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Title:
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Approval of (1) a Frequency Reconfiguration Agreement between Sprint/Nextel and the City; (2) an Agreement with Xerox/ACS for Reconfiguration Services; and (3) an Agreement with Eiger-Tech Systems to Provide Technical Engineering Support for the Reconfiguration Project in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $25,000.
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City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 08/11/2014 Item Number: C-6
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Approval of (1) a Frequency Reconfiguration
Agreement between Sprint/Nextel and the City; (2) an Agreement with Xerox/ACS
for Reconfiguration Services; and (3) an Agreement with Eiger-Tech Systems to
Provide Technical Engineering Support for the Reconfiguration Project in an
Amount Not-to-Exceed $25,000.
Contact Person/Dept.: Paul Condran Phone Number: 310-253-6520
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Dates:
Public Notification: Agenda and Meetings – City Council (08/06/14)
Department Approval:
Art Ida (08/05/14)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by R. Miranda) (08/05/14)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (08/05/14)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (08/06/14)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council approve: (1) a Frequency Reconfiguration
Agreement (FRA) between Sprint/Nextel and the City; (2) an agreement with
Xerox/ACS for reconfiguration services; and (3) an agreement with Eiger-Tech
Systems to provide technical engineering support for the Reconfiguration Project in
an amount not-to-exceed $25,000.
BACKGROUND:
Currently, the City uses the 800 MHz band for voice and data communications to and
from its buses. This use is authorized by a license issued by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC). Sprint/Nextel also uses the 800 MHz band to
provide some of its voice and data services. The proliferation of smart phones and
tablets has led to overcrowding on the 800 MHz band and resulted in problems with
911 communications. To alleviate some of this overcrowding, law enforcement
agencies requested that the FCC reassign some of the licenses which are believed to
be the cause of these problems. The FCC has issued orders making such
reassignments. As a result of those orders, Sprint/Nextel is obligated to provide new
frequencies for use by the City for its Culver CityBus service.
As part of this reconfiguration, Sprint/Nextel has also been ordered to pay for the
minimum costs the City will incur in order to migrate its voice and data
communications to the new frequencies. The parties have negotiated those minimum
costs, and the result of those negotiations are reflected in the FRA.
The costs which Sprint/Nextel has agreed to pay to Xerox/ACS are anticipated to
cover most of the City’s reconfiguration costs. The FRA contains a procedure City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
whereby the City can request that Sprint/Nextel pay for costs above and beyond the
costs identified and authorized in the FRA. Sprint/Nextel will only agree to pay for
additional costs that were not foreseeable at the time that the FRA was negotiated.
This could be subject to FCC approval.
DISCUSSION:
The City’s Transportation Department (Department) has been negotiating the
reconfiguration and the related costs with Sprint/Nextel since November 2013.
Xerox/ACS is the producer/manufacturer of the City’s SmartBus data and voice
communications systems. Therefore, as part of the frequency reconfiguration
project, the City will also be contracting with Xerox/ACS to reconfigure its Smart Bus
equipment (to allow it to operate on the new frequencies to which Culver CityBus’
voice and data systems will be assigned after the reconfiguration is completed).
Pursuant to the FCC orders and the terms and conditions of the FRA, Sprint will be
obligated to pay Xerox/ACS for the costs of reconfiguring Culver CityBus’ data and
voice communications systems.
The City Attorney’s office has provided the Department with important legal support
in the development of the FRA. Xerox/ACS has further completed their Statement of
Work (SOW) which has been approved by Sprint/Nextel and the Department. The
SOW contains the specific workflows, components, parameters and testing
procedures necessary to change the frequencies of the City’s Smart Bus System.
The SOW reflects a total cost to Sprint/Nextel of $64,367, which is ultimately
responsible for payments to Xerox/ACS. Even though the City will not be
responsible for this cost, there is a potential for additional costs to arise through the
normal process of removing and reconfiguring the antiquated data and
communications hardware not otherwise identified in the FRA. The data and
communications equipment used in the Smart Bus system is very complicated.
Also, the FRA does not provide any automatic costs increase without further
negotiations and approvals. During such negotiations, the Department would like to
avoid any delays in service. Therefore, should the need become apparent for the
Department to replace unforeseen ancillary equipment or purchase additional
components to ensure the Reconfiguration Project is completed in a timely manner,
such purchases will be made using existing appropriations contained in the City
Council Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2014/2015 via existing administrative
authority.
Eiger-Tech Systems has been the Department’s consultant for the Smart Bus
System since the original installation of the Smart Bus Project in 2006 and has
unique technical knowledge about our advanced data and communication systems.
The Department has been using Eiger-Tech Systems on the reconfiguration to assist
with the technical equipment specifications to ensure the City is in compliance and is
reviewing the required equipment and testing.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Sufficient funding to cover this request is appropriated in the Transportation
Department’s appropriations contained in the City Council Adopted Budget for Fiscal
Year 2014 / 2015. No General Fund monies will be used for this project.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
MOTION:
That the City Council:
1. Approve the Frequency Reconfiguration Agreement (FRA) with Sprint/Nextel;
and,
2. Approve an agreement with Xerox/ACS pursuant to the stipulations in the FRA
for technical reconfiguration of City-owned data and voice equipment; and,
3. Approve an agreement with Eiger-Tech Systems to provide technical
engineering support for this Reconfiguration Project in an amount not-to-exceed
$25,000; and,
4. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and,
5. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.