Tech upgrade coming to YRCS
The Yuma Regional Communications System will need to update its network because the technology can no longer be supported.
YRCS is the shared radio system primarily used by local, state and federal first responders. It includes Yuma, San Luis, Somerton, Yuma County and Rural Metro Fire Department.
The Yuma City Council authorized the purchase of ethernet backhaul network technical services for $431,649 from Parsons Environment and Infrastructure Group of Tinton Falls, New Jersey.
The update will be paid with a grant and will not impact the city’s general fund.
YRCS’S current backhaul network uses circuit-switched technologies based on the original switched telephone network that are being retired in favor of new packet-switched technologies, according to a staff report.
The vendor for the regional public safety radio system notified YRCS that it would no longer support any future upgrades to the system and additional enhancements planned for the regional public safety radio system would not be possible without the requisite backhaul network.
YRCS will use funds from the Yuma Police Department Border Fencing and Technology agreement with the Arizona Department of Military and Emergency Affairs for regional system backhaul support. Staff explained that circuit-switched networks have less flexibility and resiliency to reroute around system failures as compared to the newer packet-switched networks. Telephone companies, wireless providers, radio systems and other network operators have migrated their networks to packet-switched networks to achieve greater system resiliency, performance and offer greater utilization of their investment with additional services.
By implementing the packet-switched backhaul network services, YRCS will be well positioned for the future needs and requirements of the member agencies, staff added.
The current support agreement for the YRCS regional public safety radio system includes upgrades every other year. Under the terms of the current agreement, YRCS is entitled to three additional upgrades that cannot be executed without this backhaul network upgrade.
In addition, staff reported, YRCS is developing a disaster recovery site to enhance the resiliency and availability of the regional public safety radio system but cannot implement this plan without the backhaul network upgrade.
The proposed backhaul network services will implement a modern packet-switched network infrastructure that will meet all requirements to support sustaining the system and adding functionality to improve public safety for regional first responders, staff said.
In other action, the council adopted two resolutions, including an intergovernmental agreement with the Arizona Department of Revenue for the uniform administration, licensing, collection and auditing of transaction privilege tax, use tax, severance tax, jet fuel excise and use tax, and rental occupancy taxes imposed by the state, cities or towns.
Mayor Doug Nicholls asked about the status of ADOR audits requested by the city. “I know in the past we’ve had problems getting the state to give us audits when we’ve requested them as far as income from businesses, sales, tax audits and those kinds of things. Are we beyond that or are we still struggling to get those when we are looking to get them?”
Finance Director Doug Allen explained that there are different situations on when the city can provide audits or when ADOR must provide them. “I haven’t encountered any difficulties with them, but I haven’t encountered any requests yet for those. If it’s a big chain, it needs to go to the state. If it’s just a local, we can do it independently,” he noted.
The other resolution adopted by the council will add the Salary Deferral 457 Plan with Nationwide plan as an option for city employees, at the request of public safety employees.
The council also held a public hearing and adopted a resolution changing the land use designation in the city’s general plan from low density residential to high density residential for the property located