I | Consideration and Approval of Contract: Cooperative Purchase Contract with Motorola Solutions, Inc. in the amount of $2,111,544.29 for radio equipment, setup, accessories, and service for numerous City departments. | ||||||
The following individuals addressed Council in opposition to the contract with Motorola:
Councilmember Matthews asked about the installation costs. Deputy Chief Wilson stated that there is no cost for installation included in the contract. Niles Radio has always installed the truck units and they plan to continue utilizing them for that service. Procurement Specialist Emily Markel addressed Council stating that she was tasked with procuring the radios with the specifications that were provided by staff. She was able to secure a cooperative contract to obtain the radios requested. Vice Mayor Aslan expressed concern with what had been expressed by the speakers and stated that taking a step back may be the appropriate path forward. Fire Chief Mark Gaillard stated that taking a step back and slowing things down may not change the outcome. The contract is a result of a recommendation from those on the front line. Staff can dig into the procurement process, but it is highly regular to take advantage of cooperative agreements. Councilmember Matthews stated that she is aware that the radio needs have been discussed but she also shares the concerns of Vice Mayor Aslan. She would like to get to a place that she feels comfortable with a decision and have all the information to make that decision. Councilmember McCarthy stated that it feels like the contract is a one size fits all when there are some departments that have different needs. A purchase price of over $2 million requires more oversight. Councilmember Harris expressed a desire to postpone the decision so staff can provide more information on how the procurement process was done. Councilmember Sweet stated that she trusts that staff knows the most appropriate radio to obtain but as a small business owner she would like to support local business when possible. She too would support postponing the decision to a future date to allow time to get more information about the procurement process. |
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Moved by Councilmember Jim McCarthy, seconded by Vice Mayor Austin Aslan to postpone the item until staff can get back to Council and give more thorough discussion on the matter. | |||||||
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously | |||||||