Fiscal Note
The City 2010 Adopted Capital Improvement Program includes $10,000,000 in total funding through 2015 for radio replacements and system upgrades. This Resolution does not commit the City to additional expenditures at this time, although there will be significant fiscal implications associated with the final outcome of the system design and its subsequent implementation. Future City expenditures will require Council approval as part of the City budgeting process.
Title
Indicating the City of Madison's interest in partnering with Dane County and our municipal neighbors to develop, build, operate and maintain a state-of-the-art countywide radio communications system that would allow - but not mandate - full interoperability.
Body
WHEREAS, the Madison Common Council adopted a resolution on February 2, 2010 under legislative file number 17318 which described the upcoming federal narrow-banding requirements for radio communications systems, acknowledged that the City of Madison's existing system meets these future requirements, noted the opportunity created by the federal requirement to explore a countywide radio communications system that allowed full interoperability, and indicated the City of Madison's conditioned support for Dane County's "DaneCOM" countywide radio communications system proposal; and
WHEREAS, Dane County decided to discontinue the "DaneCOM" proposal after receiving insufficient positive responses from municipalities throughout the County; and
WHEREAS, while the City of Madison's current 800MHz analog system does not require any upgrade in order to comply with the narrow-banding requirements, it will have to be replaced in the next seven to fifteen years by an 800MHz digital system at an estimated cost of $12 million to $15 million (in 2010 dollars); and
WHEREAS, Dane County must still make a substantial investment in order to bring their system into compliance before January 2013; and
WHEREAS, Dane County representatives recently approached the City of Madison with a general proposal that would result in a countywide 800MHz digital system with a VHF overlay; and
WHEREAS, this new proposed alternative would allow for - but not mandate - full countywide interoperability; and
WHEREAS, Dane County has proposed that the City of Madison share in the capital costs for this alternative system by paying not more than $8 million of the estimated $24 million cost; and
WHEREAS, Dane County has suggested that the City of Madison's Traffic Engineering Division Radio Shop operate and maintain the new system; and
WHEREAS, the City of Madison Radio Shop currently operates and maintains the city's existing system and bills users of the system at a rate of $105 per radio per year; and
WHEREAS, Traffic Engineering staff are currently working on a variety of operating and maintenance cost estimates based on the technical specifications of the new proposed system and anticipated users.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that while the City of Madison does not need to take any action to comply with the narrow-banding requirements, the City is interested in pursuing the general proposal suggested by Dane County in order to create a seamless radio communications system that provides the same or better grade of service and system capacity as our existing system and is available to all government radio users in the County; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Madison will remain directly involved in the discussions surrounding this proposed alternative system but will not make any formal commitments to any proposed system, including operating and maintenance cost allocation and billing structure, until representative entities including, but not limited to the following, have an opportunity to review the proposal, make recommendations and take a position on the proposed system: Dane County Cities and Villages Association; Dane County Towns Association; Dane County Fire Chiefs Association; Dane County Chiefs of Police and the Dane County Public Safety Communications Center Board; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Common Council recognizes that many outstanding issues exist and require specific attention and agreement including but not limited to: technical elements and features of the system; ownership of the system; governance of the system; operating and maintenance cost allocation and billing structure; handling of future capital costs; and continued provision of emergency and non-emergency dispatching functions through the Dane County Public Safety Communications Center; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the City of Madison recognizes that Dane County's original "DaneCOM" radio communications system proposal is not able to be built and hereby indicates its interest in partnering with Dane County and our municipal neighbors to develop, build, operate and maintain an alternative state-of-the-art countywide radio communications system that would allow - but not mandate - full interoperability.