HomeMy WebLinkAbout4C, Purchase of 800 MHz Radios
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City Council
Agenda Packet Item:
March 31,2008
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Request for Council Action
Prepared By:
Dept.:
Council Mtg. Date:
Final Action Needed By:
Greg Haag, Sue Iverson
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March 31,2008
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Actual Amount: -- -3;59":3".36
Funding Source: _ _ _ _ _ J::._~.~.I,!,~'_~_i3J~!y_.~.~'p'i.f~tf~~_~..
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iMotion to authorize Staff to purchase four 800 MHz portable radios for Emergency Management
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rAuthorize"Statfto- purchasecfour80CrMHz portable radios for Emergency Management
x ',", -" -,,- Dated March 31, 2008 from Public Works Director Greg Haag, and Finance Director Sue Iverson
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No.:
"1I1~ Recommendation:
Recommendation: ,
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EN HILLS
MEMORANDUM
DATE:
March 31, 2008
TO:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
Jim Willis, Interim City Administrator
FROM:
Greg Hoag, Public Warks Director
Sue Iverson, Finance Director
SUBJECT:
Purchase of800 MHz Portable Radios for Arden Hills Emergency
Management
BACKGROUND
In 2004 all public safety agencies in Ramsey County began the process of converting to the 800
MHz Statewide radio system. When the 800 MHz project began in 2004 each municipal
jurisdiction was asked the number of radios they would need far all oftheir public safety needs.
Arden Hills identified a total of76 radios. To date the Lake Johanna Fire Department has
purchased 21 of these radios for their use and the use of the North Suburban Hazardous Materials
team, and the Ramsey County Sheriffs Department has purchased 9 radios. Ramsey County
submitted for a Federal Homeland Security Grant to off set the costs of the equipment and radios
needed for the County wide project. The County received this grant and has used it as a
$1,092.00 deduction in the cost of each radio purchased. The County is also crediting each radio
purchase with a $903.00 County subsidy for a total credit of$I,995.00 for each of the radios
purchased.
As part of the 2008-2012 Capital Improvement Plan the purchase of 800 MHz portable radios for
the years 2008 and 2009 were planned and budgeted for $4,000.00 in each year. In late 2006, all
public safety agencies in Ramsey County switched to the 800 MHz band from the existing VHF
band. When this switch took place, Arden Hills did not purchase any radios for use by the City's
Emergency Management staff in the event of a large scale disaster. If a disaster were to happen
we would be unable to communicate with any other public agencies in the County. When Staff
originally talked with the City Council about this item during the 2008 budget Work Sessions,
the radios we were proposing would have cost about $4,000.00 each. The Council asked if we
could purchase the four radios over a two year period to help defray the cost impacts to the
budget. Staff has now learned that there is a newer model radio available that will meet the
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needs ofthe City, which is less expensive than the radio model we expected to purchase during
the 2008 budget discussions.
The cost of the new radio is $3,093.34 each, which is a savings of$906.66. Add this together
with the FEMA Grant and County subsidy of$I,995.00, the total cost perradio is $1,098.34.
We have also found out that the radio manufacturer, Motorola is offering a manufacturers rebate
of $200.00 per radio for a limited time. This further brings the cost down to $898.34 per radio.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff is recommending the purchase of four radios at this time as the total cost for all four radios
is $3,593.36, and the budget amount for 2008 was $4,000.00.
The Rebates are for a limited time amounting to a savings of $800.00. The County and FEMA
Grant subsides are only applicable to purchases made before the end of2008, which amount to
an additional savings of $7,980.00. Ifwe only purchase two radios this year and wait to
purchase the other two in 2009, we will loose a savings of approximately $4,390.00.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION
Authorize staffto purchase four 800 MHz portable radios for Emergency Management, to be
funded from the Public Safety Capital Fund.