Fiscal Note
Operating and maintenance costs associated with the current radio system are included in several agencies' Operating Budgets. The fiscal implications of a countywide interoperable radio system are dependent on the terms of the final agreement. The City's Capital Improvement Program includes funding in 2012 for future improvements to the public safety radio system.
Title
Indicating the City of Madison's support for a countywide interoperable radio communications system and urging continued negotiations among Dane County, the City of Madison and our local municipal neighbors to reach agreement allowing for the development of such a system.
Body
WHEREAS, the Federal Government has established narrow-banding requirements for radio communications systems throughout the country effective January 1, 2013; and
WHEREAS, the City of Madison currently operates a twenty-three channel 800MHz radio system that meets the forthcoming federal requirements; and
WHEREAS, the forthcoming federal requirements present an opportunity to explore alternative radio communications system options, including a countywide interoperable system; and
WHEREAS, for the past several years, the City of Madison has been directly involved in the discussions related to the possible development of a countywide interoperable radio communications system, including the development of a Request for Proposals, the review of those proposals, technical advisement, discussions related to potential governance structure for the new system,et cetera; and
WHEREAS, the City of Madison believes that a countywide interoperable radio communications system would provide for more effective and efficient communication among and between the various public safety and public works agencies throughout the county; and
WHEREAS, the City of Madison recognizes that the only way to ensure full interoperability is to ensure that every municipality becomes a user of the new countywide system.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Madison supports cost sharing principles including, but not limited to:
· a phase-in of local costs beginning in 2013 based on a cost-sharing methodology to be established by the system's new governance body;
· the use of intergovernmental agreements to establish each participating municipality's fiscal liability; and
· the use of an annual independent financial audit to determine the system's operating and maintenance costs, which shall be used as the basis for determining each participating municipality's fiscal liability; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Madison supports defining the system's operating and maintenance costs as only those non-capital direct costs reasonably and necessarily incurred to operate and maintain the system consistent with industry standards; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Madison supports the establishment of a new governance body to oversee the operations, review and approve operating and maintenance costs, and recommend capital improvements to the system, and believes the representative seats on this body should be determined prior to the signing of any contracts to construct the system; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOVLED that since the discussions about a potential countywide interoperable radio communications system began, the City of Madison has maintained that the new system must provide the same or better grade of service as our existing 800MHz system, which includes the number of channels, system capacity and general infrastructure; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Madison supports the continuation of the countywide Public Safety Communications Center established more than two decades ago when the City of Madison Police dispatch, City of Madison Fire dispatch and Dane County Sheriff dispatch functions were merged; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Madison supports the continued provision of the historic services for handling the call-taking and dispatching functions for both emergency and non-emergency calls, at no charge to the user agency, as was intended and implemented at the inception of the countywide center; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Madison appreciates the importance of an analog tactical subsystem in incorporated areas and supports coverage improvements to a level of approximately 70%; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the City of Madison supports a countywide interoperable radio communications system and urges continued negotiations among Dane County, the City of Madison and our local municipal neighbors to reach agreement allowing for the development of such a system.