Memorandum
Date: June 2, 2020
To: The Honorable Moke Simon, Chairman, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Brian L. Martin, Sheriff/Coroner/OES Director
Subject: (a) Approve the purchase of a mobile radio communications vault for the Goat Mountain repeater site (b) approve budget transfer and (c) authorize the Sheriff or his designee to sign the Purchase Order in an amount of $119,064
Executive Summary:
On April 16, 2020, sealed bid #20-16, titled Goat Mountain Communications Vault Project was issued to the following vendors:
Armag, Will-Burt, ADS Inc, Custom Vaults, United Radio Communications and Pepro. The bid was for a mobile vault where installation would require no ground disturbance, thus eliminating the need for an EHP (Environmental Historical Preservation) document from the Department of Homeland Security. DHS has approved this purchase and it is similar to one currently in use by the U.S, Forest Service. Both agencies have provided funding for this project.
Members of the fire agencies in Lake County and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office have been working tirelessly on improving two way radio communications for several years. A few years ago we learned that placing a two way radio repeater on Goat Mountain in the Mendocino National Forest would greatly enhance our ability to communicate and thus hopefully make their jobs safer. Currently the ability to communicate via two-way radios in the vast majority of the Mendocino National Forest is almost non-existent.
Public Safety agencies heavily rely on two-way radio communications in Lake County and we have noticed that two way radio service in the Northern, North Western and North Eastern portions of Lake County are below standards in radio coverage.
The fire agencies in Lake County as well as the law enforcement agencies have seen firsthand how vital two-way radio communications is to the first responder communities in Lake County and it is a necessity for them in order for them to provide the excellent service they provide to the residents of Lake County.
As earlier mentioned the public safety agencies in Lake County rely on two-way radio communications to contact their respective dispatch centers and allied first responder agencies in Lake County. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Central Dispatch is the central hub for radio communications as well as 911 phone calls and cellular 911 calls in Lake County. The need for adequate two way radio communications service in Lake County is vital and we strongly support the placement of a two way radio repeater on Goat Mountain in Lake County.
Only one bid was received by Pepro Secure Deployable Radio sites, in the amount of $116,645.10 which includes over $10,000 in delivery and installation costs.
Funding is available in the Sheriff/Central Dispatch budget in the amount of $52,420 which is being provided by the U.S. Forest Service and in the Sheriff/OES budget in the amount of $66,644. Neither funding sources are from the county general fund. Additional purchases of equipment will be needed at a later date with approximately $38,000 set aside in Homeland Security funding for both law and fire.
If not budgeted, fill in the blanks below only:
Estimated Cost: _$116,646___ Amount Budgeted: _$119,064__ Additional Requested: ________ Future Annual Cost: ________
Consistency with Vision 2028 and/or Fiscal Crisis Management Plan (check all that apply): ☒ Not applicable
☐ Well-being of Residents ☒ Public Safety ☒ Infrastructure ☒ Technology Upgrades
☐ Economic Development ☐ Disaster Recovery ☐ County Workforce ☐ Revenue Generation
☐ Community Collaboration ☐ Business Process Efficiency ☐ Clear Lake ☐ Cost Savings
If request for exemption from competitive bid in accordance with County Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-38, fill in blanks below:
Which exemption is being requested?
How long has Agreement been in place?
When was purchase last rebid?
Reason for request to waive bid?
Recommended Action: The Sheriff’s Department recommends (a) Approve the purchase of a mobile radio communications vault for the Goat Mountain repeater site (b) approve budget transfer and (c) authorize the Sheriff or his designee to sign the Purchase Order in an amount of $119,064