Title
Resolution Authorizing Interlocal Agreement with the County of Guilford and the City of High Point for a Community Notification System
Body
Department: Fire
Council District: All
Public Hearing: No
Advertising Date/By: N/A
Contact 1 and Phone: Jim Robinson 336-373-2187
Contact 2 and Phone: Bobby Nugent 336-373-2297
PURPOSE:
To enter into a interlocal agreement with Guilford County and the City of High Point for a Citizen Notification System, emergency and non-emergency, that will be a cost-share approach to funding.
BACKGROUND:
In 2010, Guilford County, the City of Greensboro, and the City of High Point utilized Homeland Security Grant funding to create the GEANI (Guilford Emergency Notification and Information) system, to provide seamless notifications to residents within Guilford County for public safety alerts. From 2010 to 2014, Homeland Security Grant funds were used to maintain and support the system. In 2014, Guilford County, the City of Greensboro, and City of High Point entered into an inter-local agreement to share the ongoing maintenance costs of the system (County Contract 36460-04/14-064).
The current system infrastructure is now outdated and no longer supported by the vendor, requiring a substantial upgrade of hardware and ongoing maintenance costs. Based on the communities’ expectations for emergency notifications, and the need for non-emergency notifications to residents and businesses, the partnership between Guilford County, Greensboro and High Point elected to go out for bids to solicit replacement systems to enhance the current GEANI system and ensure continued community notifications.
The notification system was competitively bid through Guilford County Purchasing under event #533 for a software as a service. Based on the procurement process, the Everbridge Unified Critical Communications Suite was chosen as the most responsive vendor that met the requirements set forth by the participating agencies. This proposed system will be able to provide emergency and non- emergency notifications to residents, businesses, and employees in a coordinated manner without the need for local hardware costs. Additionally, non-public safety agencies will be able to use the system to communicate with customers on issues such as water outages, changes in garbage collection days, interruptions in service, press release distribution, and employee notifications. The system will include the ability for agencies to upload customer databases, employee databases, and a portal for individuals to opt-in for notifications on cell phones, text message, e-mails, or voice calls.
The inter-local agreement will replace County Contract 36460-04/14-064 with Guilford County and the City of High Point and sets the cost sharing mechanisms and governance structures for system implementation, maintenance, and use. The agreement is for one (1) year with automatic renewal over the following four (4) years.
BUDGET IMPACT:
A 1/3 cost share to the City of Greensboro. Currently, the City’s share is $5,000. In the first year of the new agreement, the cost will be $44,334. In subsequent years, the cost will be $40,834.
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED:
It is recommended and requested that the City Council approve the resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the Interlocal Agreement between the County of Guilford and the City of High Point.