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File #: 1037-2023    Version: 1
Type: Ordinance Status: Passed
File created: 3/29/2023 In control: Public Safety Committee
On agenda: 4/24/2023 Final action: 4/26/2023
Title: To authorize the Director of Public Safety, on behalf of the Division of Support Services, to enter into a new contract for maintenance with Agile Network Builders, LLC., for network connectivity between the City’s communication towers and the dispatching centers; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code; to authorize an expenditure of $142,440.00 from Public Safety's General Fund. ($142,440.00).
Attachments: 1. Bid Waiver Form.pdf, 2. Financial Coding.pdf, 3. STS Request Form Agile Ord 1037-2023.pdf
Explanation

BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Public Safety, on behalf of the Division of Support Services, to enter into a new contract for maintenance with Agile Network Builders LLC to maintain the connectivity from the communication towers to the City’s dispatch centers. This is a leased circuit system the City uses to tie the radio system sites and dispatch centers together to operate, and in turn, to connect them to the state where the primary radio system resides.

The radio system is used as a primary source of communications from the Department of Public Safety's dispatch center to public safety units in the field, for internal communications of public safety units, and for interoperability communications between federal, state, and other local public safety agencies. Other Departments use the radio system for similar communications with their employees in the field. The system aids the dispatchers by transmitting critical information by voice signal to radio users in the field.

Ordinance 1405-2015 authorized the second phase of the City's 800 MHz radio system upgrade to the P-25 digital system. As part of this upgrade, Agile Network Builders established the infrastructure necessary to maintain connectivity between the City's communication towers and the dispatching centers. An initial, multi-year maintenance contract was included with the upgrade and is set to expire this year.

Bid Waiver Justification: Agile Network Builders LLC. is the provider for the first of multiple required network connections to the State of Ohio MARCS system. Agile provides these services to MARCS on a state term contract which benefits the City by being on the same network, thus providing system redundancy, interoperability with MARCS and Franklin County equipment, as well as monitored network management. The original contract covered the first 5 years of maintenance. The Department of Public Safety is requesting to continue th...

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