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Council
Communication

Office of the City Manager

 
 

Date

January 25, 2010

Agenda Item No.        30

Roll Call No.               10-

Communication No.   10-055  

Submitted by: Judy A. Bradshaw, Chief of Police

 

 

 

AGENDA HEADING:

 

Approval and authorization for the Mayor to sign Radio Tower Site Licenses with Saga Communication of Iowa LLC, Jeffrey Delvaux, Vice President/General Manager, 1416 Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309, for the Metro Interoperability Communications System.

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

 

Tower License Agreements have been negotiated and signed by Saga Communications of Iowa LLC to allow space on their property and radio towers for the construction of the Metro Interoperability Communications System. Recommend approval of the contracts and authorize the Mayor to sign said agreements.

 

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

 

Amount:  Alleman site $18,000 per year; Vandalia site $15,600 per year

 

Funding Source:  Capital Improvements Program 2009-10/2014-15, CP034, POL990000, Bld116, 2005 Interoperability Grant, Municipal Improvements page 23.

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

 

The Metro Interoperability Communications System funded by the 2005 Interoperability Grant is quickly reaching the construction phase of the project. When completed, this system will allow mobile communications between all public safety agencies in Polk County. A critical part of the system is the four radio tower sites that will be equipped with antennas, base stations and associated hardware to allow frequency coverage in all parts of the county.

 

The four sites chosen for maximum voice coverage are the Ruan Center in Des Moines, the West Des Moines 88th Street Water Tower, the Alleman Tower in Alleman, Iowa, and the Vandalia Tower in Vandalia, Iowa. Both the Vandalia and Alleman tower sites are owned by Saga Communications Incorporated LLC and managed by the Des Moines Radio Group.

 

Contract negotiations with Saga Communications has been completed by City staff and a contract has been created for both the Alleman and Vandalia sites. In order for the contracts to be finalized, it is necessary for the City Council to approve and authorize the Mayor to sign said contracts.

 

The contract term is for five-years with three five-year renewals upon the mutual agreement of both parties. The monthly fee for the tower site will be funded from the 2005 Interoperability Grant until funding is terminated, at which time alternative funding will be reviewed. A viable alternative would be 911 Surcharge funds.

 

Because the actual construction phase is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2010, it is in the best interest of the City to complete the contracts for the tower sites by the earliest date.

 

 

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION(S):

 

Date: October 12, 2009

 

Roll Call Number:  09-1892

 

Action:              Contract with Tait Radio Communications (Steve Cragg, President) for construction of Metro Interoperability Communications System, $2,542,014.  (Council Communication No.  09-710) Moved by Vlassis to adopt.  Motion Carried 7-0.

 

Date: November 7, 2005

 

Roll Call Number:  05-2721

 

Action:              Acceptance of Department of Justice 2005 Communications Interoperability Grant for improved voice communications between police, fire and emergency medical services in greater Polk County area.  (Council Communication No.  05-625

)  Moved by Kiernan to adopt.  Motion Carried 7-0.  

 

Date: July 6, 2005

 

Roll Call Number:  05-1603

 

Action:              Approving Department of Justice – 2005 Communications Interoperability Grant application for improved interoperability between police, fire and emergency medical service agencies.  (Council Communication No.  05-369)  Moved by Vlassis to approve.  Motion Carried 5-2.

 

 

BOARD/COMMISSION ACTION(S): NONE

 

 

ANTICIPATED ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS: NONE

 

 

 

For more information on this and other agenda items, please call the City Clerk’s Office at 515-283-4209 or visit the Clerk’s Office on the second floor of City Hall, 400 Robert D. Ray Drive.  Council agendas are available to the public at the City Clerk’s Office on Thursday afternoon preceding Monday’s Council meeting. Citizens can also request to receive meeting notices and agendas by email by calling the Clerk’s Office or sending their request via email to cityclerk@dmgov.org.