HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 06-13-2006-5nORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: June 13, 2006
Action Agenda
Item No. 5-n
SUBJECT: Bid Award: E9-1-1 Telephone System
DEPARTMENT: Purchasing & Emergency PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
Management
ATTACHMENT(S):
INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Cannell, 245-2651
Jack Ball, 968-2050
Pam Jones, 245-2652
PURPOSE: To consider awarding a bid for an E9-1-1 Telephone System for Emergency
Management to Wireless Communications, Inc. of Morrisville, NC.
BACKGROUND: On March 2, 2006, the Board accepted a COPS Grant from the Department
of .)ustice to ptrchase interoperable communications console equipment for 9-1-1 and SOOMhz
radios. At that time, the Board authorized the purchase of available equipment from the State
Contract of North Carolina. While the consoles will be purchased from an existing State
Contract, there is no State Contract for the phone system that operates in conjunction with the
consoles,
The Board will recall from previous instances, that NC G,S, 143-129 allows local governments
to use the "piggy-back" acquisition method to obtain items without a separate bid procedure, If
a contractor is willing to extend the same or more favorable price and other terms to the local
government, the law allows that the acquisition may be made from a contractor that has, within
the past 12 months, contracted to furnish the item to: (1) the federal government or any federal
agency; (2) the State of North Carolina or any agency or political subdivision of the state; or (3)
any other state or agency or political subdivision of that state, The acquisition contemplated
would be "piggy-backed" on a bid awarded by Granville County, North Carolina, on March 20,
2006 to Wireless Communications of Morrisville, North Carolina far a CML ECS1000 911
Controller, which is the recommended phone system for console operation.
The current system is out-of-date and has been fraught with maintenance and service issues,
The proposed new telephone will provide the newest technology to integrate directly with new
equipment and software, Wireless Communications is also installing the new consoles.
Coordination of installation and future maintenance is significantly enhanced by retaining the
same vendor to install both the consoles and supporting telephone system.
2
The statute that authorizes "piggy-back" bids requires that the entity advertise its intentions ten
(10) days prior to a meeting in which the matter is to be considered. Orange County has
fulfilled that requirement.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The cost of the telephone system equipment plus afour-year
maintenance contract totals $313,434. Proceeds from the COPS grant accepted by the Board
on March 2, 2006 will cover the cost of the equipment and the maintenance contract. A 25
percent County match is required for the grant. In accordance with the March 2, 2006
acceptance of the grant, the County's match would came from the Emergency Telephone
System. Should the Board approve the purchase outlined above, Budget Staff will bring
appropriate budget actions for the Board to take at the June 27, 2006 meeting.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board: 1) award a bid for a CML
ECS1000 911 Controller to Wireless Communications of Morrisville, North Carolina in an
amount not to exceed $313,434; and 2) authorize the Purchasing Director to execute the
necessary paperwork.