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Title:
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Authorization to Release a Request for Proposal (RFP) to Outsource Audio Visual Production Services for Broadcasting City Meetings from the Mike Balkman Council Chambers.
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City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 05/13/13 Item Number: C-10
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Authorization to Release a Request for Proposal
(RFP) to Outsource Audio Visual Production Services for Broadcasting City
Meetings from the Mike Balkman Council Chambers
Contact Person/Dept.: Shelly Wolfberg/
City Manager’s Office
Phone Numbers: (310) 253-6008
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: N/A
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas – City Council (05/07/13).
Department Approval:
Martin Cole (05/01/13)
Charles Herbertson (05/01/13)
Michele Williams (05/01/13)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (05/07/13)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (05/07/13)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (05/07/13)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the release of a Request for Proposal
(RFP) to outsource audio-visual production services for broadcasting City meetings
that are held in City Council Chambers.
BACKGROUND:
The construction of City Hall in 1995 included equipping the Mike Balkman Council
Chambers (Chambers) with audio-visual equipment. Various components were
installed to control the voting system, microphones, speaker volume, projector
screen up/down, chimes, document camera, room lighting, and rear projection
screen viewing. By 1997, additional equipment was procured and integrated with
the system to facilitate broadcast capability. This included the installation of
additional cameras and production equipment which enabled televising City
meetings held in the Chambers.
In 2005, with the assistance of an external audio-visual consultant, a capital
improvement project was initiated to repair and replace many of the audio-visual
components that had reached end of life and were deemed unreliable. Additional
enhancements were also completed to improve the Chamber’s sound quality making
the room more conducive to televising city meetings. A contract was initially
executed with the vendor which performed the improvements to provide equipment
repair/maintenance and support. The company was subsequently acquired by
Anderson Audio Visual who currently maintains the equipment. City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
DISCUSSION:
Anderson Audio Visual informed staff that given the age of the equipment and mix of
various disparate components, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain
the equipment. Staff (and the City Council) has observed increased component
failure and a decline in audio-visual broadcast quality due to these failures.
In an effort to remedy this situation, a project team was formed consisting of staff
from the City Manager’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, Information Technology
Department, and Public Works Department. The team’s initial analysis revealed the
following:
• The audio-visual room has vintage 1995 components and 2006 update
components integrated into a hybrid system with no one manufacturer as its base
• There is a collection of components that are not in use which were not removed
when the system was updated in 2006. This equipment is still wired and removal
is complex and risky given possible integration with the current system
• Some power strips are non-functional and cannot be easily removed from the
racks making managing power in the racks difficult
• Most of the quality issues are related to three recurring problem areas within the
system:
o Playback services
o Meeting operations of the Council Chamber components (voting system,
lighting, document camera, and backlit screen)
o Microphone and sound issues
• The City does not have internal staff skilled in the operation and technical
support of the audio-visual systems and related components
• Anderson Audio Visual (current maintenance provider) does not recommend:
o Removing not-in-use components from the racks
o Performing selected upgrades of the existing system
• Informal estimate to replace the audio-visual equipment could potentially exceed
$500,000
Addressing the issues outlined above by replacing the audio-visual equipment would
require a significant capital outlay. Staff researched more cost effective alternatives
and was informed about the option of outsourcing broadcast and production
services.
If the City decided to pursue the outsourcing option, a vendor would be identified to
be responsible for installing their audio-visual equipment which would be leased by
the City. The vendor would be responsible for broadcasting City meetings and
ensuring signal feeds to the cable and Internet providers (Time Warner, Verizon, and
AT&T). Additionally, the vendor would also be responsible for recommending or
installing a simplified voting system to address recurring problems with the existing
system. City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
In speaking with other municipalities who have already implemented this option,
outsourcing costs are much more affordable given the advancement of technology.
Rather than broadcasting meetings from traditional “on-site” control rooms, these
vendors are able to remotely provide broadcast services. Technicians are physically
located off-site and able to control the production of the meetings from the vendor’s
centralized facility. All services are managed remotely and do not require on-site
staff.
RFP – Outsource Broadcast Production Services
The project team drafted a RFP which details all the requirements and specifications
related to broadcasting Culver City meetings. The objective of the RFP is to identify
vendors who are skilled and have extensive experience with providing outsourced
broadcast services in the local government arena. Releasing the RFP in no way
obligates the City to contract with any of the responding vendors. The City reserves
the right to reject any or all proposals.
Staff recommends the outsourcing option because even if the City decided to
replace all of the audio-visual equipment, there would still be a remaining issue in
that there are no in-house staff skilled to support the equipment. While there is a
maintenance contract, the City is placed at an operational disadvantage by not being
able to quickly respond and resolve issues. When component failures occur and
they impact the quality of the meeting, nothing can usually be done until the next
business day when the maintenance vendor is contacted to provide technical
support.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Releasing the RFP does not create a financial obligation. However, after the vendor
proposals have been reviewed by staff, this may result in a recommendation to
select one of the vendors to provide broadcast production services. Currently,
funding for the contemplated services has not been identified. Based upon the
responses to the RFP, staff will also recommend various funding source(s) for
consideration by the City Council for the proposed services.
MOTION:
That the City Council
Authorize the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) to Outsource Audio Visual
Production Services for Broadcasting City Meetings in the Mike Balkman Council
Chambers.