Board to look at radio vendor

City Manager David Frasher told the Hot Springs Board of Directors Tuesday night it should be prepared to take action at its Nov. 7 meeting on the acquisition of a public safety communication system that will cost less than expected.

Frasher said the city’s review committee negotiated a $4.9 million cost for the Comprehensive Public Safety Communication System, which the city had budgeted at more than $6 million. Frasher credited Federal Engineering, the Fairfax, Va., firm the city contracted for $130,000 to consult on its acquisition of a Project 25, Phase 2 radio system, for lowering the cost.

“Our first round of bids that we got back didn’t contain enough data and detailed information for us to have what we thought was a real successful negotiation process, so we rebid the project,” he told the board. “That did slow us down a little bit, but the results are amazing, because we got the kind of materials we needed. That was Federal Engineering’s recommendation to us was to rebid so

we could get more information.”

City Attorney Brian Albright said after the board meeting the two vendors who responded to the city’s request for proposals haven’t submitted bids that are subject to disclosure under the state’s Freedom of Information Act. He said they submitted proposals that are exempt from disclosure under the provision in the FOIA statute that shields materials that would give an advantage to “competitors or bidders.”

The city has invoked the provision in support of its refusal to release the name of the vendor whom the review committee has selected, making it unclear if the board will take action on a proprietary system the city would be responsible for maintaining or an Arkansas Wireless Information Network system that would make the city a full-time user on the state communication network used by more than 900 federal, state and local agencies.

Frasher said the selection he plans to submit to the board will facilitate communication between the city’s public safety personnel and those from other jurisdictions.

“One thing I can assure you is there will be a seamless interoperability that’s available under this chosen one,” he told the board.

According to an email Deputy City Manager Bill Burrough sent city directors earlier this month, the system may be capable of making communications inaccessible to the public.

“A portion of the radios may have encryption capabilities,” Burrough wrote. “There will be 40 radios with (the police department) that may have that technology. This will be used primarily during undercover and tactical operations where open channels may pose a risk to law enforcement personnel.”

Frasher told the board he’s evaluating the review committee’s selection, a process that includes contacting administrators from other cities that use similar systems.

“Unless I hear something just really bizarre in the reference checks, I think we’re going to have it to you by your next board meeting,” he told the board.

The board adopted a resolution at its Oct. 3 meeting to levy 2.6 General Fund mills in support of the communication upgrade. The tax was first levied during the 2016 tax year and is expected to raise more than $3 million over two years. The city’s 2017 budget also allocated $1.59 million from its solid waste, water and wastewater funds to pay for the project.

Frasher told the board the money the city is saving can be applied to the upgrade planned for the dispatch center inside the police department. The improvements will double the number of consoles and allow LifeNet Emergency Medical Services to combine its 911 service with the city. Calls for LifeNet ambulance service are currently received at the city or county’s dispatch centers and transferred to LifeNet.

Frasher said the upgrade is expected to cost between $700,000 and $800,000.