performed or already performed as an emergency repair are indicated in the attachment.
DISCUSSION:
By undertaking this emergency repair work, the City has improved safety, security and reduced overall liability at all four of the locations.
IT seeks to leverage the National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance (National IPA) contract held by CDW-G as issued under an RFP by the City of Mesa, AZ (which has been used and approved in 2018 on other projects.) As such, this request is being submitted as a joint bid/purchase. The current contracts associated with the Mesa, AZ RFP and IPA are attached.
Under National IPA, Aurora participates in the cooperative buying power of more than 48,000 entities allowing the City to pay less for products and reduce administrative costs, which helps the City do more with less. National IPA is effective at creating more economical buying opportunities because they offer strength in numbers and years of government purchasing experience. Contracts are competitively solicited, evaluated and awarded by a government entity acting as the lead agency. Contracts are awarded utilizing industry best practices, processes and procedures, ensuring maximum value and absolute security with complete transparency of the process.
Lead agencies are considered to be among the best in public procurement and adhere to the highest standards of procurement. Past lead agencies have been the recipients of the 2017 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) Award.
Funding sources for the emergency repair work performed under this resolution are included in this agenda item as an attached document.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
This project directly and indirectly impacts the general public, multiple City Departments and Divisions and outside entities while improving public safety, security and government services.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Approve a resolution ratifying emergency expenditures with CDW-G Corporation of Vernon Hills, IL for security camera related hardware, software and professional services under a National IPA purchasing contract in the amount of $168,000 for emergency repairs at various City sites.
cc: Finance Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution ratifying emergency expenditures with CDW-G Corporation of Vernon Hills, IL for security cameras related hardware, software and professional services under a National IPA purchasing contract in the amount of $168,000 for emergency repairs at various City sites.
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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 City has a mandate to provide for the safety and security of its facilities and the public at large, and
WHEREAS, the City had a number of sites where security systems and cameras were in need of emergency repairs, and
WHEREAS, CDW-G offers security equipment and services under a National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance (National IPA) held by CDW-G as issued under an RFP by the City of Mesa, AZ and
WHEREAS, Aurora participates in the cooperative buying power of NIPA and the City chooses to leverage this contract for its own security purchases, and
WHEREAS, this request is being submitted as an emergency joint purchase under the Mesa, AZ RFP and National IPA contract, and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Aurora Code Section 2-335(a)(3) the desired product is provided by only one source in this situation;
WHEREAS, the following accounts contain sufficient funds to cover theses emergency repairs: 101-1380.419.32-20, 101-1380-419.38-05, 101-1380-419.38-01, 101-1380-419.64-11, 530-1380-419.32-20, 530-1380-419.38-05, 530-4433-437.38-01, and 530-4433-437.64-11; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: ratify the emergency expenditures with CDW-G Corporation of Vernon Hills, IL for security camera related hardware, software and professional services under a National IPA purchasing contract in the amount of $168,000 for emergency repairs at various City sites and does hereby further authorize its Purchasing Director to issue the necessary orders to implement the same.