Fiscal Note
The cost of this contract for 2009 will be covered by an appropriation from the 2009 Contingent Reserve in the amount of $18,408.00. 2010 costs will be included in Information Technologies 2010 Operating Budget request. Following adoption of this resolution, the available Contingent Reserve balance will be approximately $921,000. There is no impact on the tax levy or State Expenditure Restraint Program eligibility limits.
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Continuing AlertMadison City-to-Resident Text Messaging Service by appropriating $18,408 from the Contingent Reserve to the Information Technology Department's 2009 Operating Budget to pay for the 2009 portion of this contract, with the costs in 2010 being a part of Information Technology's planned Operating Budget, and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute a two-year contract with Inspiron Logistics, Inc. for continuation of services being provided.
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WHEREAS, the City's ability to communicate with its citizens is critical for ensuring their safety, security, and convenience, whether there is a severe storm, a snow emergency, or changes in Metro Transit services, how we pass along key information to residents is important; and
WHEREAS, on October 30, 2008 the City launched AlertMadison Text Messaging services as a one-year pilot program and now has more than 2,200 subscribers; and
WHEREAS, City agencies using this service such as Streets, Metro Transit, and Parks have considered it a success and wish to continue offering this; and
WHEREAS, the City is utilizing INSPIRON Logistics' Wireless Emergency Notification System (WENS) which is based primarily on text messaging and uses true text messaging technology (SMS). Inspiron Logistics is the company that developed WENS over 5 years ago and is the vendor of choice for the University of Wisconsin at Madison, along with many other cities and universities across the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, with INSPIRON we can make notifications available to constituents an opt-in and opt-out methodology; we are working with a vendor that is properly provisioned with all North American carriers, are fully integrated with NOAA for sever weather alerts, provides an unlimited number of administrators with varying levels of capabilities and securities, has no limitations on the number of users that can sign up for notifications under an account; and
WHEREAS, with INSPIRON we are able to allow the City to create an unlimited number of groups and subgroups where we could segment portions of the population by subject matter or geography, we can have an unlimited number of prepared messages for scenario and emergency planning, and this system is fully U.S. Section 508 compliant (accessible to the visually impaired), we can track each and every text message with a delivery receipt and subsequent report, and WENS is fully hosted on Inspiron's side which means it would be accessible in the event of a major system-wide failure; and
WHEREAS, Inspiron Logistics, Inc. was selected in 2008 by soliciting quotes from various vendors, which follows the appropriate City of Madison Purchasing Policy for a service contract under $25,000; and
WHEREAS, City IT and other departments wish to extend the contract with Inspiron for a period of two years at the price of $36,816.00, and Sec. 4.26(4)(b) requires Common Council approval for a service contract that exceeds $25,000 if a competitive process was not utilized for this particular contract period, and
WHEREAS, this contract with Inspiron meets the following exception to competitive bidding in Sec. 4.26(4)(a)7.: this particular vendor/consultant has provided services to the City in on a continuing project in the recent past and it would be economical on the basis of time and money to retain the same vendor/consultant;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Clerk are authorized to execute a two-year Contract with Inspiron Logistics, Inc. to continue the AlertMadison service for the purposes described above, at a total cost not to exceed $36,816.00; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that $18,408 be appropriated from the Contingent Reserve to the Information Technology Department's 2009 Operating Budget to pay for the 2009 portion of this contract, with the funds being appropriated to Purchased Services: GN01-54940-342000 in the amount of $18,408 and the costs in 2010 being a part of Information Technology's planned Operating Budget.