In 1997 and 1998, the City of Allen partnered with the cities of Plano and Frisco to create a joint public safety radio system.  In 2007, the cities were notified that Motorola would be phasing out technical support, service and parts for the original radio system.

In 2008, the City of Frisco notified the cities of Plano and Allen that it would be opting out of the shared radio system prior to it being upgraded.  The cities of Plano and Allen worked with a consultant to develop a public safety radio system replacement plan.  Additionally, the City of Allen put forth a bond package that was approved by the voters to fund the necessary upgrades to the public safety radio system.

Completed in June 2011, Motorola designed and implemented a new public safety radio system which included new radio consoles for the communications center, replacement or upgraded mobile/portable radios and new fire department alerting radios.  The new system converted the analog system to a digital system.

Allen and Plano renewed their decade-long agreement for joint radio operations in 2018. 

The joint radio system serves the needs of multiple entities including Collin County, Plano ISD, and various local cities that share operational costs.  The shared services model provides a superior level of services and features, including radio system resiliency, at a lower cost compared to if Allen attempted to build a similar system by itself.

This five-year plan outlines the annual cost for the Allen portion of the service agreement.  It provides the City with the software and hardware maintenance necessary to keep the public safety radio system operational and provides a predictable set of costs for five years to aid in budgeting and planning.  Not only does this annual maintenance cover the radio transmission equipment at Rowlett Tower, it also covers the hundreds of Motorola radios used by public safety and general government staff.  It also covers the automatic upgrade of equipment at the radio tower as older equipment ages and newer technology is available.

These maintenance and upgrade services are available only through Motorola.

The City of Allen's annual cost documented in this agreement is included in the Information Technology departmental budget for Fiscal Year 2021.  This agreement will help predict the ongoing cost increases over the next five years to properly manage the budgeting and expenditures.

Staff recommends that the City Council Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Service Agreement with Motorola Solutions for Hardware and Software Maintenance of the P-25 Trunked Radio System Utilized by Public Safety for a total 5-year amount of $1,434,073.

I make a motion to authorize the City Manager to Execute a Service Agreement with Motorola Solutions for Hardware and Software Maintenance of the P-25 Trunked Radio System Utilized by Public Safety for a Total 5-year amount of $1,434,073.