HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - March 4, 2009 E-06AGENDA ITEM E_., W
AM CITY OF LODI
COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
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AGENDA TITLE: Adopt Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of Police and Fire Radio Equipment
and Accepting Federal Homeland Security Grant Funds of $480,151.80
MEETING DATE: March 4,2009
PREPARED BY: Michael E. Pretz, Fire Chief
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt resolution authorizing the purchase of Police and Fire radio
equipment and accepting Federal Homeland Security Grant funds of
$480,151.80.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The federal government is requiring public safety agencies to
transition to narrow -band radio frequencies by January 2013. This
will require the City to purchase digital radio equipment capable of
using the new frequencies. This grant allows the City to purchase
communications equipment it otherwise can not afford.
The federal mandate is a result of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, in which public safety agencies
discovered the existing, analog radio system is inadequate for dealing with widespread emergencies
because of bandwidth limitations. A digital system will providefor interoperable communications, in which
members of different public safety agencies can speak to each other on a single radio channel.
The federal government, through the Departmentof Homeland Security (DHS), is helping local agencies
fund projects to meet this mandate for interoperable communications. In California, the State Office of
Homeland Security is responsiblefor awarding the federal grant funds. The state coordinates distribution
of the federal DHS funds at the local level through authorizing authorities that have been established in
every county. In San Joaquin County, Fire Chief Mike Pretz and Chief of Police David Main serve on the
San Joaquin County State Homeland Security Authorizing Authority, which was established in 2003.
In response to the federal mandate, the City of Lodi developed a radio system upgrade project that was
presented to the City Council at an April 22, 2008 shirtsleeve session. As presented, the estimated cost
of upgrading the City's public safety radio system is $1.2 million. The City's radio master plan is patterned
after and is an adjunct to San Joaquin County's radio master plan, designed in 2004 to provide
interoperable communications between various agencies in the event of an emergency. The City is
signatory to the County radio master plan.
The City's radio system upgrade project was accepted by the State Office of Homeland Security and the
county's Authorizing Authority. The Authority recently was notified it had nearly $1.5 million in DHS funds
to distribute to agencies for various public safety projects, with 35 percent required to be spent on a
combination of training and preparedness planning. Of the remaining $1 million in grant funds,
$480,151.80 was awarded to the City of Lodi to purchase communications equipment that will begin the
Fire Department's migration to narrow -band digital communications, and digitize the Police Department's
APPROVED:
Blair 1C ity Manager
Adopt Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of Police and Fire Radio Equipment and Accepting Federal
Homeland Security Grant Fund Reimbursement ($480,151-80)
Page 2
Frequency 2. The Police Department's Frequency 1, the channel used for routine communications,
already is digitized. An estimated $772,955.65 in additional funds will be needed before January 2013 to
complete the migration to all-digital Fire and Police communications and comply with the federal
mandate. Staff is researching additional funding opportunities for future purchases.
Grant funds are received on a reimbursement basis. This will require the City to appropriate the funds,
purchase the equipment, and then apply for reimbursement. Because these are federal funds already
being held by the State, the reimbursementfunds should be immediately available afler the purchase.
The $480,151.80 price is based on the State's purchasing estimate. Communications equipment such as
this has a seven- to 10 -year lifespan.
FISCAL IMPACT: The federal mandate will require the City to spend up to $1.2 million to outfit the
Fire and Police departments with an interoperable radio system. Accepting this
grant will offset $480,151.80 of the cost.
FUNDING AVAILABLE: Federal Homeland Security Grant Funds ($480,151.80) as awarded by the
San Joaquin County State Homeland Security Authorizing Authority.
Jordan Ayers
Deputy City Manager/internal Sera s Director
��
Michael E. Pretz. Fire Cfief
MEPIIh
Attachments
cc: City Attorney
RESOLUTION NO. 2009-24
A RESOLUTION OF THE LODI CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZING
THE PURCHASE OF POLICE AND FIRE RADIO EQUIPMENT AND
ACCEPTING FEDERAL HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT FUNDS
WHEREAS, the federal Department of Homeland Security has made funding available
for projects designed to support mandates for interoperable communications; and
WHEREAS, the City of Lodi developed a radio system upgrade project that was
accepted by the State Office of Homeland Security and the San Joaquin County State
Homeland Security Authorizing Authority, a board that oversees Homeland Security grant
funding: and
WHEREAS, the equipment purchased with the funds for the radio upgrade project will
allow the City of Lodi Fire Department to migrate from a Very High Frequency band to an Ultra
High Frequency band and digitize the Police Department's second frequency; and
WHEREAS, communication equipment will be purchased by the City of Lodi; and
WHEREAS, the City of Lodi will receive reimbursementfor the radio equipment costs
through the California State Office of Homeland Security.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Lodi City Council does hereby
authorize the purchase of Police and Fire radio equipment and accept Federal Homeland
Security grant funds the amount of $480,151.80; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council further appropriates $480,151.80 for
the purchase.
Date: March 4, 2009
hereby certify that Resolution No. 2009-24 was passed and adopted by the Lodi City
Council in a regular meeting held March 4, 2009, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS — Hitchcock, Johnson, Katzakian, Mounce, and
Mayor Hansen
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS — None
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS — None
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS — None
I I � nm wlo*
City Clerk
2009-24