RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE PURCHASE OF

PORTABLE RADIOS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Recommended Action:

Staff recommends that the City Council award a bid to SJM Communications of El Segundo, California for the purchase of portable radios for the Police Department.

Background:

The portable radios currently assigned to the detective bureau and the management staff are in excess of 8 years old. The portable radios are not performing as well as they used to and it is time to rotate this equipment.

Analysis:

The police department has consistently used radio equipment produced by the Motorola Corporation for the last 10-15 years. Their radio equipment is reliable and durable. Staff recommends the purchase of the Motorola HT1000 16 channel UHF portable radio. This new radio has a much wider frequency band than radios of the past. Formal bids were sent out to prospective vendors. The bid was properly posted in the local paper on January 30, 1997. A total of 3 vendors submitted sealed bids by February 6, 1997. SJM Communications of El Segundo, California submitted the lowest bid of $6572.94 for (8) eight portable radios with accessories. Their bid was so low that Staff recommends that an additional radio with accessories be purchased which would increase the overall price to $7394.56. SJM Communications will honor its per unit price as submitted in their bid. Staff recommends that SJM Communications be awarded the bid to provide portable radios to the Police Department.

Fiscal Impact:

The Police Department budgeted a total of $7615 for the purchase of portable radios. The purchase of a ninth radio will still be under budget.