THE PURCHASING DIVISION AND THE OFFICE OF REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.
This item supports the Board's vision of "Consistently delivering responsive, efficient, quality services to the public and internal customers" and the goal to "Build into every process and service effective checks and balances that do not cause inefficiency, but rather ensure consistency, continuity, and quality."
On January 5, 2016, the Parties entered into the Agreement between Broward County and Fitch & Associates LLC for the Assessment of Broward County’s Regional E911 Consolidated Communications Systems under (RLI No. N1388702R1). The total not-to-exceed amount of the initial agreement was $100,000, including Optional Services of $3,000. The agreement provided for an initial one-year term, with two one-year renewal options. The current contract is in its second year with one remaining renewal option.
On August 19, 2016, the Parties executed the First Amendment to the Agreement to increase the not-to-exceed amount for Optional Services by $16,500 to permit additional services relating to the contract scope. The total Optional Service and total not-to-exceed amounts were amended to values of $19,500 and $116,500 respectively. The First Amendment was executed under the delegated authority of the Director of Purchasing.
On June 23, 2017, the Director of Purchasing executed the Second Amendment to the Agreement to increase the not-to-exceed amount for Optional Services to permit additional services for a Phase III engagement relating to the implementation of the recommendations provided in the Fitch & Associates Final Report dated December 2016. The total Optional Services and total not-to-exceed amounts were amended to values of $97,600 and $194,600 respectively.
The scope of the proposed Third Amendment will include consultative and professional services in support of continued implementation of recommendations provided by Fitch to achieve best practices of the County’s Regional Consolidated Dispatch System. The system has not achieved the efficiencies initially contemplated as part of consolidation. Fitch has offered a variety of recommendations to improve the system, which the Operator and end-users have not fully implemented. The County has fully embraced the recommendations and has moved forward with funding and plans to implement all recommendations.
Further, on September 13, 2017, the Sheriff, as contracted Operator of the System, sent a letter to the County Administrator providing formal notice of cancellation of the automatic renewal of the Operating Agreement, acknowledging efforts to negotiate terms of a new agreement, but citing the agreement requirement that notice of termination be made 365 days in advance, or on or before September 30, 2017. The County received a series of proposed changes to the Operating Agreement that County staff believes, if adopted, could result in additional inefficiencies in the system.
The services to be provided under the Third Amendment to the Agreement between Broward County and Fitch & Associates LLC will be to continue to assist County staff in making improvements to the County’s Regional Consolidated Dispatch System and Services, and develop a plan in the event a finalized Operator Agreement cannot be achieved for the operation of the System. |