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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 13d - Grant Reimbursement of In-Car Mobile Radio Equipment Costs DATE: January 18, 2022 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Roy Nakamura, Chief of Police By: Dr. Jennifer Brutus, Senior Management Analyst SUBJECT: GRANT AWARD FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY - STATE HOMELAND SECURITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (“SHSP”) FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF IN-CAR MOBILE RADIO COSTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $39,770 Recommendation: Accept SUMMARY The Arcadia Police Department (the “Department”) has applied for a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for a State Homeland Security Program (“SHSP”) grant centered on communications improvements, which will reimburse the cost of in-car mobile radio equipment in an amount not to exceed $39,770. The Department’s funding request has been approved and the grant Agreement has been finalized. With City Council approval, the Department will be able to proceed with purchasing the equipment. Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council accept a grant award from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for a State Homeland Security Assistance Program (“SHSP”) for reimbursement of costs related to in-car mobile radio equipment in the amount of $39,770. BACKGROUND Since 2010, the Department has purchased portable handheld radios and in-car mobile radios through the City’s annual Equipment Replacement Program. While the radios are on a perpetual replacement schedule, only a certain number of radios are replaced each year due to a limited budget. Many police and fire agencies utilize the SHSP to help offset the extensive cost of upgrading communications equipment. For the 2019 grant period, the Arcadia Police Department was approved (as a sub-recipient under a larger Interoperable Communications Equipment Project) to purchase five all-band mobile radios to be mounted inside marked police vehicles. Accept Grant Award from the State Homeland Security Grant Program for Portable Handheld Radio Equipment January 18, 2022 Page 2 of 3 The Department will purchase the Motorola APX8500 model, which is P25 compliant. P25 is a set of standards for federal, state, and local public safety agencies to provide interoperable emergency communication within a jurisdiction as well as between agencies and mutual aid response teams. The selected model offers unlimited mobility and interoperability, integrated Wi-Fi, data connectivity, and information security. DISCUSSION The grant is being managed by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (“Cal OES”). Cal OES mandates that the City use its own documented procurement procedures, which reflect applicable Federal, State, and local standards in the award of any subcontracts. In the case of this equipment purchase, subcontracts include purchase agreements. Although the Department is eligible to piggyback on a regional contract for this purchase such as the Los Angeles County’s Master Purchase Agreement for Regional Communications Systems, the Department was required to conduct a Formal Request for Quotations in order to comply with the grant’s purchasing guidelines. When solely utilizing other agencies’ contracts, the Department is not able to expound upon their bid processes and purchasing decisions in the event of an audit. Thus, by conducting a new bid, the Department is able to demonstrate original bid paperwork and answer questions about its own bid process. In December 2021, the Department published a Notice Inviting Quotations three times in the Arcadia Weekly newspaper and emailed the formal notice to two local equipment vendors. The Notice listed the equipment needs of five in-car mobile radios. After a two- week submission period, one bid was received from Day Wireless Solutions on December 16, 2021. A committee comprised of four City staff members later convened to review and discuss the bid. Day Wireless submitted a bid stating $39,769.71 for all five in-car mobile radios, which is $7,214.46 per radio plus sales tax. The quote includes a 32% discount from the City of Glendale’s Master Purchase and Service Agreement with Motorola Solutions, which is for radios on the Interagency Communications Interoperability (“ICI") network. The Agreement designates local government agencies as eligible purchasers, and the City is an ICI member. Although the purchase of Motorola radios is not considered a sole source, it is a product whose selling territory is set by the manufacturer. Day Wireless is the only dealer in the region authorized to quote Motorola products for Arcadia. No other radio equipment provider (even Foothill Communications located in Pasadena) is able to quote or sell Motorola products to the Arcadia Police Department, thus no other bids were received. Accept Grant Award from the State Homeland Security Grant Program for Portable Handheld Radio Equipment January 18, 2022 Page 3 of 3 The grant award will be distributed on a reimbursement basis. Cal OES will reimburse the City for all pre-approved costs upon receipt of the Department’s claims. The City will be required to comply with the terms and conditions of the grant, including expense reporting and auditing. By purchasing the radio equipment from Day Wireless, the Department will ensure compatibility with existing radio infrastructure, P25 compliance, and realize significant cost savings of approximately $17,000. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), and it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA. FISCAL IMPACT The funds for the radio equipment been allocated in the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Operating Budget. All costs related to the Project will be offset by reimbursement at the end of the grant period, in an amount not to exceed $39,770. Accepting these grant funds will alleviate the burden on the Equipment Replacement Fund, which normally would fund such acquisitions. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council determines that this project is exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and accept a grant award from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – State Homeland Security Assistance Program (“SHSP”) for reimbursement of in-car mobile radio costs in the amount of $39,770.