Title
Consider approving Resolution No. 2013-041 authorizing the City Manager to enter into contract with Harris Inc. to purchase, install, and maintain a public safety radio system to serve the Cities of Farmers Branch, Carrollton, Coppell and the Town of Addison, and take appropriate action.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The Cities of Farmers Branch, Carrollton and the Town of Addison currently share a four-tower, nine-channel 800Mhz Analog Trunked Simulcast Radio System. This system provides public safety radio coverage for each of the Cities, and is critical to the provision of police, fire and emergency medical services. The primary radio tower site is owned and operated by the City of Carrollton. The City of Farmers Branch owns two of the radio towers, which were purchased in 2003. Farmers Branch pays the City of Carrollton an annual fee to use the system control components and to maintain its two tower sites. The radio system is nearing the end of its maintainable life, and must be replaced. A Metrocrest Quad Cities (MQC) public safety radio system committee was selected with representatives from the Town of Addison, City of Carrollton, City of Coppell and the City of Farmers Branch.
Over the past two years, RCC Consultants, Inc. (RCC) has been retained to evaluate the old system and make recommendations. In Phase I of this project, RCC recommended the four Cities should upgrade to a six tower site "Project 25" digital trunked simulcast radio system. In Phase II of this project, RCC provided services to facilitate implementation of the upgrade, including the design of and preparation of procurement specifications, evaluation of vendor proposals, and recommendation of a vendor to provide and install the new radio system. It was determined that the City of Farmers Branch would be the purchasing city. The Town of Addison, City of Carrollton, and the City of Coppell would pay their agreed-upon percentages of the system cost to the City of Farmers Branc...
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