Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Finance and Management Director to associate all General Budget Reservations resulting from this legislation with the appropriate Universal Term Contract Purchase Agreement established with Axon Enterprise, Inc. for the purchase of body worn cameras, In-car, interview room cameras and associated accessories, software, maintenance, and support for the Columbus Division of Police. These video camera systems are typically utilized by law enforcement to record interactions with the public. This technology promotes both transparency and accountability. The contract may be extended for up to two additional one (1) year periods, subject to mutual agreement by both parties.
The initial body-worn camera (BWC) program was initiated in 2015 by then City Council President Andrew J. Ginther. A committee comprised of community members, academia, the Fraternal Order of Police, and support staff from the Department of Public Safety and City Attorney’s Office: (1) promulgated policies for deployment, public records retention, and redaction by reviewing and evaluating virtually every BWC policy in the nation; and (2) purchased first-generation Body-Worn cameras from the vendor WatchGuard, who were later purchased by Motorola and now operate under that name.
Since 2016, approximately 3,470,283 body camera videos (over 593 TB) have been taken with these Motorola cameras. The millions of videos taken are public records thanks to the City's work leading to the passage of Ohio House Bill 425, which declared police videos to be public records. This legislation is nationally recognized as a model for effectively balancing transparency for the public and individual privacy.
To bring the next generation of video technology to the Columbus Division of Police, the Department of Public Safety assembled a multi-disciplinary team comprised of internal and external stakeholders with expertise and experience in technology, finance, law enforcement, procurement, and legal. Included on the team was President of the Columbus Chapter of the NAACP, Nana Watson, who gave invaluable community insight to this initiative. A solicitation was published in early 2021, seeking competitive proposals from nationally recognized camera system providers.
Bid Information: RFQ019158 was advertised and Best Value Procurement proposals were received on August 12, 2021. Six (6) responses with pricing were received.
An evaluation committee consisted of representatives from: Columbus City Council; Department of Finance and Management; Assistant Director, Mayor’s Office; Deputy Director, Department of Public Safety; Director, Department of Technology; Chief Counsel, City Attorney’s Office; Deputy Chief, Division of Police and President, NAACP. Of the six (6) vendors that submitted proposals, three (3) were selected for presentations. After further evaluations and scoring, two (2) vendors were selected for field testing. The Division of Police provided approximately thirty police officers to participate in a pilot program to test all provided equipment. Likewise, the Evidence Management System was evaluated by the City Prosecutor's Office, the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office, and the Division of Police Record’s Unit. After presentation from both the pilot program and evidence management systems, the committee presented its rankings to the Finance and Management Director. The Finance and Management Director instructed the committee to proceed with negotiations with Axon Enterprise, Inc. The results of the negotiation were successful. This ordinance is contingent on the passage of ordinance 0457-2022, prepared by the Finance and Management Department establishing an option contract (UTC) with this company.
This company is not debarred according to the Excluded Party Listing System of the Federal Government or prohibited from being awarded a contract according to the Auditor of State Unresolved Findings for Recovery Certified Search.
Emergency Designation: Emergency action is requested as funds are needed immediately to equip police officers with new state of the art cameras that will replace outdated technology.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the expenditure of $905,568.00 from the General Permanent Improvement Fund and $6,500,000.00 from the General Fund ($4,000,000 of which is already reserved on ACPR002109) for the purchase of body worn cameras, in-car cameras, interview room cameras and all needed accessories for the Division of Police from the Universal Term Contract established by the Department of Finance and Management with Axon Enterprise, Inc. This ordinance also amends the 2021 Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) and appropriates and transfers funds between projects within the General Permanent Improvement Fund and transfers funds between Object Classes within the Division of Police General Fund for this contract.
Title
To amend the 2021 Capital Improvement Budget; to authorize the appropriation and transfer of funds within the General Permanent Improvement Fund and the transfer of funds within the General Fund; to authorize the Finance and Management Director to associate all general budget reservations resulting from this ordinance with the appropriate Universal Term Contract Purchase Agreement for the purchase of body worn cameras, in-car cameras, interview room cameras and accessories for the Division of Police; to authorize the expenditure of $905,568.00 from the General Permanent Improvement Fund and $6,500,000.00 from the General Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($7,405,568.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to amend the 2021 Capital Improvement Budget and to authorize the appropriation and transfer of funds within the General Permanent Improvement Fund and the transfer of funds within the General Fund; and
WHEREAS, there is a need to purchase new and updated Body Worn Cameras for the Division of Police to continue the project started in 2015 to include replacement in-car cameras and new interview room cameras using the same technology; and
WHEREAS, the Purchasing Office advertised and solicited Best Value Procurement proposals and with the help of a selection committee selected the highest ranked offeror to negotiate a contract for the provision of body worn cameras, in-car cameras, interview room cameras and all needed accessories and video recording system for the Columbus Division of Police; and
WHEREAS, funds for this expenditure are available on an existing budget reservation, ACPR002109; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Finance and Management Director to associate all general budget reservations resulting from this ordinance with the appropriate Universal Term Contract Purchase Agreements for the purchase of network infrastructure equipment for body worn cameras, in car cameras and interview room cameras for the Division of Police; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Police, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Finance and Management Director to associate all General Budget Reservations resulting from this legislation with the appropriate Purchase Agreement established with Axon Enterprise Inc. for the purchase of cameras and associated accessories to timely equip police officers with new state of the art cameras that will replace outdated technology, for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the 2021 Capital Improvement Budget be amended in Fund 7748 as follows:
Project Number Project Name Revised Auth. Remaining Auth. Change
P748999-100000 Unallocated GPIF Carryover $1,882,044 $976,476 (905,568)
P330039-100000 Police Equipment - BWC $0 $905,568 $905,568
SECTION 2. That the appropriation of $905,568.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized within the General Permanent Improvement Fund 7748 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the transfer of $905,568.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized between projects within the General Permanent Improvement Fund 7748 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4, That the transfer of $2,500,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized between Object Classes within the General Fund 1000, Subfund 100010 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That the Finance and Management Director is hereby authorized to associate all general budget reservations resulting from this ordinance with the appropriate Universal Germ Contract with Axon Enterprise Inc., for the purchase of body worn cameras, in-car cameras, interview cameras and associated accessories, software, maintenance, and support for the Columbus Division of Police.
SECTION 6. That the expenditure of $905,568.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be and is hereby authorized from the General Permanent Improvement Fund, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 7. That the expenditure of $2,500,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be and is hereby authorized from the General Fund, Department of Public Safety, Division of Police, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 8. That the expenditure of $4,000,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be and is hereby authorized from the General Fund from an existing general budget reservation, ACPR002109.
SECTION 9. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 10. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 11. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer the unencumbered balance in a project account to the unallocated balance account within the same fund upon receipt of certification by the Director of the Department administering said project that the project has been completed and the monies are no longer required for said project.
SECTION 12. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.