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Home My WebLink About20233256.tiff CrtkvccF tit--(un PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT BETWEEN WELD COUNTY AND DELTAWRX THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into this 40_1day of December,2023,by and between the Board of Weld County Commissioners,on behalf of the Department of Finance and Administration,hereinafter referred to as"County,"and DELTAWRX,hereinafter referred to as "Contractor". WHEREAS,County desires to retain Contractor to perform services as required by County and set forth in the attached Exhibits;and WHEREAS,Contractor is willing and has the specific ability,qualifications,and time to perform the required services according to the terms of this Agreement;and WHEREAS,Contractor is authorized to do business in the State of Colorado and has the time,skill,expertise,and experience necessary to provide the services as set forth below. NOW,THEREFORE,in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants contained herein,the parties hereto agree as follows: 1. Introduction.The terms of this Agreement are contained in the terms recited in this document and in the attached Exhibits,each of which forms an integral part of this Agreement and are incorporated herein.The parties each acknowledge and agree that this Agreement,including the attached Exhibits, define the performance obligations of Contractor and Contractor's willingness and ability to meet those requirements(the"Work").If a conflict occurs between this Agreement and any Exhibit or other attached document,the terms of this Agreement shall control, and the remaining order of precedence shall be based upon order of attachment. Exhibit A consists of County's Request for Bid(RFB)or Request for Proposal(RFP)as set forth in Bid Package No.B2300196. Exhibit B consists of Contractor's Response to County's Request. 2. Service or Work. Contractor agrees to procure the materials, equipment and/or products necessary for the Work and agrees to diligently provide all services,labor,personnel and materials necessary to perform and complete the Work described in the attached Exhibits. Contractor shall further be responsible for the timely completion and acknowledges that a failure to comply with the standards and requirements of Work within the time limits prescribed by County may result in County's decision to withhold payment or to terminate this Agreement. 3. Term. The term of this Agreement begins upon the date of the mutual execution of this Agreement and shall continue through and until Contractor's completion of the responsibilities described in the attached Exhibits. Both of the parties to this Agreement understand and agree that the laws of the State of Colorado prohibit County from entering into Agreements which bind County for periods longer than one year. This Agreement may be extended upon mutual written agreement of the Parties. ConVit-Fficend-0-- c.c.:F-1 on(aase, L2/ZO/?3 lal a%J a 3 2 023-3250 4. Termination;Breach;Cure. County may terminate this Agreement for its own convenience upon thirty(30)days written notice to Contractor.Either Party may immediately terminate this Agreement upon material breach of the other party,however the breaching party shall have fifteen(15)days after receiving such notice to cure such breach.Upon termination, County shall take possession of all materials,equipment,tools and facilities owned by County which Contractor is using,by whatever method it deems expedient;and,Contractor shall deliver to County all drawings,drafts,or other documents it has completed or partially completed under this Agreement,together with all other items,materials and documents which have been paid for by County,and these items,materials and documents shall be the property of County.Copies of work product that is incomplete at the time of termination shall be marked "DRAFT- INCOMPLETE."If this Agreement is terminated by County,Contractor shall be compensated for, and such compensation shall be limited to,(1)the sum of the amounts contained in invoices which it has submitted and which have been approved by the County;(2)the reasonable value to County of the services which Contractor provided prior to the date of the termination notice,but which had not yet been approved for payment;and(3)the cost of any work which the County approves in writing which it determines is needed to accomplish an orderly termination of the work.County shall be entitled to the use of all material generated pursuant to this Agreement upon termination. Upon termination of this Agreement by County,Contractor shall have no claim of any kind whatsoever against the County by reason of such termination or by reason of any act incidental thereto,except for compensation for work satisfactorily performed and/or materials described herein properly delivered. 5. Extension or Amendment. Any amendments or modifications to this agreement shall be in writing signed by both parties.No additional services or work performed by Contractor shall be the basis for additional compensation unless and until Contractor has obtained written authorization and acknowledgement by County for such additional services. Accordingly,no claim that the County has been unjustly enriched by any additional services,whether or not there is in fact any such unjust enrichment,shall be the basis of any increase in the compensation payable hereunder.In the event that written authorization and acknowledgment by the County for such additional services is not timely executed and issued in strict accordance with this Agreement, Contractor's rights with respect to such additional services shall be deemed waived and such failure shall result in non-payment for such additional services or work performed. In the event the County shall require changes in the scope,character,or complexity of the work to be performed,and said changes cause an increase or decrease in the time required or the costs to the Contractor for performance,an equitable adjustment in fees and completion time shall be negotiated between the parties and this Agreement shall be modified accordingly by Change Order. Any claims by the Contractor for adjustment hereunder must be made in writing prior to performance of any work covered in the anticipated Change Order,unless approved and documented otherwise by the County Representative. Any change in work made without such prior Change Order shall be deemed covered in the compensation and time provisions of this Agreement,unless approved and documented otherwise by the County Representative. 6. Compensation. Upon Contractor's successful completion of the Work, and County's acceptance of the same,County agrees to pay Contractor an amount not to exceed $78,150 as set forth in the Exhibits.No payment in excess of that set forth in the Exhibits will be 2 2 made by County unless a Change Order authorizing such additional payment has been specifically approved by Weld County as required pursuant to the Weld County Code. If,at any time during the term or after termination or expiration of this Agreement,County reasonably determines that any payment made by County to Contractor was improper because the service for which payment was made did not perform as set forth in this Agreement,then upon written notice of such determination and request for reimbursement from County,Contractor shall forthwith return such payment(s)to County. Upon termination or expiration of this Agreement,unexpended funds advanced by County,if any,shall forthwith be returned to County. County will not withhold any taxes from monies paid to the Contractor hereunder and Contractor agrees to be solely responsible for the accurate reporting and payment of any taxes related to payments made pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.Unless expressly enumerated in the attached Exhibits,Contractor shall not be entitled to be paid for any other expenses(e.g.mileage).Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement,County shall have no obligations under this Agreement after,nor shall any payments be made to Contractor in respect of any period after December 31 of any year, without an appropriation therefore by County in accordance with a budget adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in compliance with Article 25,Title 30 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, the Local Government Budget Law (C.R.S. 29-1-101 et. seq.) and the TABOR Amendment(Colorado Constitution,Article X,Sec.20). 7. Independent Contractor. Contractor agrees that it is an independent contractor and that Contractor's officers,agents or employees will not become employees of County,nor entitled to any employee benefits(including unemployment insurance or workers'compensation benefits) from County as a result of the execution of this Agreement.Contractor shall be solely responsible for its acts and those of its agents and employees for all acts performed pursuant to this Agreement. 8. Subcontractors. Contractor acknowledges that County has entered into this Agreement in reliance upon the particular reputation and expertise of Contractor. Contractor shall not enter into any subcontractor agreements for the completion of the Work without County's prior written consent,which may be withheld in County's sole discretion. County shall have the right in its reasonable discretion to approve all personnel assigned to the Work during the performance of this Agreement and no personnel to whom County has an objection,in its reasonable discretion, shall be assigned to the Work.Contractor shall require each subcontractor,as approved by County and to the extent of the Work to be performed by the subcontractor,to be bound to Contractor by the terms of this Agreement, and to assume toward Contractor all the obligations and responsibilities which Contractor,by this Agreement,assumes toward County.County shall have the right(but not the obligation)to enforce the provisions of this Agreement against any subcontractor hired by Contractor and Contractor shall cooperate in such process.The Contractor shall be responsible for the acts and omissions of its agents,employees and subcontractors. 9. Ownership. All work and information obtained by Contractor under this Agreement or individual work order shall become or remain(as applicable),the property of County.In addition, all reports,documents,data,plans,drawings,records and computer files generated by Contractor in relation to this Agreement and all reports,test results and all other tangible materials obtained and/or produced in connection with the performance of this Agreement,whether or not such materials are in completed form,shall at all times be considered the property of the County. Contractor shall not make use of such material for purposes other than in connection with this 3 3 Agreement without prior written approval of County. 10. Confidentiality. Confidential information of the Contractor should be transmitted separately from non-confidential information,clearly denoting in red on the relevant document at the top the word,"CONFIDENTIAL." However,Contractor is advised that as a public entity, Weld County must comply with the provisions of the Colorado Open Records Act(CORA),C.R.S. 24-72-201,et seq.,with regard to public records,and cannot guarantee the confidentiality of all documents. Contractor agrees to keep confidential all of County's confidential information. Contractor agrees not to sell,assign,distribute,or disclose any such confidential information to any other person or entity without seeking written permission from the County. Contractor agrees to advise its employees,agents,and consultants,of the confidential and proprietary nature of this confidential information and of the restrictions imposed by this Agreement. 11. Warranty. Contractor warrants that the Work performed under this Agreement will be performed in a manner consistent with the standards governing such services and the provisions of this Agreement.Contractor further represents and warrants that all Work shall be performed by qualified personnel in a professional manner,consistent with industry standards,and that all services will conform to applicable specifications. For work in which Contractor produces a design to be used for construction purposes,Contractor shall carefully check all unit quantities and quantity calculations and shall submit them for County review. If the County experiences additional costs during project construction which are directly associated with errors and omissions(professional negligence)which require change orders to the construction contract resulting in costs greater than the construction contract bid unit costs, Contractor shall be financially liable for such increased costs. 12. Acceptance of Services Not a Waiver. Upon completion of the Work,Contractor shall submit to County originals of all test results,reports,etc.,generated during completion of this work. Acceptance by County of reports and incidental material(s)furnished under this Agreement shall not in any way relieve Contractor of responsibility for the quality and accuracy of the project. In no event shall any action by County hereunder constitute or be construed to be a waiver by County of any breach of this Agreement or default which may then exist on the part of Contractor,and County's action or inaction when any such breach or default exists shall not impair or prejudice any right or remedy available to County with respect to such breach or default. No assent,expressed or implied,to any breach of any one or more covenants,provisions or conditions of the Agreement shall be deemed or taken to be a waiver of any other breach. Acceptance by the County of,or payment for,the Work completed under this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of any of the County's rights under this Agreement or under the law generally. 13. Insurance. Contractor must secure, before the commencement of the Work,the following insurance covering all operations,goods,and services provided pursuant to this Agreement,and shall keep the required insurance coverage in force at all times during the term of the Agreement,or any extension thereof,and during any warranty period.For all coverages, Contractor's insurer shall waive subrogation rights against County. a. Types of Insurance. 4 4 Workers'Compensation/Employer's Liability Insurance as required by state statute, covering all of the Contractor's employees acting within the course and scope of their employment. The policy shall contain a waiver of subrogation against the County. This requirement shall not apply when a Contractor or subcontractor is exempt under Colorado Workers'Compensation Act.,AND when such Contractor or subcontractor executes the appropriate sole proprietor waiver form. Commercial General Liability Insurance including public liability and property damage, covering all operations required by the Work.Such policy shall include minimum limits as follows:$1,000,000 each occurrence;$1,000,000 general aggregate;$1,000,000 Personal injury$5,000;Medical payment per person. Automobile Liability Insurance: Contractor shall maintain limits of$1,000,000 for bodily injury per person,$1,000,000 for bodily injury for each accident,and$1,000,000 for property damage applicable to all vehicles operating both on County property and elsewhere, for vehicles owned,hired,and non-owned vehicles used in the performance of this Contract. Professional Liability (Errors and Omissions Liability). The policy shall cover professional misconduct or lack of ordinary skill for those positions defined in the Scope of Services of this contract. Contractor shall maintain limits for all claims covering wrongful acts,errors and/or omissions,including design errors,if applicable,for damage sustained by reason of or in the course of operations under this Contract resulting from professional services.In the event that the professional liability insurance required by this Contract is written on a claims-made basis,Contractor warrants that any retroactive date under the policy shall precede the effective date of this Contract;and that either continuous coverage will be maintained or an extended discovery period will be exercised for a period of two(2)years beginning at the time work under this Contract is completed. Minimum Limits:$1,000,000 Per Loss;$2,000,000 Aggregate. b. Proof of Insurance. Upon County's request, Contractor shall provide to County a certificate of insurance,a policy,or other proof of insurance as determined in County's sole discretion.County may require Contractor to provide a certificate of insurance naming Weld County,Colorado,its elected officials,and its employees as an additional named insured. c. Subcontractor Insurance. Contractor hereby warrants that all subcontractors providing services under this Agreement have or will have the above described insurance prior to their commencement of the Work,or otherwise that they are covered by the Contractor's policies to the minimum limits as required herein.Contractor agrees to provide proof of insurance for all such subcontractors upon request by the County. d. No Limitation of Liability. The insurance coverages specified in this Agreement are the minimum requirements,and these requirements do not decrease or limit the liability of Contractor.The County in no way warrants that the minimum limits contained herein are sufficient to protect the Contractor from liabilities that might arise out of the performance 5 5 of the Work under by the Contractor, its agents, representatives, employees, or subcontractors.The Contractor shall assess its own risks and if it deems appropriate and/or prudent,maintain higher limits and/or broader coverages. The Contractor is not relieved of any liability or other obligations assumed or pursuant to the Contract by reason of its failure to obtain or maintain insurance in sufficient amounts,duration,or types. The Contractor shall maintain,at its own expense,any additional kinds or amounts of insurance that it may deem necessary to cover its obligations and liabilities under this Agreement. e. Certification of Compliance with Insurance Requirements.The Contractor stipulates that it has met the insurance requirements identified herein.The Contractor shall be responsible for the professional quality,technical accuracy,and quantity of all services provided,the timely delivery of said services,and the coordination of all services rendered by the Contractor and shall,without additional compensation,promptly remedy and correct any errors,omissions,or other deficiencies. 14. Indemnity. The Contractor shall defend,indemnify and hold harmless County,its officers,agents,and employees,from and against any and all injury,loss,damage,liability,suits, actions,claims,or willful acts or omissions of any type or character arising out of the Work done in fulfillment of the terms of this Agreement or on account of any act,claim or amount arising or recovered under workers'compensation law or arising out of the failure of the Contractor to conform to any statutes,ordinances,regulation,judicial decision,or other law or court decree.The Contractor shall be fully responsible and liable for any and all injuries or damage received or sustained by any person,persons,or property on account of its performance under this Agreement or its failure to comply with the provisions of the Agreement.It is agreed that the Contractor will be responsible for primary loss investigation,defense and judgment costs where this contract of indemnity applies. In consideration of the award of this contract,the Contractor agrees to waive all rights of subrogation against the County its associated and/or affiliated entities,successors,or assigns,its elected officials,trustees,employees,agents,and volunteers for losses arising from the work performed by the Contractor for the County. A failure to comply with this provision shall result in County's right to immediately terminate this Agreement. 15. Non-Assignment. Contractor may not assign or transfer this Agreement or any interest therein or claim thereunder,without the prior written approval of County.Any attempts by Contractor to assign or transfer its rights hereunder without such prior approval by County shall, at the option of County,automatically terminate this Agreement and all rights of Contractor hereunder. Such consent may be granted or denied at the sole and absolute discretion of County. 16. Examination of Records. To the extent required by law,the Contractor agrees that an duly authorized representative of County,including the County Auditor,shall have access to and the right to examine and audit any books,documents,papers and records of Contractor,involving all matters and/or transactions related to this Agreement. Contractor agrees to maintain these documents for three years from the date of the last payment received. 17. Interruptions. Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other for delays in delivery or failure to deliver or otherwise to perform any obligation under this Agreement,where such failure is due to any cause beyond its reasonable control,including but not limited to Acts of 6 6 God,fires,strikes,war,flood,earthquakes or Governmental actions. 18. Notices. County may designate,prior to commencement of Work, its project representative("County Representative")who shall make,within the scope of his or her authority, all necessary and proper decisions with reference to the project. All requests for contract interpretations,change orders,and other clarification or instruction shall be directed to County Representative. All notices or other communications made by one party to the other concerning the terms and conditions of this contract shall be deemed delivered under the following circumstances: (a)personal service by a reputable courier service requiring signature for receipt;or (b)five(5)days following delivery to the United States Postal Service,postage prepaid addressed to a party at the address set forth in this contract;or (c)electronic transmission via email at the address set forth below,where a receipt or acknowledgment is required and received by the sending party;or Either party may change its notice address(es)by written notice to the other.Notice may be sent to: TO CONTRACTOR: Name: Brian Hudson Position: Partner Address: 21700 Oxnard Street,STE 830 Address: Woodland Hills,CA 91367 E-mail: bhudson@deltawrx.com Phone: 818-227-9300 TO COUNTY: Name: Cheryl Pattelli Position: CFO Address: 1150 O Street Address: Greeley,CO 80632 E-mail: cpattelli@weld.gov Phone: 970-400-4451 19. Compliance with Law. Contractor shall strictly comply with all applicable federal and State laws,rules and regulations in effect or hereafter established,including without limitation, laws applicable to discrimination and unfair employment practices. 20. Non-Exclusive Agreement.This Agreement is nonexclusive and County may engage or use other Contractors or persons to perform services of the same or similar nature. 21. Entire Agreement/Modifications. This Agreement including the Exhibits attached hereto and incorporated herein,contains the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter contained in this Agreement. This instrument supersedes all prior negotiations, representations,and understandings or agreements with respect to the subject matter contained in this Agreement. This Agreement may be changed or supplemented only by a written instrument 7 7 signed by both parties. 22. Fund Availability. Financial obligations of the County payable after the current fiscal year are contingent upon funds for that purpose being appropriated,budgeted and otherwise made available. Execution of this Agreement by County does not create an obligation on the part of County to expend funds not otherwise appropriated in each succeeding year. 23. Employee Financial Interest/Conflict of Interest—C.R.S.§§24-18-201 et seq.and§24- 50-507. The signatories to this Agreement state that to their knowledge,no employee of Weld County has any personal or beneficial interest whatsoever in the service or property which is the subject matter of this Agreement. 24. Survival of Termination. The obligations of the parties under this Agreement that by their nature would continue beyond expiration or termination of this Agreement(including, without limitation,the warranties,indemnification obligations,confidentiality and record keeping requirements)shall survive any such expiration or termination. 25. Severability. If any term or condition of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid,illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction,this Agreement shall be construed and enforced without such provision,to the extent that this Agreement is then capable of execution within the original intent of the parties. 26. Governmental Immunity. No term or condition of this Agreement shall be construed or interpreted as a waiver,express or implied,of any of the immunities,rights,benefits,protections or other provisions,of the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act§§24-10-101 et seq.,as applicable now or hereafter amended. 27. No Third Party Beneficiary. It is expressly understood and agreed that the enforcement of the terms and conditions of this Agreement,and all rights of action relating to such enforcement,shall be strictly reserved to the undersigned parties and nothing in this Agreement shall give or allow any claim or right of action whatsoever by any other person not included in this Agreement. It is the express intention of the undersigned parties that any entity other than the undersigned parties receiving services or benefits under this Agreement shall be an incidental beneficiary only. 28. Board of County Commissioners of Weld County Approval. This Agreement shall not be valid until it has been approved by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado or its designee. 29. Choice of Law/Jurisdiction.Colorado law,and rules and regulations established pursuant thereto,shall be applied in the interpretation,execution,and enforcement of this Agreement.Any provision included or incorporated herein by reference which conflicts with said laws,rules and/or regulations shall be null and void.In the event of a legal dispute between the parties,Contractor agrees that the Weld County District Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to resolve said dispute. 8 8 30. Public Contracts for Services C.R.S.§8-17.5-101. Contractor certifies,warrants, and agrees that it does not knowingly employ or contract with an illegal alien who will perform work under this Agreement.Contractor will confirm the employment eligibility of all employees who are newly hired for employment in the United States to perform work under this Agreement, through participation in the E-Verify program or the State of Colorado program established pursuant to C.R.S. §8-17.5-102(5)(c). Contractor shall not enter into a contract with a subcontractor that fails to certify with Contractor that the subcontractor shall not knowingly employ or contract with an illegal alien to perform work under this Agreement.Contractor shall not use E-Verify Program or State of Colorado program procedures to undertake pre-employment screening or job applicants while this Agreement is being performed. If Contractor obtains actual knowledge that a subcontractor performing work under this Agreement knowingly employs or contracts with an illegal alien Contractor shall notify the subcontractor and County within three (3)days that Contractor has actual knowledge that a subcontractor is employing or contracting with an illegal alien and shall terminate the subcontract if a subcontractor does not stop employing or contracting with the illegal alien within three(3)days of receiving notice. Contractor shall not terminate the subcontract if within three days the subcontractor provides information to establish that the subcontractor has not knowingly employed or contracted with an illegal alien.Contractor shall comply with reasonable requests made in the course of an investigation, undertaken pursuant to C.R.S.§8-17.5-102(5),by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. If Contractor participates in the State of Colorado program,Contractor shall,within twenty days after hiring an new employee to perform work under the contract,affirm that Contractor has examined the legal work status of such employee,retained file copies of the documents,and not altered or falsified the identification documents for such employees. Contractor shall deliver to County,a written notarized affirmation that it has examined the legal work status of such employee and shall comply with all of the other requirements of the State of Colorado program. If Contractor fails to comply with any requirement of this provision or of C.R.S.§8-17.5-101 et seq.,County,may terminate this Agreement for breach,and if so terminated,Contractor shall be liable for actual and consequential damages. Except where exempted by federal law and except as provided in C.R.S.§24-76.5-103(3),if Contractor receives federal or state funds under the contract,Contractor must confirm that any individual natural person eighteen(18)years of age or older is lawfully present in the United States pursuant to C.R.S.§24-76.5-103(4),if such individual applies for public benefits provided under the contract. If Contractor operates as a sole proprietor,it hereby swears or affirms under penalty of perjury that it:(a)is a citizen of the United States or is otherwise lawfully present in the United States pursuant to federal law,(b)shall produce one of the forms of identification required by C.R.S.§24-76.5-101,et seq.,and(c)shall produce one of the forms of identification required by C.R.S.§24-76.5-103 prior to the effective date of the contract. 31. Attorney's Fees/Legal Costs. In the event of a dispute between County and Contractor concerning this Agreement,the parties agree that each party shall be responsible for the payment of attorney fees and/or legal costs incurred by or on its own behalf. 32.Binding Arbitration Prohibited.Weld County does not agree to binding arbitration by any extra judicial body or person.Any provision to the contrary in this Agreement or incorporated herein by reference shall be null and void. 9 9 Acknowledgment. County and Contractor acknowledge that each has read this Agreement, understands it and agrees to be bound by its terms.Both parties further agree that this Agreement, with the attached Exhibits,is the complete and exclusive statement of agreement between the parties and supersedes all proposals or prior agreements, oral or written, and any other communications between the parties relating to the subject matter of this Agreement. CONTRACTOR: DELTAWRX By: !,2- 1/ Name:Brian Hudson Date of Signature Title:Partner WELD COSY: ATTEST:6.;:d-t1.44) BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Weld County Clerk to the Board WELD COUNTY,COLORADO B `t Il.IAJOIA Ord(' J7�e Deputy Clerk to the Board `w "`" i Freeman,Chair z� g' DEC 2 0 2023 io 10 003 5G, eXHIBIT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS t , ms''''s' 1861 ' WELD COUNTY , COLORADO 1301 N . 17THAVENUE ! r.- ti1 GREELEY , CO 80631 • .11 �. , cOUNTY DATE : OCTOBER 5, 2023 IAIIIHPROPOSALNUMBER : B2300196 DESCRIPTION : PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS USER FEE STUDY DEPARTMENT : FINANCE BID OPENING DATE : OCTOBER 30 , 2023 1 . NOTICE TO VENDORS : The Board of County Commissioners of Weld County , Colorado , by and through its Controller ( collectively referred to herein as , "Weld County" ) , wishes to purchase the following : PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS USER FEE STUDY Question submission deadline : October 16 , 2023 , by 5 : 00 PM . Email questions to : bidsweldgov . com . Questions and Answers will be posted on https : //www . bidnetdirect. com/ on or before October 23 , 2023 , by 5 : 00 PM . Proposals will be received until : October 30 , 2023 , at 10 : 00 AM (Weld County Purchasing Time Clock) . The submitted proposals will be read over a Microsoft Teams Conference Call on October 30, 2023 , at 10 : 30 AM . To join , call the phone number and enter the Conference ID provided below or you are invited to attend the bid opening in person at the Weld County Purchasing Conference Room , 1301 N . 17'•x' Avenue , Greeley , CO 80631 . Phone number: 720-439 -5261 Phone Conference ID : 773623540 PAGES 1 - 8 OF THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS CONTAINS GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE REQUEST NUMBER REFERRED TO ABOVE . NOT ALL OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN PAGES 1 - 8 MAY BE APPLICABLE FOR EVERY PURCHASE . PROPOSAL SPECIFICS FOLLOW PAGE 8 . 2 . INVITATION TO PROPOSE : Weld County requests proposals for the above - listed merchandise , equipment , and/or services . Said merchandise and/or equipment shall be delivered to the location ( s ) specified herein . Proposals shall include any and all charges for freight , delivery , containers , packaging , less all taxes and discounts , and shall , in every way , be the total net price which the Vendor will expect Weld County to pay if awarded the proposal . You can find information concerning this request on the BidNet Direct website at https : //www . bidnetdirect . com / . Weld County Government is a member of BidNet Direct which is an online notification system being utilized by multiple non - profit and governmental entities . Participating entities post their bids , quotes , proposals , addendums , and awards on this one centralized system . 11 Proposal Delivery to Weld County : A . Emailed proposals are required . PREFERRED : email bids to bidsc weldgov. com ; however, if your proposal exceeds 25MB please upload it to https : //www . bidnetdirect . com . The maximum file size to upload to BidNet Direct is 500 MB . B . PDF format is required . Emailed proposals must include the following statement on the email : " I hereby waive my right to a sealed proposal " . An email confirmation will be sent when your proposal is received . Please call Purchasing at 970-400 -4222 or 4223 with any questions . 3 . INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS : INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION : Proposals shall be typewritten or written in ink on forms prepared by the Weld County Purchasing Department . Each proposal must give the full business address of vendor and be signed by him with his usual signature . Proposals by partnerships must furnish the full names of all partners and must be signed with the partnership name by one of the members of the partnership or by an authorized representative , followed by the signature and title of the person signing . Proposals by corporations must be signed with the legal name of the corporation , followed by the name of the state of the incorporation and by the signature and title of the president , secretary , or other person authorized to bind it in the matter. The name of each person signing shall also be typed or printed below the signature . A proposal by a person who affixes to his signature the word " president , " " secretary , " "agent , " or other title without disclosing his principal , may be held to be the proposal of the individual signing . When requested by the Weld County Controller, satisfactory evidence of the authority of the officer signing on behalf of a corporation shall be furnished . A power of attorney must accompany the signature of anyone not otherwise authorized to bind the Vendor. All corrections or erasures shall be initialed by the person signing the proposal . All vendors shall agree to comply with all of the conditions , requirements , specifications , and/or instructions of this proposal as stated o r implied herein . All designations and prices shall be fully and clearly set forth . All blank spaces in the proposal forms shall be suitably filled in . Vendors are required to use the Proposal Forms which are included in this package and on the basis indicated in the Proposal Forms . The Proposal must be filled out completely, in detail , and signed by the Vendor . Late or unsigned proposals shall not be accepted or considered . It is the responsibility of the Vendor to e nsure that the proposal arrives in the Weld County Purchasing Department on or prior to the time indicated in Section 1 , entitled , " Notice to Vendors . " Proposals received prior to the time of opening will be kept u nopened in a secure place . No responsibility will attach to the Weld County Controller for the premature opening of a proposal not properly addressed and identified . Proposals may be withdrawn upon written request to and approval of the Weld County Controller ; said request being received from the withdrawing Vendor prior to the time fixed for award . Negligence on the part of a Vendor in preparing the proposal confers n o right for the withdrawal of the proposal after it has been awarded . Vendors are expected to examine the conditions , specifications , and all instructions contained herein , failure to do so will be at the Vendors ' risk . In accordance with Section 14- 9 ( 3 ) of the Weld County Home Rule Charter , Weld County will give preference to resident Weld County Vendors in all cases where said proposals are competitive in price and quality . It is also understood that Weld County will give preference to suppliers from the State of Colorado , in accordance with C . R . S . § 30- 11 - 110 (when it is accepting proposals for the purchase of any books , stationery , records , printing , lithographing or other supplies for any officer of Weld County) . Weld County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals , to waive any informality in the proposals , to award the proposal to multiple vendors , and to accept the proposal that , in the opinion of the Board of County Commissioners , is to the best interests of Weld County . The proposal ( s ) may be awarded to more than one vendor. In submitting the proposal , the Vendor agrees that the signed proposal submitted , all of the documents of the Request for Proposal contained herein ( including , but not limited to , product specifications and scope of services ) , the successful Vendor' s response , and the formal acceptance of the proposal by Weld County , together constitutes a contract , with the contract date being the date of formal acceptance of the proposal by Weld County . The County may require a separate contract , which if required , has been made a part of this RFP . 12 4 . GENERAL PROVISIONS : A. Fund Availability : Financial obligations of Weld County payable after the current fiscal year are contingent upon funds for that purpose being appropriated , budgeted and otherwise made available . By acceptance of the proposal , Weld County does not warrant that funds will be available to fund the contract beyond the current fiscal year. B . Trade Secrets and other Confidential Information : Weld County discourages Vendors from submitting confidential information , including trade secrets , that cannot be disclosed to the public . If necessary , confidential information of the Vendor shall be transmitted separately from the main proposal submittal , clearly denoting in red on the information at the top the word , " CONFIDENTIAL . " However, the successful Vendor is advised that as a public entity , Weld County must comply with the provisions of C . R . S . 24- 72-201 , et seq . , the Colorado Open Records Act ( CORA ) , with regard to public records , and cannot guarantee the confidentiality of all documents . The Vendor is responsible for ensuring that all information contained within the confidential portion of the submittal is exempt from disclosure pursuant to C . R . S . 24- 72- 204 ( 3 ) ( a ) ( IV ) ( Trade secrets , privileged information , and confidential commercial , financial , geological , or geophysical data ) . If Weld County receives a CORA request for proposal information marked " CONFIDENTIAL" , staff will review the confidential materials to determine whether any of them may be withheld from disclosure pursuant to CORA and disclose those portions staff determines are not protected from disclosure . Weld County staff will not be responsible for redacting or identifying Confidential information which is included within the body of the proposal and not separately identified . Any document which is incorporated as an exhibit into any contract executed by the County shall be a public document regardless of whether it is marked as confidential . C . Governmental Immunity : No term or condition of the contract shall be construed or interpreted as a waiver , express or implied , of any of the immunities , rights , benefits , protections or other provisions , of the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act § §24- 10- 101 et seq . , as applicable now or hereafter amended . D . Independent Contractor : The successful Vendor shall perform its duties hereunder as an independent contractor and not as an employee . He or she shall be solely responsible for its acts and those of its agents and employees for all acts performed pursuant to the contract . Neither the successful Vendor nor any agent or employee thereof shall be deemed to be an agent or employee of Weld County . The successful Vendor and its employees and agents are not entitled to unemployment insurance or workers ' compensation benefits through Weld County and Weld County shall not pay for or otherwise provide such coverage for the successful Vendor or any of its agents or employees . Unemployment insurance benefits will be available to the successful Vendor and its employees and agents only if such coverage is made available by the successful Vendor or a third party . The successful Vendor shall pay when due all applicable employment taxes and income taxes and local head taxes ( if applicable ) incurred pursuant to the contract . The successful Vendor shall not have authorization , express or implied , to bind Weld County to any agreement , liability or understanding , except as expressly set forth in the contract . The successful Vendor shall have the following responsibilities with regard to workers ' compensation and unemployment compensation insurance matters : ( a ) provide and keep in force workers ' compensation and unemployment compensation insurance in the amounts required by law , and ( b ) provide proof thereof when requested to do so by Weld County . E . Compliance with Law : The successful Vendor shall strictly comply with all applicable federal and state laws , rules and regulations in effect or hereafter established , including without limitation , laws applicable to discrimination and unfair employment practices . F . Choice of Law : Colorado law , and rules and regulations established pursuant thereto , shall be applied in the interpretation , execution , and enforcement of the contract . Any provision included or incorporated herein by reference which conflicts with said laws , rules and/or regulations shall be null and void . 13 I G No Third-Party Beneficiary Enforcement It is expressly understood and agreed that the enforcement of the terms and conditions of the contract,and all rights of action relating to such enforcement, shall be strictly reserved to the undersigned parties and nothing in the contract shall give or allow any;claim or right of action whatsoever by any other person not included in the contract It is the express intention of the undersigned parties that any entity other than the undersigned parties receiving services or benefits under the contract shall be an incidental beneficiary only I H Attorney's Fees/Legal Costs In the event of a dispute between Weld County and the successful Vendor,concerning the contract,the parties agree that Weld County shall not be liable to or responsible for the payment of attorney fees and/or legal costs incurred by or on behalf of the successful Vendor 1 I Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Weld County assures that,disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to all invitations and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race,color,national origin,sex,age,or disability in consideration for an award J Procurement and Performance The successful Vendor agrees to procure the materials,equipment and/or products necessary for the project and agrees to diligently provide all services,labor,personnel'and materials necessary to perform and complete the project The successful Vendor shall further be responsible for the timely completion and acknowledges that a failure to comply with the standards and requirements outlined in the Proposal within the time limits prescribed by County may result in County's decision to withhold payment or to terminate this Agreement i K Term The term of this Agreement begins upon the date of the execution of this Agreement by County and shall continue through and until successful Vendor's completion of the responsibilities described in1 the Proposal II L Termination County has the right to terminate this Agreement,with or without cause on thirty(30) days written notice Furthermore,this Agreement may be terminated at any time without notice upon a material breach of the terms of the Agreement M Extension or Modification Any amendments or modifications to this agreement shall be in writing signed by both parties No additional services or work performed by the successful Vendor shall be the basis for additional compensation unless and until the successful Vendor has obtained written authorization and acknowledgement by County for such additional services Accordingly,no claim that the County has been unjustly enriched by any additional services,whether or not there is in fact any such unjust enrichment,shall be the basis of any increase in the compensation payable hereunder I i N Subcontractors The successful Vendor acknowledges that County has entered into this Agreement in reliance upon the particular reputation and expertise of the successful Vendor The successful Vendor shall not enter into any subcontractor agreements for the completion of this Project without County's prior written consent,which may be withheld in County's sole discretion County shall have the right in;its reasonable discretion to approve all personnel assigned to the subject Project during the performance of this Agreement and no personnel to whom County has an objection,in its reasonable discretion,shall be assigned to the Project The successful Vendor shall require each subcontractor,as approved by County and to the extent of the Services to be performed by the subcontractor,to be bound to the successful Vendor by the terms of this Agreement,and to assume toward the successful Vendor all the obligations a d responsibilities which the successful Vendor,by this Agreement,assumes toward County County shall have the right(but not the obligation)to enforce the provisions of this Agreement against any subcontractor hired by the successful Vendor and the successful Vendor shall cooperate in such process The successful Vendor shall be responsible for the acts and omissions of its agents,employees and subcontractors O Warranty The successful Vendor warrants that services performed under this Agreement will tie performed in a manner consistent with the standards governing such services and the provisions of this I 14 Agreement.The successful Vendor further represents and warrants that all services shall be performed by qualified personnel in a professional and workmanlike manner,consistent with industry standards,and that all services will conform to applicable specifications. The Vendor warrants that the goods to be supplied shall be merchantable,of good quality,and free from defects,whether patent or latent.The goods shall be sufficient for the purpose intended and conform to the minimum specifications herein. The successful Vendor shall warrant that he has title to the goods supplied and that the goods are free and clear of all liens,encumbrances,and security interests. Service Calls in the First One Year Period: The successful Vendor shall bear all costs for mileage,travel time,and service trucks used in the servicing(including repairs)of any of the goods to be purchased by Weld County,Colorado,pursuant to this proposal for as many service calls as are necessary for the first one(1) year period after said goods are first supplied to Weld County. Vendor shall submit with their proposals the following information pertaining to the equipment upon which the proposals are submitted: 1. Detailed equipment specifications to include the warranty. 2. Descriptive literature. P. Non-Assignment:The successful Vendor may not assign or transfer this Agreement or any interest therein or claim thereunder,without the prior written approval of County.Any attempts by the successful Vendor to assign or transfer its rights hereunder without such prior approval by County shall,at the option of County,automatically terminate this Agreement and all rights of the successful Vendor hereunder. Such consent may be granted or denied at the sole and absolute discretion of County. Q. Interruptions:Neither party to this Agreement shall be liable to the other for delays in delivery or failure to deliver or otherwise to perform any obligation under this Agreement,where such failure is due to any cause beyond its reasonable control,including but not limited to Acts of God,fires,strikes,war,flood, earthquakes or Governmental actions. R. Non-Exclusive Agreement: This Agreement is nonexclusive and County may engage or use other contractors or persons to perform services of the same or similar nature. S. Employee Financial Interest/Conflict of Interest—C.R.S.§§24-18-201 et seq.and§24-50-507. The signatories to this Agreement agree that to their knowledge,no employee of Weld County has any personal or beneficial interest whatsoever in the service or property which is the subject matter of this Agreement.County has no interest and shall not acquire any interest direct or indirect,that would in any manner or degree interfere with the performance of the successful Vendor's services and the successful Vendor shall not employ any person having such known interests.During the term of this Agreement,the successful Vendor shall not engage in any in any business or personal activities or practices or maintain any relationships which actually conflicts with or in any way appear to conflict with the full performance of its obligations under this Agreement.Failure by the successful Vendor to ensure compliance with this provision may result,in County's sole discretion,in immediate termination of this Agreement.No employee of the successful Vendor nor any member of the successful Vendor's family shall serve on a County Board, committee or hold any such position which either by rule,practice or action nominates,recommends, supervises the successful Vendor's operations,or authorizes funding to the successful Vendor. T. Severability: If any term or condition of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid,illegal,or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction,this Agreement shall be construed and enforced without such provision,to the extent that this Agreement is then capable of execution within the original intent of the parties. U. Binding Arbitration Prohibited: Weld County does not agree to binding arbitration by any extra- judicial body or person.Any provision to the contrary in the contract or incorporated herein by reference shall be null and void. 15 V. Board of County Commissioners of Weld County Approval: This Agreement shall not be valid until it has been approved by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County,Colorado or its designee. W. Compensation Amount:Upon the successful Vendor's successful completion of the service,and County's acceptance of the same,County agrees to pay an amount no greater than the amount of the accepted proposal.The successful Vendor acknowledges no payment in excess of that amount will be made by County unless a"change order"authorizing such additional payment has been specifically approved by the County's delegated employee, or by formal resolution of the Weld County Board of County Commissioners,as required pursuant to the Weld County Code. X. Taxes:County will not withhold any taxes from monies paid to the successful Vendor hereunder and the successful Vendor agrees to be solely responsible for the accurate reporting and payment of any taxes related to payments made pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. Contractor shall not be entitled to bill at overtime and/or double time rates for work done outside of normal business hours unless specifically authorized in writing by County. 6. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: Insurance and Indemnification. Contract Professionals must secure,at or before the time of execution of any agreement or commencement of any work,the following insurance covering all operations,goods or services provided pursuant to this request.Contract Professionals shall keep the required insurance coverage in force at all times during the term of the Agreement,or any extension thereof,and during any warranty period. The required insurance shall be underwritten by an insurer licensed to do business in Colorado and rated by A.M.Best Company as"A"VIII or better.Each policy shall contain a valid provision or endorsement stating"Should any of the above-described policies by canceled or should any coverage be reduced before the expiration date thereof,the issuing company shall send written notice to the Weld County Controller by certified mail, return receipt requested. Such written notice shall be sent thirty(30)days prior to such cancellation or reduction unless due to non-payment of premiums for which notice shall be sent ten(10)days prior. If any policy is in excess of a deductible or self-insured retention,County must be notified by the Contract Professional.Contract Professional shall be responsible for the payment of any deductible or self- insured retention. County reserves the right to require Contract Professional to provide a bond,at no cost to County,in the amount of the deductible or self-insured retention to guarantee payment of claims. The insurance coverages specified in this Agreement are the minimum requirements,and these requirements do not decrease or limit the liability of Professional.The County in no way warrants that the minimum limits contained herein are sufficient to protect them from liabilities that might arise out of the performance of the work under this Contract by the Contract Professional, its agents, representatives, employees, or subcontractors. The Contract Professional shall assess its own risks and if it deems appropriate and/or prudent,maintain higher limits and/or broader coverages. The Contract Professional is not relieved of any liability or other obligations assumed or pursuant to the Contract by reason of its failure to obtain or maintain insurance in sufficient amounts,duration,or types. The Contract Professional shall maintain,at its own expense,any additional kinds or amounts of insurance that it may deem necessary to cover its obligations and liabilities under this Agreement. Any modification to these requirements must be made in writing by Weld County. The Contract Professional stipulates that it has met the insurance requirements identified herein. The Contract Professional shall be responsible for the professional quality,technical accuracy,and quantity of all services provided,the timely delivery of said services,and the coordination of all services rendered by the Contract Professional and shall,without additional compensation,promptly remedy and correct any errors, omissions,or other deficiencies. INDEMNITY: The Contract Professional shall defend,indemnify and hold harmless County,its officers, agents,and employees,from and against injury,loss damage,liability,suits,actions,or willful acts or omissions of Contract Professional,or claims of any type or character arising out of the work done in fulfillment of the terms of this Contract or on account of any act,claim or amount arising or recovered under workers'compensation law or arising out of the failure of the Contract Professional to conform to any statutes,ordinances,regulation,law or court decree.The Contract Professional shall be fully responsible and liable for any and all injuries or damage received or sustained by any person,persons,or property on 16 account of its performance under this Agreement or its failure to comply with the provisions of the Agreement, or on account of or in consequence of neglect of the Contract Professional in its methods or procedures;or in its provisions of the materials required herein,or from any claims or amounts arising or recovered under the Worker's Compensation Act,or other law,ordinance,order,or decree.This paragraph shall survive expiration or termination hereof.It is agreed that the Contract Professional will be responsible for primary loss investigation,defense and judgment costs where this contract of indemnity applies. In consideration of the award of this contract,the Contract Professional agrees to waive all rights of subrogation against the County its associated and/or affiliated entities, successors, or assigns, its elected officials,trustees, employees,agents,and volunteers for losses arising from the work performed by the Contract Professional for the County.A failure to comply with this provision shall result in County's right to immediately terminate this Agreement. Types of Insurance: The Contract Professional shall obtain,and maintain at all times during the term of any Agreement,insurance in the following kinds and amounts: Workers'Compensation Insurance as required by state statute,and Employer's Liability Insurance covering all of the Contract Professional's employees acting within the course and scope of their employment. Policy shall contain a waiver of subrogation against the County. This requirement shall not apply when a Contract Professional or subcontractor is exempt under Colorado Workers'Compensation Act., AND when such Contract Professional or subcontractor executes the appropriate sole proprietor waiver form. Commercial General Liability Insurance shall include bodily injury,property damage,and liability assumed under the contract. $1,000,000 each occurrence; $1,000,000 general aggregate; $1,000,000 Personal Advertising injury Automobile Liability: Contract Professional shall maintain limits of$1,000,000 for bodily injury per person, $1,000,000 for bodily injury for each accident,and$1,000,000 for property damage applicable to all vehicles operating both on County property and elsewhere,for vehicles owned,hired,and non-owned vehicles used in the performance of this Contract. Professional Liability(Errors and Omissions Liability) The policy shall cover professional misconduct or lack of ordinary skill for those positions defined in the Scope of Services of this contract.Contract Professional shall maintain limits for all claims covering wrongful acts,errors and/or omissions,including design errors,if applicable,for damage sustained by reason of or in the course of operations under this Contract resulting from professional services. In the event that the professional liability insurance required by this Contract is written on a claims-made basis,Contract Professional warrants that any retroactive date under the policy shall precede the effective date of this Contract;and that either continuous coverage will be maintained or an extended discovery period will be exercised for a period of two(2)years beginning at the time work under this Contract is completed. Minimum Limits: Per Loss $ 1,000,000 Aggregate $ 2,000,000 Contract Professionals shall secure and deliver to the County at or before the time of execution of this Agreement,and shall keep in force at all times during the term of the Agreement as the same may be extended as herein provided,a commercial general liability insurance policy,including public liability and property damage,in form and company acceptable to and approved by said Administrator,covering all operations hereunder set forth in the related Proposal. Proof of Insurance: County reserves the right to require the Contract Professional to provide a certificate of insurance,a policy,or other proof of insurance as required by the County's Risk Administrator in his sole discretion. 17 Additional Insureds: For general liability,excess/umbrella liability,pollution legal liability,liquor liability, and inland marine,Contract Professional's insurer shall name County as an additional insured. Waiver of Subrogation: For all coverages,Contract Professional's insurer shall waive subrogation rights against County. Subcontractors: All subcontractors,independent Contract Professionals,sub-vendors,suppliers or other entities providing goods or services required by this Agreement shall be subject to all of the requirements herein and shall procure and maintain the same coverages required of Contract Professional.Contract Professional shall include all such subcontractors,independent Contract Professionals,sub-vendors suppliers or other entities as insureds under its policies or shall ensure that all subcontractors maintain the required coverages.Contract Professional agrees to provide proof of insurance for all such subcontractors, independent Contract Professionals,sub-vendors suppliers or other entities upon request by the County. The terms of this Agreement are contained in the terms recited in this Request for Proposal and in the Response to the Proposal each of which forms an integral part of this Agreement.Those documents are specifically incorporated herein by this reference. 18 PROPOSAL SPECIFICATIONS Intro Weld County("County")is seeking to evaluate Public Safety Communications/Dispatch("Public Safety Communications")cost of services provided and examine whether a reasonable relationship exists between the cost of providing services and current service fees,while ensuring compliance with any applicable statutory requirements.The County desires to undertake a review and evaluation of Public Safety Communications user fee and rate charges,including the Wireless Communications unit,resulting in a cost-based user fee study.The Public Safety Communications Fee Study will calculate the full 100% cost of providing County Public Safety Communications services,provide a recommended fee to be charged for each applicable service,and develop a methodology that the County can use in the future to calculate these fees.The firm shall recommend cost recovery strategies and identify best practices in establishing user fees.These strategies should take into consideration the complexities and demands of the Weld County Regional Communications Department.The selected firm will provide thorough analysis, development of a fee model and recommendations.It is the County's goal to have a well-documented and legally defensible cost of service plan that will identify rates that will be used to recover billable costs for services and develop user fees that comply with any applicable statutory requirements. The County encourages any inquiries with respect to the expectations and/or scope of work sought through this proposal by email to the County,Question deadline date:October 16,2023,by 5:00 PM—Email questions to:bids@weldgov.com.All inquiries will receive a response. A consultant/firm will be selected for this project based on criteria stated in"Selection Process and Criteria".All proposals received by Monday,October 30th by 10:00 AM MST will receive full consideration. RFP Process It is expected that one(1)consultant will be selected as a result of the RFP,although the County is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of the selection process.Based on the proposals received,the selection committee(comprised of Board member(s)and/or County staff)will select individuals/firms to be interviewed.As a result of those interviews the top-rated consultant will be selected for contract negotiations. Background Weld County is home to 32 incorporated municipalities,including growing cities,charming towns,thriving businesses,and thousands of acres of prime agricultural land.Agriculture and oil and gas are two very important industries in Weld County.The county seat and principal city,Greeley,is located in the west central part of the county and contains almost half of the county's population. As Colorado's third largest county,the county covers 3,987 square miles in the northern part of the state and is larger than the size of Rhode Island,Delaware and the District of Columbia combined.While 333,000 people call Weld County home,there is still plenty of room for growth. 19 Weld County became Colorado's first Home Rule County in 1976. The County is governed by a five- member Board of County Commissioners.Three Commissioners are elected by districts of relatively equal population and two Commissioners are elected at large. Each Commissioner coordinates one of the five functions of the County and,therefore,there is no County Administrator. The County also is served by four Elected Officials:Assessor,Clerk and Recorder,District Attorney,and Sheriff. The County has 21 departments that employ over 1700 full-time authorized positions and nearly 200 part- time positions.The county provides a full range of service including judicial and public safety;health, employment,and social services;planning and zoning;construction,reconstruction and maintenance of streets,highways,and bridges;parks and recreation;property valuation,tax collection and distribution,and vehicle licensing;and general administrative services. The current Public Safety Communications fee study was prepared in-house and has served the County well for many years. We believe it is time to revisit the user fee study and believe a more detailed,in- depth review of the fees is necessary as we continue to grow the operations of the Weld County Regional Communications Department. Weld County Regional Communications is a consolidated dispatch center.The Center answers all 9-1-1 calls and dispatches for every law,fire,and EMS agency in Weld County.The Center serves 19 fire departments,ranging in size from very small volunteer to larger full career departments.The Center also serves 22 law enforcement agencies and several private ambulance companies.The Center's agencies range in call volume from 625 a year to 120,000 a year. Scope of Services Project tasks shall include,but are not necessarily limited to,the following described below.If the firm feels that additional tasks are warranted,they must be clearly identified in the firm's proposal.Firms responding to this RFP shall be prepared to deliver services and perform the work necessary to provide the services within three months after initiation of the project.The County would like to have the study complete by February 1,2024,for presentation to the Board of County Commissioners and the E-911 Board in February and/or March 2024 and incorporation into the FY 2025 Budget.The project consists of furnishing all labor, materials,supervision,and travel necessary to complete the tasks outlined below: Comprehensive Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Prepare a Public Safety Communications User Fee Study for the county,which may include the following elements(if the consultant feels that additional tasks are warranted,they must be clearly identified in the consultant's proposal): 1. Work and meet with County staff to refine the project scope,purpose,uses and goals of the County's Public Safety Communications User Fee Study to ensure that the study will be both accurate and appropriate to the County's needs.Review project schedules and answer any questions pertaining to the successful development of the study. 2. Meet with staff and conduct interviews as needed to gain an understanding of the County's processes and operations.Conduct a review of the County's existing fees,rates and charges related to Public Safety Communications,including Wireless Communications,services. 3. Identify the total cost of providing Public Safety Communications services at the appropriate activity level and in a manner consistent with all applicable laws,statutes,rules,and regulations governing the collection of fees,rates,and charges by public entities. 4. Compare service costs with existing recovery levels.This should include any service areas where the County is currently charging for services as well as areas where perhaps the County should charge,considering the County's practices,or the practices of similar or neighboring counties. 20 5. Recommend appropriate fees and charges based on the firm's analysis together with the appropriate subsidy percentage of those fees where full cost recovery may be unrealistic. 6. Prepare a report that identifies each fee service,its full cost,recommended and current cost recovery levels.The report should also identify the direct cost,the indirect cost,and the overhead cost for each service. 7. Prepare a report that identifies the present fees,recommended fees,percentage change,cost recovery percentage,revenue impact and fee comparison with other counties that are comparable to Weld County,either in Colorado or another state.A survey comparison of rates and fees with similar counties with similar size Public Safety Communication Departments is required. 8. Report on other matters that come to the Consultant's attention in the course of the evaluation that, in the Consultant's professional opinion,the County should consider. 9. Provide a computer-based model in Microsoft Excel for adjusting these fees and charges for the County's current and future needs and provide the County with an electronic copy of the final comprehensive study,including related schedules and cost documentation in a format that can be edited and updated by County staff to accommodate changes in the organization or changes in costs.The requirements of the models should allow for: a. Additions,revisions,or removal of the direct and overhead costs so the comprehensive fee study can be easily adapted to a range of activities,both simple and complex. b. The ability of the County to continuously update the model and fees from year to year as the organization changes. c. The addition of hypothetical service area information for future service enhancements,and the ability to calculate the estimated costs of providing the service under consideration(i.e., ad-hoc analysis). 10.Prepare and deliver presentation to the Board of County Commissioners and E-911 Board to facilitate their understanding of the plan and its implication for the County and make necessary adjustments as requested. 11.Provide on-site and/or virtual training to enable staff to update fees on an annual basis. 12.Prepare a final report and provide twenty bound copies,and a PDF file of the Comprehensive Fee Study that can be made available to County Staff,Board of County Commissioners,and E-911 Board members.Models,tables,and graphs should be provided in Excel.Any fee study revisions developed shall also be made available to the City in Excel and PDF formats,providing the ability to add,delete and/or update information as needed. 13.Consult with County staff should it become necessary to defend the County's Public Safety Communications User Fee as a result of any legal or other challenges. Proposal Format To ensure the fair and accurate consideration of all submissions,proposals must contain the following information. 1. Executive Summary Provide an overview of the project approach,including key deliverables,benchmarks,expected completion,and total cost. 21 2. Firm Overview Provide an overview of firm's experience in providing the Scope of Services detailed in the previous section.Please include the contact information of the individual authorized to represent your firm. 3. Project Team Provide names,contact information,and resumes for the Project Team,including the project manager and team members.Indicate the organizational structure of the team and outline key roles and lines of authority. 4. Scope of Services and Methodology Provide a detailed outline of how your firm will provide the Scope of Services requested.Please list any additional services your firm may suggest as separate line items. 5. Examples Provide up to three(3)sample reports of a similar project prepared for another county or municipal organization of similar size Public Safety Communications Department.Provide examples of data collection forms,surveys,or other similar documents you propose to use on this project. 6. References Provide at least three(3)county or municipal references where a similar project was completed.Include the contact's name,email and phone number,and a brief description of the project completed for that organization. 7. Schedule Provide a proposed schedule for all phases of the project. 8. Cost Provide a detailed not-to-exceed cost analysis for the entirety of the project,including basic fee structure and break-down of any other charges and hourly compensation rates related to your firm's proposal. Please also provide any optional items such as community engagement work. Selection Process and Criteria Weld County will not award a contract based solely on price.The award will be in the best interest of the County and will be to a firm or firms whose overall proposal is rated as being in the County's best interest. 22 Factors to be considered in the selection process include : • Quality & thoroughness of the proposal . • Experience and past performance in completing projects of a similar type , size and complexity . • References ; • The quality of example materials and any presentation requested by involved County officials ; • Demonstrated capacity to deliver high - quality work within a preset timeline and budget ; • Cost & budget proposal ; • A reasonable timeline based on general conditions and project objectives ; and • Any other considerations deemed pertinent by the County . A review committee will evaluate all responses to the RFP that meet the submittal requirements and deadline . Submittals that do not meet the requirement or deadline will not be considered . The review committee will rank the proposals and then may arrange for on - site interviews with the Board and/or staff. The County reserves the right to request additional information or materials from bidding parties if necessary to determine the winning proposal . Likewise , the County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals , or to alter the selection process in any way , to postpone the selection process for its own convenience at any time , and to waive any informality in the proposals . Weld County retains the right at its sole discretion to select a contractor. All proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the County and public records and , as such , may be subject to public review . The County reserves the right to cancel or revise any section of this RFP prior to the date proposals are due including , but not limited to selection procedures , submittal date , and submittal requirements . If the County cancels or revises the RFP , all interested firms will be notified . The County also reserves the right to extend the date by which proposals are due . The County will not pay costs incurred by the Proposer during this process , including any travel and travel related expenses . All costs shall be borne by the Proposal . * The successful vendor is required to sign a separate contract (a sample contract is included as a separate attachment. ) PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS : The following items must be completed and submitted with your proposal on or before the proposal opening deadline of 10 : 00 AM on October 30 , 2023 : 1 ) Pages 9 thru 15 of the Proposal Specifications . 2 ) W9 , if applicable* 3 ) Any future Addenda must be completed . 4 ) All other items as requested in the Proposal Specifications . *A current W9 is required for new vendors . If you have previously worked with Weld County , only provide your W9 if there has been a change . Failure to include any of the above items upon submittal of your proposal may result in your proposal being incomplete and your proposal being rejected . If there are any exclusions or contingencies submitted with your proposal it may be disqualified . 24 The undersigned , by his or her signature , hereby acknowledges and represents that : 1 . The proposal proposed herein meets all of the conditions , specifications and special provisions set forth in the Request for Proposal for Request No . # B2300196 . 2 . The quotations set forth herein are exclusive of any federal excise taxes and all other state and local taxes . 3 . He or she is authorized to bind the below- named Vendor for the amount shown on the accompanying proposal sheets . 4 . The signed proposal submitted , all of the documents of the Request for Proposal contained herein ( including , but not limited to , product specifications and scope of services ) , and the formal acceptance of the proposal by Weld County , together constitutes a contract , with the contract date being the date of formal acceptance of the proposal by Weld County. 5 . Weld County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals , to waive any informality in the proposals , and to accept the proposal that , in the opinion of the Board of County Commissioners , is in the best interest of Weld County . The proposal ( s ) may be awarded to more than one vendor . FIRM BY ( Please print ) BUSINESS ADDRESS DATE CITY , STATE , ZIP CODE TELEPHONE NO FAX TAX ID # SIGNATURE E - MAIL WELD COUNTY IS EXEMPT FROM COLORADO SALES TAXES . THE CERTIFICATE OF EXEMPTION NUMBER IS #98-03551 -0000 . YOU DO NOT NEED TO SEND BACK PAGES 1 - 8 . ATTEST : BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Weld County Clerk to the Board WELD COUNTY , COLORADO BY : Deputy Clerk to the Board Mike Freeman , Chair APPROVED AS TO SUBSTANCE : Elected Official or Department Head Controller PSRFP0323 25 EXHIBIT B `4:\i , w .:.. • .wl fit. '; ik\ \ IYI' / 1 V a� �► uNIY Weld County, Colorado Proposal to Provide : Public Safety Communications User Fee Study October 30 , 2023 DELTAWRX k 4; 4, management consultants 26 rit-4 DELTAWRX 21700 Oxnard Street,Suite 830 Woodland Hills,California 91367 (818)227-9300 bhudson@deltawrx.com October 30,2023 Board of Commissioners of Weld County 1301 N.17th Avenue Greeley,CO 80631 Dear Commissioners: DELTAWRX is pleased to submit our proposal to prepare a Public Safety Communications User Fee Study for Weld County.In this proposal we will introduce you to our company and our team's unique qualifications.We will present our approach to completing this study and describe our specialized experience completing other engagements similar in scope to this project. By partnering with DELTAWRX,Weld County will benefit from our 23 years of exclusively providing consulting services to public safety and criminal justice agencies,including eighty communications centers.Weld County will be able to leverage the experience,knowledge and best practices DELTAWRX has gained from assisting hundreds of agencies on over 200 strategic planning,technology procurement and organizational effectiveness engagements.To ensure that Weld County will meet or exceed your desired goals from this engagement,DELTAWRX offers: • In-depth knowledge base of communications center operations • Experience and expertise in identifying and allocating costs for regional communications centers • A history of managing successful engagements and providing high quality deliverables • Experienced and long-tenured consultants with strong research,analytical,facilitation and communication skills • Experience with Colorado agencies • A project leader who resides locally in Colorado We hope you will confirm our commitment to client service by contacting our references listed in Section 6.Client success is our highest priority and we have built a reputation for outstanding customer service by exceeding client expectations and taking extra steps to ensure that project outcomes yield beneficial results. We carefully guard our reputation for independence and objectivity so that our clients know they are receiving practical and implementable recommendations and guidance that reflect their individual business needs and produce the best possible outcomes for their organizations. 27 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado In summary,we believe DELTAWRX is best qualified to assist Weld County with this engagement and we assure you that we are fully committed to its successful completion.If you have any questions, please contact meat(213)247-2243 or Michael Thayer at(310)722-1745.We are the Partners and co-founders of DELTAWRX and are individually authorized to make representations for the firm. Very truly yours, r Brian Hudson Partner ®DELTAWRX management consultants 28 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Proposal to Provide Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 1 2. Firm Overview 2 3. Project Team 8 4. Scope of Work 13 5. Examples 18 6. References 18 7. Proposed Project Schedule 24 8. Cost 24 9. Conclusion 25 9 DELTAWRX October 30,2023 management consultants Page i 29 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado 1.Executive Summary In this proposal,DELTAWRX will introduce Weld County to our company and our team's unique qualifications.We will present our approach to completing this study and describe our specialized experience completing other engagements similar in scope to your project. In Section 2,we provide an overview of DELTAWRX and our experience working with public safety communications centers and conducting cost recovery studies.Weld County will benefit from our 23 years of exclusively providing consulting services to public safety and criminal justice agencies and the wealth of knowledge that we have gathered through engagements involving eighty communications centers.While we understand the challenges facing Weld County are unique,our experience will enable us to hit the ground running from the onset of this engagement. Weld County can be confident that DELTAWRX will provide a thorough and timely assessment of your cost recovery needs.We are proposing a senior and experienced team for this engagement.As we discuss in Section 3,Brian Hudson,Michael Galvin and Monica Lynn have been involved in every DELTAWRX engagement involving a regional communications center and have developed a proven methodology for identifying communications center costs and allocating those costs among serviced agencies.We ground the methodology in an understanding of communications operations and technology use,industry standards, nationwide best practices and the combined knowledge of internal and external factors that influence staffing needs. Additionally,the lead consultant proposed for this engagement is Monica Lynn,who resides in Fort Collins.Her proximity to Weld County and Greeley will enable her to rapidly respond to any immediate needs or ad hoc meetings the County may require. The proposed work plan in Section 4 demonstrates the implementation of our methodology. We developed the work plan to address the specific requirements in the RFP and based the approach on our success with assisting other regional communications centers with similar engagements.Key deliverables include: • Cost allocation model and workshops with user agencies • A comprehensive report including the Fee Service and Cost Recovery Reports • Presentation of findings to the County Board of Commissioners and the E-911 Board • Twenty hard copies and an electronic copy of the final report,including supporting material 9 DELTAWRX October 30,2023 management consultonts Page 1 30 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado • Training on the use of our Excel Cost Allocation Model Workbook Section 5 lists examples of the work we have done for other clients,and we include sample work products in an appendix to this proposal. Client success is our highest priority.DELTAWRX has built a reputation for outstanding customer service by exceeding client expectations and taking extra steps to ensure that project outcomes yield beneficial results.Our references in Section 6 will attest to the exceptional quality and thoroughness of our work products and the care we take to deliver results and recommendations that are accurate,relevant,practical and feasible. The proposed schedule in Section 7 recognizes the need to include the results of this study in the FY2025 budget.We will do everything in our control to ensure that we are prepared to present the results to the County Board of Commissioners and the E-911 Board by March 6, 2024.Finally,Section 8 contains our proposed cost for providing the scope of services requested in Weld County's RFP and described in Section 4. DELTAWRX is committed to providing deliverables that meet our clients'needs.We have done our best to be responsive to the services that Weld County requested and will be happy to review and revise our scope of work if necessary to ensure that Weld County receives the information it needs to ensure continued sustainability of communications services in the county. 2.Firm Overview DELTAWRX is dedicated to providing management and information technology consulting services to public safety and criminal justice agencies.Our commitment to supporting public safety agencies across state and local governments is unwavering.The firm's partners,Michael Thayer and Brian Hudson,are each individually authorized to represent DELTAWRX.Their contact information is: Michael Thayer Brian Hudson 21700 Oxnard Street,Suite 830 21700 Oxnard Street,Suite 830 Woodland Hills,California 91367 Woodland Hills,California 91367 (310)722-1745 (213)247-2243 mthaverCBtdeltawrx.com bhudsonl deltawrx.com The paragraphs in this section describe our experience working with communications centers, as well as with public safety agencies in general.We also provide a description of our core competencies,which represent our approach to managing our engagements. 9 DELTAWRX October 3Q 2023 management consultonts Page 2 31 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Experience Weld County will benefit from our 23 years of consulting exclusively with public safety and criminal justice agencies and the wealth of knowledge that we have gathered through engagements involving 80 communications centers.Weld Since our founding in 2000,DELTAWRX has assisted County will be able to leverage the hundreds of public safety agencies on over 200 experience,knowledge and best strategic planning,technology procurement and practices DELTAWRX has gained from organizational effectiveness engagements. assisting over hundreds of public safety agencies on over 200 strategic planning,technology procurement and organizational effectiveness engagements.We are nationally recognized experts in public safety operations,information management systems, and data and voice radio systems and we combine our extensive technical experience with real- world business and management skills to ensure balanced and practical deliverables and recommendations.The depth and breadth of our experience and knowledge provides a solid foundation that will enable a productive start to the engagement and provide informed analysis,feedback and recommendations. Depth of Experience with Communications Centers DELTAWRX takes pride in our specialized expertise in public safety communications centers. Our projects encompass technology planning and procurement,consolidation feasibility studies,staffing assessments,governance structure development,and cost allocation strategies.We grasp the intricate challenges that professional communications centers confront and recognize how decisions at the dispatch level influence the agencies they support.Table 1 provides a sample list of our projects related to consolidation feasibility studies and communications center evaluations. Table 1.DELTAWRX Communications Center Assessments and Consolidation Studies Client Project Description Benton County,Washington Strategic planning and governance development for a bi-county communications center. Black Hawk County,Iowa Operational assessment for a regional dispatch center;included an assessment of the sustainability of current funding structure and the identification of alternative funding sources. Chittenden County Regional Planning Implementation plan for a consolidated regional dispatch Commission,Vermont center. DeKalb County,Indiana Strategic planning for communications center consolidation. DELTAWRX October 30,2023 management consultants Page 3 32 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Client Project Description El Paso-Teller County,Colorado Consolidation feasibility study involving seven communications centers in two counties.Included projecting budgetary, staffing,technology and facility needs under multiple consolidation scenarios. Cities of Fremont,Newark and Union City, Dispatch consolidation feasibility study.Included projecting California budgetary,staffing,technology and facility needs under multiple consolidation scenarios. Hamilton County,Indiana Dispatch consolidation feasibility study. Harrison County,Mississippi Dispatch consolidation feasibility study. Lewis County,Washington Dispatch consolidation feasibility study and then governance development.Governance development included projecting budgetary,staffing,technology and facility needs and reaching consensus on a sustainable cost allocation method. Madera County and the Cities of Madera and Dispatch consolidation feasibility study.Included projecting Chowchilla,California budgetary,staffing,technology and facility needs under multiple consolidation scenarios. Massachusetts State Police Dispatch consolidation and modernization plan. Metro Transit Police Department,Minnesota Public safety dispatch operations study and concept of operations for a new dispatch center.Included analysis of costs for starting and maintaining the dispatch center.Cost analysis based on projected staffing,technology,infrastructure and facility costs. City of Redmond,Washington Emergency dispatching strategic plan and assessment of potential consolidation options. Santa Barbara County,California Dispatch consolidation feasibility study. Santa Clara County and the Cities of San Jose, Dispatch consolidation feasibility study for consolidation of fire Mountain View and Palo Alto,California dispatching PSAPs.Included an assessment of staffing, technology and facility costs. South Sound 911,Washington Strategic assessment of consolidated dispatch center operations,funding and governance.The study involved multiple agencies and departments providing different services such as wireless communications,records management and technology support.Included a series of workshops to revise the user cost fees based on an updated budget designed for sustainability. Spokane County,Washington Dispatch consolidation feasibility study. City of Waukesha,Wisconsin Dispatch consolidation feasibility study.e DELTAWRX October 30,2023 management consultants Page 33 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Breadth of Experience DELTAWRX has worked with a range of public safety DELTAWRX clients include: and criminal justice disciplines on a variety of • Communications Centers projects across the United States,which allows us to • Law Enforcement Agencies • Fire Departments understand the broader community in which our • Public EMS Providers clients operate and the interdependencies of • Corrections Agencies operations among different agencies and disciplines. • District Attorney Offices • Probation Departments Our breadth of experience gives us a strong • Courts knowledge base of technology,operations,and workflows,and the connections among the public safety and criminal justice disciplines.We can speak knowledgably with personnel in all roles and at all levels,share best practices with our clients and draw on the knowledge base to provide feasible,practical and proven recommendations. Engagements Involving Financial Assessments and Cost Allocation Financial Assessments and cost allocation among user agencies have typically been part of broader engagements focused on developing governance structures and DELTAWRX consultants are skilled at: documents,consolidation feasibility and • Group facilitation and reaching operational assessments.Through these consensus engagements,DELTAWRX has: • Identifying root causes of organizational issues • Analyzed and clarified complex • Portraying complex information in financial documents easily digestible formats • Projected budgets based on technology,staffing,facilities, administrative structures and overhead costs • Developed analytical tools using Excel to assist agencies with developing appropriate cost recovery metrics and fees • Benchmarked governance and cost recovery models on behalf of clients Our experience and knowledge of communications center operations and technology allow us to develop accurate projections of staffing and technology needs and costs,which are typically the major inputs for communications center budgets.We have identified strategies for increasing operational efficiency,reducing overtime and effectively leveraging technology for improved service outcomes. A DELTAWRX October 30,2023 r~ management consultants Page 5 34 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Colorado Experience DELTAWRX has specific experience working with the following Colorado agencies: • City and County of Broomfield • City and County of Denver • El Paso-Teller County E911 Authority • Grand County • City of Lakewood • City of Longmont • South Central Homeland Security Region • City of Steamboat Springs and Routt County Additionally,we are in the project planning stages of an engagement with the City of Thornton. Core Competencies DELTAWRX is proud of the reputation for excellence that we have built over the past 23 years. We have earned this reputation based on the high quality of services and deliverables that we provide our clients and the core competencies discussed in the DELTAWRX Core Competencies following paragraphs. • Public safety experience and knowledge • Reputation for independence and objectivity Public Safety Experience and • Tailored approach to each engagement Knowledge • Projects staffed with experienced consultants for duration of engagement Clients can leverage the • Exceptional communication skills knowledge of public safety • Strong analytical skills operations,technology and market offerings that DELTAWRX has gained over 23 years of consulting in this industry.We have worked with every discipline of public safety,large and small agencies and individual agencies and consortia.We understand the operations of each discipline as well as how they interact with each other.Since we understand operations,regulations,acronyms and jargon, stakeholders can tell us about their unique challenges and opportunities without first having to explain the basics to us. 9 DELTAWRX October 30,2023 monagement consultants Page 6 35 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Reputation for Independence and Objectivity We carefully guard our reputation for independence and objectivity.DELTAWRX has no prior or current conflicts of interest with any company that provides software,hardware or equipment to the public safety and criminal justice community.None of our consultants has ever worked for a technology vendor in this industry. Tailored Approach to Each Engagement DELTAWRX employs proven methodologies that we have honed over 23 years of conducting strategic planning,technology procurement and organizational assessment consulting engagements.However,we know that every client is unique,and we tailor our approach and deliverables to meet the needs of each client.We work hard to ensure that we understand and address the business problem that our clients are trying to solve.As such, Weld County will receive 1)assessments,recommendations and deliverables that are aligned with organizational goals and reflect any organizational or regulatory constraints, and 2)recommendations that are practical,feasible and implementable. Projects Staffed with Experienced Consultants for the Duration of the Project DELTAWRX is proud to have developed a staff of experienced consultants dedicated to working for the public sector,specifically public safety and criminal justice agencies.Most consultants have been with the company for more than 15 years.Weld County will benefit from our approach to staffing by: • Partnering with a DELTAWRX consulting team that has a history of working together on past projects and one that will be assigned for the duration of the project • Knowing that it can count on DELTAWRX for project continuity;if one member is not available due to personal obligations or illness,the project will continue seamlessly • Relying on the team for a historical understanding of the project from its inception through completion Exceptional Communication Skills DELTAWRX consultants are comfortable communicating in diverse settings and develop relationships and trust with stakeholders at all levels in an organization.We value active listening skills and are equally comfortable speaking with agency personnel,executive leadership,elected leaders and technical resources.DELTAWRX consultants possess exceptional skills in effectively communicating complex technology concepts in a manner that resonates with management,elected officials,agency staff,and the public. 9 DELTAWRX October 3Q 2023 management consultants Page 7 36 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado We quickly develop a rapport with stakeholders,which allows us to elicit information from people who might otherwise be reticent to share important material.Further,end-users feel listened to when they see their concerns and needs reflected back to them and addressed at various project stages(e.g.,needs assessment,functional requirements, system configuration). Strong Analytical Skills With a combination of firsthand experience and advanced education,DELTAWRX consultants are equipped with robust analytical and critical thinking capabilities.Every member of our team holds an MBA,MPA,or PhD degree.Such a foundation empowers our consultants with skills in active listening,quantitative and qualitative data analysis,and strategic problem-solving techniques.We excel in discerning the broader context and intricacies,always mindful of the essential details. 3. Project Team DELTAWRX is proposing a senior and experienced team for this engagement so Weld County can be confident that DELTAWRX will provide a thorough and timely analysis of costs and cost recovery strategies.Our proposed project team consists of Brian Hudson,Michael Galvin and Monica Lynn.Brian is a partner in the firm and Michael and Monica are senior consultants who have worked for DELTAWRX for 15 and 16 years,respectively.All proposed consultants have extensive experience with regional communications center operations and finances,as well as staffing,technology and infrastructure.Brian,Michael or Monica have worked directly on all the communications center engagements identified in Table 3 of our proposal. Monica Lynn is a local Colorado resource residing in Fort Collins.As such,she will provide project leadership and be the main point of contact for the County.Michael Galvin will assist Monica with data-gathering,interviews and observations,analysis and report writing.Brian Hudson will provide subject matter expertise and will review all deliverables for quality control. Weld County resources can always contact any member of our team.DELTAWRX consultants work closely together,collaborate on all deliverables regardless of assigned project roles,and share responsibility for successful delivery of the services.We communicate regularly,hold DELTAWRX values independence and internal status meetings and review each other's objectivity;no DELTAWRX consultant has worked for a public safety work.Our team approach provides project technology vendor. continuity;if one member is not available due to personal obligations or illness,the project will continue seamlessly.e DELTAWRX October 30,2023 manogement consultants Page 8 37 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado General Overview of DELTAWRX Consultants Since DELTAWRX focuses on providing management consulting services to public safety and related agencies in the public sector,all DELTAWRX consultants exhibit a deeply rooted commitment to assist public servants.Additionally,several of DELTAWRX Consultants our consultants possess • Are full-time and long-time employees of experience working in public DELTAWRX safety,civic operations and other • Possess exceptional analytic and communication public service roles. skills • Have experience with communications center DELTAWRX supports a variety of operational assessments,strategic planning, national public safety staffing assessments and consolidation feasibility organizations including APCO, studies NENA and IWCE.Our employees • Will be assigned to the project for the duration of are frequent speakers at industry the engagement conferences and serve on industry _ t committees. Our approach also results in improved project outcomes.All team members contribute knowledge,experience and skills so our clients can leverage the combined knowledge of processes and systems gained from our collective experience.The following pages contain resumes for our proposed project team members. DELTAWRX October 30,20e23 Page manogemenl consultants 38 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Monica Lynn , Project Lead SUMMARY CONTACT INFORMATION Monica Lynn has provided strategic management and 21700 Oxnard Street, Suite 830 information technology consulting services to public Woodland Hills, CA 91367 safety and criminal justice agencies since 2006 and has Phone : ( 818) 227-9300 led many of our projects . After working on dozens of Fax: (818 ) 227 -9301 engagements for law enforcement, fire/EMS agencies, Email : mlvnn@deltawrx. com regional communications centers , corrections facilities, and multi -agency consortiums, she is an industry expert AREAS OF EXPERTISE on public safety operations, organizational effectiveness • Organizational and Technical Strategic and information technology . Planning Monica has been instrumental in developing • Communications Center Operations , methodologies for staffing and financial analyses, and Finances, Staffing Technology, for projecting staffing, technology, facility and Infrastructure and Facilities budgetary needs . She is skilled at group facilitation and • Consolidation Feasibility Studies helping clients reach consensus on complex decisions . • Governance Development and Cost Prior to joining DELTAWRX in 2007 , Monica was a police Allocation officer for the City of Albuquerque Police Department and a Professor of Management at both the University • Operational Assessments of New Mexico and Universidad Adolfo Ibanez in Chile . • Needs Assessments • Technology Procurement and ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE Implementation • Benton County, Washington • Contract Negotiations • Black Hawk County CJIS Board , Iowa • Change Management • City of Boise, Idaho EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS • City of Boston , Massachusetts • Massachusetts Institute of • Deschutes County 911 , Oregon Technology, PhD in Management • El Paso-Teller County, Colorado Science • Cities of Fremont, Newark and Union City, California • University of California at Berkeley, • Lewis County, Washington Bachelor of Arts in Economics • Madera County, City of Madera and City of SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS Chowchilla , California • Metro Transit Police Department, Minnesota • APCO 2018 : From Mobile Clients to Mobile Apps : How the Rise of • City of Minneapolis, Minnesota Smartphones and Tablets are • City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Changing Public Safety • South Sound 911, Washington Communications • Stanislaus County, California • APCO 2017 : Governance Strategies to Manage Multi-Agency CAD/Mobile :—•44;)• October 30, 2023 , 4- DELTAWRX Page 10 management consul ► ints 39 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Michael Galvin , Project Consultant SUMMARY CONTACT INFORMATION Michael Galvin will serve as a Project Consultant during 21700 Oxnard Street, Suite 830 this engagement . Since 2008, Mr . Galvin has assisted Woodland Hills, CA 91367 dozens of public safety agencies across the country with strategic planning, consolidation and efficiency studies Phone : (818 ) 227- 9300 and major software systems replacements . Fax : (818 ) 227 -9301 Specific projects for regional communications center Email : mgalvin@deltawrx . com include CAD system replacement, multi -year strategic plans, and providing in-depth assessments and analysis AREAS OF EXPERTISE of options to consolidate multiple PSAPs into a single • Strategic Planning agency. Mr. Galvin' s expertise in project management, • Communications Center Operations , communication , and analysis has provided invaluable Finances , Staffing Technology, benefit to municipalities across the United States . Infrastructure and Facilities Prior to joining DELTAWRX, Mr . Galvin worked at the • Needs Assessment Department of Veteran ' s Affairs as public affairs • Technology Procurement and manager and an asset management specialist . Implementation ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE • Contract Negotiations • Project Management • City of Alexandria , Virginia • Arlington County , Virginia EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS • Black Hawk County, Iowa aUniversity of Southern California , • DuPage County, Illinois Master of Public Administration • Hamilton County, Indiana • Sacred Heart University, Bachelor of • Harrison County, Mississippi Arts , History and Political Science • Project Management Professional , • Kenosha Joint Services, Wisconsin Project Management Institute • Los Angeles County , California • City of Lynchburg, Virginia SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS • Massachusetts State Police • NENA 2016 : Keys to a Successful • City of O ' Fallon , Missouri Public Safety Technology Procurement Western • Ramsey County, Minnesota • APCO 2015 : Communications Center • Santa Clara County, California Staffing Models : One Size Does Not Fit • Spokane County, Washington All • Stafford County, Virginia • St . Louis County, Missouri • City of Waukesha, Wisconsin October 30, 2023 DELTAVVRX �. � Page 11 management consultants 40 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Brian Hudson , Project Manager SUMMARY CONTACT INFORMATION Brian Hudson is a Partner and Co-founder of DELTAWRX 21700 Oxnard Street, Suite 830 and will serve as the DELTAWRX Project Manager during g this engagement . His areas of expertise include project Woodland Hills , CA 91367 management, strategic planning, procurement and Phone : ( 818 ) 227-9300 contract negotiations . Mr . Hudson has managed and/or Fax : ( 818 ) 227 - 9301 overseen more than 50 engagements throughout his 25 Email : bhudson@deltawrx . com years of public safety technology consulting experience. Prior to co-founding DELTAWRX , Brian worked for AREAS OF EXPERTISE Gartner as well as the United States Department of • Strategic Planning Justice Antitrust Division ' s Telecommunications Task • Communications Center Operations Force . • Needs Assessment ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE • RFP Development • Black Hawk County CJIS Board , Iowa • Proposal Evaluation • City of Boston , Massachusetts • Contract Negotiations • City of Carlsbad, California • System Implementation • Cities of Fremont, Newark and Union City, California • Vendor Management • Hamilton County, Indiana • Project Management • Harrison County, Mississippi EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS • City of Kansas City, Missouri • University of Southern California , • Los Angeles County, California Master of Business Administration • Madera County and the Cities of Madera and with emphasis in Marketing and Chowchilla , California Entrepreneurism • City of Milpitas , California • Stanford University, Bachelor of Arts, • City of Redmond , Washington Political Science • Santa Barbara County , California SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS • City of Santa Clara , California Mr. Hudson is a frequent speaker on the • Santa Clara County and the Cities of San Jose, topics of strategic planning, procurement Mountain View and Palo Alto, California processes and contract negotiation • City and County of San Francisco, California strategies, integrated public safety • South Sound 911 , Washington systems, land mobile radio and mobile • Spokane County, Washington computing at national and regional public City and County of Spokane , Washington safety conferences such as APCO , IWCE , • p g NENA and several others . • City of Visalia , California • City of Waukesha , Wisconsin October 30, 2023 DELTAVVTRX 44 4 management consultants Page 12 41 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado 4.Scope of Work Weld County is seeking a consultant to review the cost of providing public safety communications services,including services related to the wireless infrastructure and equipment,and determine whether the current fee structure is appropriate given any applicable statutory requirements DELTAWRX understands that desired project outcomes include s An assessment of the full cost of providing communications services ■ For each applicable service,a defensible recommendation for fees based on a replicable methodology ® Recommendations for cost recovery and a process for establishing user fees based on best practices • Recommenations that are practical,feasible and implementable DELTAWRX based the following work plan on our understanding of the desired Weld County Project Goals• k scope of work,our knowledge of o Well-documented and legally defensible cost 1 communications and public safety of service plan operations and our experience with • Identification of rates that will recover conducting cost assessments and billable costs for services allocation studies Our intent is to m User fees in compliance with applicable address all the requirements in the RFP's statutory requirements scope of services The following work - — - ----------- -- - - �-� plan demonstrates our approach to providing the analysis and recommendations that Weld County desires Task 1. Hold Project Planning Meeting To set the foundation for a successful engagement,DELTAWRX will meet with Weld County Staff to verify our project understanding and ensure that our approach will fulfill expectations As appropriate,we will refine the project scope,purpose,uses and goals of the study Topics covered during this meeting are • Project drivers • Potential risks,constraints and challenges • Tasks,timelines and milestones a Stakeholders • Data sources and data gathering eDELTAWRX October 30,2023 management consullanls Page 13 42 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado • Project governance • Project success criteria Task 2. Gather Background Information DELTAWRX will work with Weld County staff to coordinate gathering the information we need to conduct the study.During the project planning meeting,DELTAWRX will provide a checklist of information that we would like to collect to facilitate the analyses necessary to determine the actual costs of providing services.While not comprehensive,the following are examples of the type of information we plan to collect: • Line item budgets,including revenues and expenditures • Current agreements and cost recovery methods and data • Telephone,computer aided dispatch(CAD)and radio system data • Staffing levels and shift schedules • Human resource information • Training programs • Hiring,retention and turnover rates • Technology inventory and technology maintenance contracts • Collective bargaining agreements • Standard operating procedures and policy directives • Applicable laws,statutes,rules and regulations governing the collection of fees, rates and charges Task 3. Conduct PSAP Interviews and Observe Operations DELTAWRX will work with Weld County staff to identify a comprehensive list of stakeholders to interview.The purpose of the interviews is to gain an understanding of processes and operations related to dispatching as well as agency user perceptions of fees and services.We expect that the stakeholder list will include,at a minimum, representatives from the County administration,serviced agencies,communications center staff,wireless communications staff and technology support staff. To further our understanding of operations,we will observe call taking,dispatch and relevant administrative operations. e DELTAWRX October 30,2023 monagement consul�anls Page 14 43 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Task 4. Identify Cost of Providing Services DELTAWRX will conduct an in-depth analysis to determine the true and complete cost of providing communications services.The analysis will include: • Current and optimal staffing levels and costs,including hiring,training,overtime and other related staffing costs;staffing costs include administration, management,technology support and other support staffing services • Current and projected technology costs(to assist with determining technology replacement costs) • Administrative costs • Facility maintance costs • Overhead costs • Any other costs identified during discovery To validate our analysis,DELTAWRX will share our results with County staff.If necessary,we will update the analysis based on appropriate feedback. Task 5. Benchmark Cost Recovery Models DELTAWRX will work with Weld County staff to identify five to eight comparable communications centers to benchmark cost recovery models and their approaches to allocating costs.DELTAWRX will reach out to those communications centers and gather the information we need to conduct the benchmark study.We may need to rely on Weld County staff to help us connect with appropriate resources in those counties. Task 6. Compare Services Costs with Existing Recovery Levels DELTAWRX will compare current cost recovery methods and level with the service costs identified in our analysis.The comparison will identify gaps,including areas where the County should charge.In this task,DELTAWRX will draw on our experience of best practices with respect to cost allocation in multi-jurisdictional communications centers, as well as any lessons learned from the benchmarking exercise. Task 7. Develop Cost Allocation Model In our experience,user agency"buy-in"is the key to a successful and sustainable cost allocation model.DELTAWRX's approach to recommending appropriate fees and charges is to develop a model that allows user agency representatives to assess the 9 DELTAWRX October 30,2023 management consultants Page 15 44 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado impact of several factors in determining appropriate fees and charges.This approach includes the following steps: • Hold a workshop with stakeholders to identify general principles of allocating costs and present potential cost allocation factors • Develop a working model based on the identified principles and factors. Variables can be changed in the model to assess the impact of different scenarios.We will hold one or two additional workshops in which stakeholders can consider the results of allocating identified costs on the user fees. - The analysis,which we develop in Excel,is tailored to reflect our client's budgetary structure and organizational constraints and is based on net costs,after considering other revenue streams contributing to cost recovery. - The analysis can take into account multiple services as well as different allocation factors for different disciplines.It also compares potential new fees with current fees,shows percentage changes from current to potential new fees,and calculates the percentage allocated to each user agency. • Arrive at consensus on the appropriate allocation model.Often we find that we need separate workshops for fire/EMS and law enforcement agencies since the factors that impact their allocations can differ. Based on this analysis and the results of the workshop,DELTAWRX will recommend appropriate fees and charges.If necessary,we will recommend an appropriate subsidy percentage where full cost recovery may be unrealistic based on user agency size or organization(e.g.,volunteer versus career). Task 8. Prepare Report DELTAWRX will prepare a report on our analysis,findings and recommendations.The report will include at least three components: • Fee Service Report:DELTAWRX will prepare a report that details our findings on the cost of providing services.We will identify each fee service,its full cost,and the recommended and current cost recovery levels.As appropriate,we will identify the direct,indirect and overhead costs for each service. • Cost Recovery Report:DELTAWRX will prepare a report that details the present and recommended fees for each agency.We will show the percentage change for each agency as well as each agency's percentage share of the cost recovery. DELTAWRX October 3Pa Page 3 management consullonls 45 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado The report will also assess the revenue impact on the County and compare the recommended cost recovery approach to those of the cost recovery approaches of the benchmarked counties. ■ Additional Considerations:DELTAWRX will report on other matters that come to our attention in the course of the evaluation.Examples of other matters that have arisen in other studies are staffing efficiencies and alternate funding sources. DELTAWRX will provide a draft of the report to Weld County staff for review.We will update the final report based on appropriate feedback. Task 9. Present Results to Board of County Commissioners and the E-911 Board DELTAWRX will present our analysis,results and recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners and the E-911 Board.As appropriate,we will incorporate any feedback into the final report. Task 10. Provide Final Report DELTAWRX will provide twenty bound copies of the final User Fee Study,along with a PDF file of the report.We will also provide the Excel file with the working model,as described in the next task.We will provide any supporting documentation,such as tables,graphs and other analysis,in Excel or another appropriate electronic format.We will work with Weld County staff to ensure that all deliverables are in the most appropriate and useful format for the County. Task 11. Provide Sensitivity Analysis and Train County Staff We will provide our working model to the County for future use.Costs to be allocated are based on a line-item budget that County staff can revise as needed.The user fees are based on metrics,such as calls for service,population served,tax assessment base and number of sworn,and the County can update the metrics to calculate future user fees. DELTAWRX will also provide on-site training to staff to transfer knowledge on how to use and update the workbook.We will provide written instructions on how to update the costs and metrics,as well as how to add or remove agencies,such that the editors can maintain the integrity of the workbook.We will also provide a worksheet that includes a structure for calculating the costs of providing a potentially new service and we will train the staff on how to add the new enhancement. A)DELTAWRX October 30,2023 y manogement consoltonts Page 17 46 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Task 12. Provide Follow-Up Services After the project is completed,DELTAWRX will always be available to discuss with Weld County staff any of the work products we prepare for the County.If the County is faced with legal or other challenges and would like our assistance in defending its User Fee, DELTAWRX would be pleased to discuss the scope of work and budget for the additional assistance that is desired.Although we are not attorneys,we are able to provide subject matter expertise to the County and assist in formulating strategies to address future issues that may arise. 5.Work Examples As requested,we have provided three examples of our work product in accompanying PDF files. All three examples are from our project for South Sound 911 in the State of Washington and each deliverable represents a separate phase of the project.The deliverables are as follows: 1. DELTAWRX Final Report for South Sound 911—This document is the final report from our initial engagement with South Sound 911.It is the report that spurred the request for the cost allocation study and it includes an analysis of the costs for operating South Sound 911 as well as an analysis of revenue sources. 2. Cost Allocation Study Workshop.pdf—This document is a presentation from a workshop that was conducted to examine the current allocation formula,the components that could be used in a new allocation methodology and benchmarking for agencies similar to South Sound 911. 3. Funding Formula Report.pdf—This document is a summary and discussion of the funding formula recommendations presented to the South Sound 911 Board. Final Cost Allocation Study Memo.pdf—We have also included the memo that shows the final decision that was presented to the South Sound 911 Director for implementation. 6.References Client success is our highest priority.DELTAWRX has built a reputation for outstanding customer service by exceeding client expectations and taking extra steps to ensure that project outcomes yield beneficial results. Jt DELTAWRX October 3Pa 2023 management consvltonts g e 18 47 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado The following references are a representative set of previous DELTAWRX engagements during which our team performed a similar scope of work to the services requested in Weld County's RFP.In addition to these project descriptions,we have provided our full client list at the end of this section.We would be pleased to provide contact information for any of our previous clients upon request.We trust that each of our references will assure you of our subject "DELTAWRX has exceeded my matter expertise,independence,breadth and expectations,which were high to start. depth of experience,and commitment to our Feels like money well spent." clients. —Chittenden County,VT South Sound 911,Washington At the time we began our engagement,South Sound 911 was a newly consolidated public safety emergency communications center providing dispatching services for 19 law enforcement and 18 fire agencies.After South Sound 911 completed its transition to a consolidated entity,South Sound 911,in partnership with Pierce County and the public safety agencies in Pierce County,engaged DELTAWRX to conduct a multi-faceted strategic study of the emergency communications environment. Our initial work with South Sound 911 explored three different areas.First,we examined radio system management and architecture.We analyzed the current dual-system environment and made recommendations for the creation of a true single-system environment;consolidation of maintenance,support and management services;cost reduction strategies and the development of a unified approach to the replacement of fixed network equipment and subscriber units. Our second area of focus was funding.We researched and analyzed the use and administration of funding streams throughout the emergency communications environment in Pierce County and made recommendations pertaining to financial sustainability and governance.Our findings led to an additional engagement to assist a working group,consisting of leaders from involved jurisdictions,with developing a cost allocation formula to assess service fees for the South Sound 911 law enforcement and fire agencies. The cost allocation engagement involved building on the budgetary analysis conducted for the original engagement and facilitating the development of a recommended user fee model that would be presented to the South Sound 911 Policy Board,which was responsible for identifying a funding formula.We guided the working group through the exercise of identifying cost allocation principles and metrics.We built a model to analyze the impact of different metric weights on future allocations and facilitated workshops to arrive at consensus on the appropriate model for future user fees. �s DELTAWRX October 3Pa Ze 19 monagemenl consultants g 48 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Our final area of focus was dispatch operations.In this area,we conducted a staffing study, analyzed dispatch practices,and made recommendations pertaining to call routing,staffing levels,call-taking/dispatching workflow,quality assurance and other operational areas. Additionally,although South Sound 911 was physically consolidated,it was not operationally or culturally consolidated and employees belonged to different unions.This environment was contributing to staffing challenges and territorialism over dispatch areas.DELTAWRX was further engaged to conduct an in-depth assessment of communications operations.We provided recommendations regarding organizational culture,career paths,hiring and training to further the transition to a fully consolidated environment so that the county could realize the operational and fiscal efficiencies that were initially driving consolidation. Contact: Tim Hannah Assistant Director South Sound 911 3580 Pacific Avenue Tacoma,WA 98418 (253)287-4860 tim.hannah@southsound911.org Stearns County,Minnesota Stearns County Sheriff's Office provides dispatch services for all law enforcement and fire/EMS agencies in the county.DELTAWRX has been working with Stearns County to procure and implement new public safety information systems,including Computer Aided Dispatch/Mobile Computing,a Records Management System(RMS),a Jail Management System(JMS)and a Civil Processing System.The cost recovery model for the current system is based on a per seat license model with the County subsidizing the cost of call taking and dispatch services.With the implementation of new systems,Stearns County agencies saw an opportunity to revisit and update the governance decision-making structure and the cost recovery model. Because the county includes many small jurisdictions with part-time and volunteer staff,and because Stearn's County's tax base includes taxes from all jurisdictions,Stearns County agreed to continue to subsidize the cost of providing communications services,as well as assume responsibility for the JMS and Civil Processing Systems and all of the infrastructure,hardware and equipment costs,except for mobile devices.It also paid for the up-front costs of implementing the new system.The remaining ongoing maintenance costs,which include the law enforcement RMS and the fire and law enforcement mobile applications,needed to be allocated among the county public safety agencies. e DELTAWRX October 30,2023 management consulfanls Page 20 49 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado As of the writing of this proposal,DELTAWRX has just completed the final cost allocation workshop.The workshop addressed not only the cost allocation model,but also governance factors such as the effects of combining multiple agencies combine into one agency,the triggers for reviewing the allocation model in the future,the recommended frequency of updating model metrics and the official sources for model metrics.DELTAWRX is in the process of finalizing the governance and cost allocation documents and will be happy to provide them after they are reviewed and approved by our client. Contact: Kristen Lahr System Support Specialist Stearns County Sheriff's Office 807 Courthouse Square,PO Box 217 St Cloud,MN 56303 (320)259-3727 kristen.lahr@co.stearns.mn.us Black Hawk County Consolidated Communications Center,Iowa The Black Hawk Consolidated Communications Center(BHCCC)services all public safety agencies in the County.It is governed by an 11-member intergovernmental Board that hired DELTAWRX to assess its governance and operations.We were asked to assess workloads, review business practices,examine the cost-sharing model and provide recommendations to improve operations. The assessment entailed interviewing key stakeholders from BHCCC and its partner agencies, observing communications center operations,reviewing available information and analyzing data.Our assessment identified critical challenges to the sustainability of BHCCC and we provided recommendations regarding governance,funding,operations,staffing and data collection procedures to address the challenges. Recommendations regarding governance focused on creating an equitable decision-making structure to reduce perceived inequities and ensure that all members have appropriate input into decisions and policies.We found that BHCCC's funding sources were not sufficient to sustain operations and we identified an untapped funding source that would reduce the burden on individual cities. DELTAWRX recommended operational and technology improvements to increase the efficiency of existing staff,improve service delivery to the public and improve first responder safety.We also identified an optimal staffing structure to support the operational improvements and provided a path to attaining that level of staffing. DELTAWRX October 30,2023 44-4. management consultants Page 21 50 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Finally,DELTAWRX suggested that BHCCC collect data that would allow it to monitor performance and make operational adjustments accordingly. Contact: Sheriff Tony Thompson Black Hawk County 225 E 6th Street Waterloo,IA 50703 (319)291-2587 " DELTAWRX October 3O, management consultants Page 22 51 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Figure 1—Complete DELTAWRX Client List Cities Counties Regional Consortiums Albuquerque,NMI :Arlington County,VA .Anoka County Joint Law Enforcement Council QLEC),\IN .Ales....VA Bem.Ma County.NM :Albemarle County/City of Chadoarnille/University of Virginia,VA :Anaheim,CA Broomfield Count,CO Bay:Area:Mir Quality Management District(BAAQ\m),CA Baton Rouge,LA Clackamas County,OR Benton Canty Emergency Services,\VA Berkeley,CA Clark County,WA Black Hawk County CPS Board,IA Beverly Hills,CA Columbia County,OR Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission,\•T Bellevue,WA DeKalb County-. Clark County Regional Emergency Services Agency(CRESA),\CA Boise,ID Delaware Count,IN Consolidated Fire Agencies of East Valley(CON FIRE),CA Boston,ML\ Denver County,f.O Deschutes County 9.11.OR Broomfield,CO DuPage County,IL DuPage County ETSB,IL Burbank•C.A East Bacon R.ougc Parish,GA E-Comm 911.British Columbia Cambridge,\LA Grand County,CO El Paso-Teller County 9 II.Authority,CO Carlsbad,CA Hamilton County.IN Johnson County Joint Emergency Communications Centex aFCC),IA Cedar Rapids,IA Harrison Count,MS Kenosha Joint Services,IXl Chowchtlla,CA Horny Canty,SC Los:Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System;LA-RIGS),CA College Station,TT Lewis County,WA Local Government Information Systems.Association(LOG,,NN Drnvec,CO Los Angeles County,GA Marin Emergency Radio Authority((ERA),CA Duluth,\LN Madera Coon,CA Marin Transit,CA Elgin,IL Marin Count,GA Mletro Transit Police,\IN Fort Smith,AR Marion Count,IN Metropolitan Emergency Communications.Agency(MEGA),IN Fremont,CA Monterey County,CA Nest Generatitm Radio Project(NGEN),Monterey,CA Garden City,KS Multnomah County,OR Northeast King County Regional Communications Center(NORCO\I),\A'A Hayward,CA Napa County,CA Northeut Homeland Security Regional.Advisory Council(NERAC),MA Indianapolis,IN Orangeburg County,SC Orange County Fire Authority,C\ Kansas City\IO Ramsey County.\LN Rhode Island Police Chiefs'Association,RI Long Beach,CA Roust County,CO Santa Clam Count,CA Longmont,CO San Francisco County.CA Scott Emergency Communications Center(SECC),I.\ Longview,T\ Satrnmmto County,C 1 Snohomish County Police Staff and Auxiliary Service Center.NOP.AC),WA Lynchburg,VA Saint Louis County,MO South Central Region,CO \fader,,CA Santa Barbara County,CA South Sound 91 I,\CA Milpitas.CA Spokane County,WA Stanislaus Regional 911,C.\ Minneapolis,\LN Semislaus County,CA Valley Communications Center(Valley Com),\VA \lodesto,CA Stafford County,VA Waslvngton County Consolidated Communications Agency,CCCCA),OR Mountain View•CA Stearns County,\LN Yolo Emergrnq Communications:\gene•;Y'EC.-\9I 1).CA Napa,CA Teller Count,CO Nashville.TN Thurston County,WA Other Newark CA Bain&Company O'Fallon,MO Washington County,OR Bridge Gm..P3rmerC Olathe,KS Yuba County-,CA Bulger Partners Palo.Alm,CA GI Partners Pasadena,CA States Hamilton Southrastem Scbool Dismc Peoria,IL California Primary Insight Pittsburgh,PA Florida Riverwood Capital Management Plano,TN Indiana San Francisco International Airport Foreland.OR Massachusetts State Police Silver Lake Partners Redding,CA Nebraska Department of Roads Southern California Edison Redmond,\VA Oregon State Police United States Department of Justice,Bureau of Justice.Assistance Salinas,CA Rhode Island Police Chiefs'Association San Francisco,C\ Utah Communications:Authority Saner Barbara.CA Santa Clara,C\ San Jose,CA Spokane,\A A Springfield,MA Steamboat Springs,CO Tempe,AZ 'Phomton,CO Union City,CA Visalia,CA Waukesha.WI AAest Chester.OH \Vestminster,CA DELTAWRX October 30,2023 �y management consultants Page 23 52 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado 7. Proposed Project Schedule DELTAWRX understands that Weld County requires analysis results by March 2024 so that the County can incorporate the findings into its FY 2025 budget.We based the preliminary project schedule shown in Table 1 on our understanding of the scope of services,the desired timeframe for completing this project presented in the RFP and our experience completing similar engagements. As an initial task,DELTAWRX will finalize the project schedule with Weld County staff.The schedule currently shows a start date of December 12,2023,and that we will present findings to the Board of County Commissioners and the E-911 Board on March 6,2023.DELTAWRX will do everything within our control to adhere to the schedule,but we cannot guarantee the date. While we have built time into the schedule to accommodate known holidays and natural project lag times(e.g.,scheduling meetings,review cycles),we have not factored in time to accommodate delays on the part of Weld County or participating agency resources. Table 2.Preliminary Project Schedule Estimated Start Estimated Finish Task# Task Name Date Date 1 Hold Project Planning Meeting 12/11/2023 12/11/2023 2 Gather Background Information 12/11/2023 12/22/2023 3 Conduct PSAP interviews and Observe Operations 01/08/2024 01/12/2024 4 Identify Cost of Providing Services 01/16/2024 01/26/2024 5 Benchmark Cost Recovery Models 01/16/2024 01/26/2024 6 Compare Services Costs with existing Recovery 01/16/2024 01/26/2024 models 7 Develop Cost Allocation Model 01/29/2024 02/09/2024 8 Prepare Report 02/12/2024 02/23/2024 9 Present Results 02/26/2024 03/06/2024 10 Provide Final Report 03/06/2024 03/15/2024 11 Provide Analysis and Train County Staff 04/01/2024 04/19/2024 12 Provide Follow-Up Services N/A N/A 8. Cost Our professional fees to perform the services described in this proposal are$87,200,as presented in Table 3 below.Our fees are inclusive of all administrative,travel,report 1-4 DELTAWRX October 3023, Pa 2ge 24 management consultants 53 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado production and related expenses.It is our policy to perform the proposed services for a firm, fixed fee,and DELTAWRX will not issue change orders unless Weld County desires a major change to the proposed scope of work(e.g.,addition of a new phase).We have developed our proposed work plan to be responsive to the requirements as documented in the RFP but are prepared to negotiate price and scope as needed to meet the needs of Weld County. After the project is completed,DELTAWRX will always be available to discuss with Weld County staff any of the work products we prepare for the County.Because it is not known at this time whether the County will be faced with legal or other challenges related to defending its User Fee,we have not included fees for any follow-up services.Should the situation arise where County requires additional assistance from us,we would be pleased to discuss at the appropriate time the scope of work and budget for the additional assistance that the County desires. Table 3.Professional Fees Task# Task Name Fees 1 Hold Project Planning Meeting $2,200 2 Gather Background Information 8,100 3 Conduct PSAP Interviews and Observe Operations 16,000 4 Identify Cost of Providing Services 6,100 5 Benchmark Cost Recovery Models 6,100 6 Compare Services Costs with existing Recovery models 4,200 7 Develop Cost Allocation Model 12,100 8 Prepare Report 14,000 9 Present Results 10,100 10 Provide Final Report 2,200 11 Provide Analysis and Train County Staff 6,100 12 Provide Follow-Up Services TBD Total $87,200 Our firm-fixed fee approach enables our team to provide the contracted deliverables without being bound by stipulations for billable hours or travel,while providing our clients with the peace-of-mind that our fees will remain fixed for the duration of our engagement.We believe the flexibility and unparalleled customer service afforded by this approach outweigh the financial risk we assume. 2s023 a DELTAWRX October 3P 2e 25 management consultants g 54 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado 9.Conclusion We thank Weld County for considering our proposal.We assure you that we understand your mission to provide outstanding and effective communications/dispatch services as well as your duty to efficiently use taxpayer dollars.We also understand the challenges of adequately funding regional operations. By teaming with DELTAWRX on this engagement,Weld County will: • Capitalize on the breadth and depth of knowledge we have gained from providing management consulting services to more than 200 public safety agencies across the country • Work with a firm that offers extensive expertise in communications centers operations, staffing,technology and funding • Have confidence that it will receive timely service and receive expert recommendations that are practical and feasible • Know that results and recommendations are the result of careful and sound analysis tailored to Weld County's needs • Leverage the trends,best practices and related data DELTAWRX has gathered from similar projects throughout the country • Work with a highly flexible consulting firm that can react quickly to project and participant needs with the ability to meet tight schedules and time restraints • Know that the project will be completed to your satisfaction without additional cost In summary,we believe DELTAWRX is best qualified to assist Weld County with this project and we assure you that we are fully committed to its successful completion.We look forward to participating with you in this most important endeavor. DELTAWRX October 3P 2e 23 management consultants g 55 SOUTH SOUND 911 YOUR CONNECTION TO POLICE,FIRE AND MEDICAL AID Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations,Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance for South Sound 911,Pierce County,and Public Safety Agencies in Pierce County,Washington Final Report DELTAWRX management consultonts 56 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations and Radio Communications Operations for South Sound 911,Pierce County,and Public Safety Agencies in Pierce County,Washington Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Part 1 Radio Systems 5 1.1 Pierce County Public Safety Radio Systems Business Models 6 1.2 Options for Policy Leadership 14 Part 2 Dispatch Operations 18 2.1 Countywide Call Routing 19 2.2 Call Handling Practices 21 2.3 Telecommunicator Staffing and Talk Group Assignments 22 2.4 Municipal Emergency Operations Center(EOC) 26 Part 3 Sustainable Funding 27 3.1 Use and Administration of the$.70 E911 Excise Tax 29 3.2 Role of South Sound 911 with the State of Washington E911 Office 39 3.3 Moving E911 Office Responsibilities to South Sound 911 41 3.4 Use of Pierce County 1/10 of 1%Sales and Use Tax 46 3.5 South Sound 911 Governance Model 49 Appendices 56 DELTAWRX Page i ,ice, „�oym consuonl5 57 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington DELTAWRX was engaged by South Sound 911 to assess three areas of interest to South Sound 911,Pierce County and the agencies serviced by South Sound 911:radio systems,dispatch operations,and the sustainability of South Sound 911.This report presents our findings and recommendations in each area. To provide the requested assessment,DELTAWRX gathered,synthesized and analyzed financial and statistical information,reviewed documentation provided by the County and South Sound 911,conducted independent research,and interviewed members of the South Sound 911 Operations and Policy Boards,members of County departments including the Department of Emergency Management(DEM)and Department of Finance,representatives of municipal signatories to the Interlocal Agreement,South Sound 911 and the State of Washington E911 Office.We also spoke with Executive Directors from five Washington PSAPs to provide a benchmark of their PSAP5'governance models and operations. Where asked to provide recommendations,DELTAWRX relied on four principles as a guide. First,we believe that technical and operational decisions should prioritize the safety of the public and the citizens.Second,public funds should be used wisely,efficiently,and for the purposes for which they were intended.We view agencies as the stewards of taxpayer funds and assets,not owners.As such,all stakeholders should participate in decisions about how to use public funds,regardless of the fiduciary agent.Third,organizational decisions should take into account best practices in multi-agency,public safety governance.Some of these best practices are:transparent communication;transparent financial reporting;formal and inclusive decision-making processes;and prioritizing the group as a whole over individual communities. Finally,recommendations should look to the future and not dwell on the past. Part 1 of the report addresses issues around radio system operations.DELTAWRX was asked to evaluate the current business models of the radio systems serving public safety operations in Pierce County and provide options for policy leadership assuming a single-system approach. We recommend that the county transition to a true single-system radio infrastructure and suggest ways to reduce overall system operating and maintenance costs,including establishing a single organization responsible for the operation and management of radio services.We also recommend that,because of its financial interests in the system,South Sound 911 should play a role in the administration,operation and maintenance of any system supporting the county's public safety communications system.Table 1 summarizes our recommendations in this area by topic. DELTAWRX Page 1 m¢nayemen:consulla nls 58 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 1.Summary of Recommendations Regarding Radio System Operations Section Recommendations 1.1.Potential consolidation of 1.1.1:Transition to a true single-system radio infrastructure services 1.1 Reduction in operating and 1.1.2:Conduct a study to determine if it is more cost effective to maintenance costs outsource maintenance of the Fixed Network Equipment(FNE)and site equipment 1.1.3:Continue to fund Motorola Fixed Network Equipment(FNE)using the MSl SUA-II program 1.1 System Replacement Policies 1.1.4:Develop a comprehensive strategic capital replacement schedule/plan for all other(non-FNE)system and facilities Imo . components 1.1.5:Individual agencies should determine their own subscriber replacement policies 1.2 Organizational Roles 1.2.1:SS911 should play a key role in the administration,operation,and maintenance of any system supporting the county's public safety communications and,as such,should be a signatory to any agreement which relies on funding established by Proposition 1 or receives funds from the South Sound 911 organization 1.2.2:Designate/establish a single organization that is responsible for the operation and management of the radio system Part 2 of the report addresses questions concerning dispatch operations.DELTAWRX was tasked with analyzing and providing recommendations on call routing,staffing and the proposed Municipal Emergency Operations Center(EOC)in the planned Public Safety Communications Center.Table 2 is a summary of our recommendations in each area. Table 2.Summary of Recommendations Regarding Dispatch Operations Section Recommendations 2.1.Countywide call routing 2.1.1:Reexamine wireless call routing within Pierce County in an effort to reduce the number of calls transferred between PSAPs 2.2.Call handling practices 2.2.1:Transition to a unified call taker model 2.2.2:Develop and staff a formal QA program 2.3.Staffing 292.1:Adjust talk group assignments based on actual talk time data and the geographic proximity of users PM" 2.2.2:Address dispatcher staffing once the county has standardized on a single radio system and adjusted talk group assignments 2.2.3:Conduct a top to bottom organizational study to more thoroughly assess staffing,including organizational structure,position descriptions and total staffing levels 2.4.Municipal EOC 2.4,1:Develop formal documentation clarifying the primary purpose of the EOC,any secondary purposes and other allowable activities t DELI , Page 2 rti 6!fU)OUIVr!CVtf5Ul10 rfif 59 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Part 3 of the report addresses areas around sustainability of funding and operations for public safety communications and South Sound 911.In Section 3.1 we present the results of our evaluation of the use and administration of the$.70 E911 excise tax and an analysis of the current structure of the Pierce County E911 Office(E911 Office).We find that over the years evaluated,the County has not provided stakeholders with a clearly understandable accounting of the use of funds.Lack of transparency,inconsistent and confusing documentation and unilateral decision making has eroded trust and confidence in the County in general and the Department of Emergency Management in particular.Our recommendations,which are applicable to any entity managing the E911 funds,focus on creating an inclusive decision- making process for how to use funds and tying the expenditure of funds to documented policy and a strategic plan.See Table 3 for a complete list of the recommendations regarding the use and administration of the$.70 0911 excise tax. In Section 3.2,we discuss the relationship of South Sound 911 with the State of Washington E911 Office(State).Following the consolidation of PSAPs in Pierce County,South Sound 911 is the primary Public Safety Answering Point(PSAP)in Pierce County and the role of the County as a coordinator of county-wide E911 services is seen by the public safety agencies as an unnecessary level in the administration of 0911 services when South Sound 911 could,like other consolidated PSAPs in the State,have a direct relationship with the State. Section 3.3 explores potential benefits to moving the E911 Program Office responsibilities to South Sound 911.The County cites a holistic approach to emergency management and the presence of WSP and JBLM PSAPs in the county as benefits to housing the E911 Office within the DEM.Despite the possible benefits of locating the E911 Office responsibilities at the County,DELTAWRX finds that there are likely benefits,including improved accountability, collaboration,cost efficiencies and staffing efficiencies,to moving some or all E911 Office responsibilities to South Sound 911.Table 3 presents the recommendations for regarding moving E911 Program Office responsibilities to South Sound 911. Section 3.4 summarizes our findings regarding the use of the 1/10 of 1%sales and use tax. Several agreements guide the expected use of the sales and use tax,including the Interlocal Agreement,which stipulates that any funds left over should be used to offset the cost of operations,which are covered by allocation fees paid by member and non-member agencies to which South Sound 911 provides communications services.We recommend that South Sound 911 continue to meet its contractual obligations and,in addition,develop a strategic plan for capital projects,technology investment,radio management and staffing.Table 3 summarizes of our recommendations regarding the use of sales and use tax revenues. In section 3.5,we evaluate the governance structure of South Sound 911 and find that South Sound 911 has governance structure options.We discuss those options,review the current f DELTAWRX Page 3 60 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington governance structure of South Sound 911 in light of these options,and provide the results of benchmarking other Washington State PSAPs. Table 3.Summary of Recommendations for Sustainability Recommendations Regarding Recommendations Regarding the Moving E911 Office Recommendations Regarding the Use and Administration of the Responsibilities to South Sound Use of Excess Sales and Use Tax $.70 0911 Tax(Section 3,1) 911(Sectian 3.3) Revenues(Section 3.A) 3.1.1:Identify a task force to seek 1 3.3.1:Engage in a facilitated 3.3.1:South Sound 911 should State E911 Coordination decision-making process to , continue to prioritize Office clarification for determine whether some or expenditures per its allowable use of funds. all of the E911 Program contractual obligations 3.1.2:Develop a formal and public Office responsibilities should 3.1.2:South Sound 911 should policy regarding priorities for be relocated to South Sound develop a strategic plan for and use of Pierce County 911 capital projects,technology E911 excise tax funds. 3.3.2:Establish a county-side investments,radio 3.1.3:Develop a county-wide governance structure for management and staffing strategic plan for E911, E911 program including a plan for administration investment in 51911. 3.1.4:Subject to agreed-upon priorities,consider using E911 excise tax revenue to offset the direct costs of providing E911 call intake and handling services before expending it for non-E911 purposes. 3.1.1:Conform with reporting requirements in RCIA/03.140 10301. 3.16:Regardless of who is managing the E911 funds, reporting on expenditures needs to be clear,consistent between published reports, easy to understand,and on a regular schedule. ,A IJELTAWRX Page 4 61 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Part I Radio Systems DELTAWRX was asked to address two areas regarding Pierce County(County)radio operations. First,we were tasked with evaluating the current business models of the radio systems serving public safety operations in the county.In particular,we were asked to: 1. Identify and provide recommendations regarding the potential consolidation of services; 2. Identify and provide recommendations to reduce the overall operational and maintenance costs;and 3. Analyze the current system replacement policies and recommend a unified approach for the replacement of fixed network equipment and subscriber units. Table 4.Summary of Recommendations Regarding Radio System Operations _— Section Recommendations 1.1.Potential consolidation of services 1.1.1:Transition to a true single-system radio infrastructure 1.1 Reduction in operating and maintenance costs 1.1.2:Conduct a study to determine if it is more cost effective to outsource maintenance of the Fixed Network Equipment(FNE)and site equipment 1.1.3:Continue to fund Motorola FNE using the MSI SUA-Ii program .1 System Replacement Policies 1.1.4:Develop a comprehensive strategic capital replacement schedule/plan for all other(non- FNE)system and facilities components 1.1.5:Individual agencies should determine their own e subscriber replacement policies 1.2 Organizational Roles 1.2.1:SS911 should play a key role in the administration,operation,and maintenance of any system supporting the county's public safety communications and,as such,should be a signatory to any agreement which relies on funding established by Proposition 1 or receives funds from the South Sound 911 organization 1.2.2:Designate/establish a single organization that is responsible for the operation and management of the radio system Second,DELTAWRX was asked to provide options for policy leadership assuming a single- system approach by evaluating the potential role of South Sound 911 as an administrator and/or operator of a combined radio system and evaluating the roles of the Combined re DELTAWRX Page 5 62 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Communications Network(CCN)and the Tacoma Radio Shop,assuming a single-system or unified systems approach. Table 4 summarizes our recommendations for each topic.In the sections below,we describe the current challenges inherent in each of these issues and explain the recommendations we make to address each. 1.1 Pierce County Public Safety Radio Systems Business Models Consolidation of Radio Networks Public safety agencies within Pierce County operate on two totally separate Motorola ASTRO25 mission-critical voice infrastructures or systems.The two systems are loosely coupled together using a Motorola ISSI 8000 interoperability gateway enabling trunked resource sharing among the two systems.At the time of this study,the ISSI 8000 interface was configured only to allow trunked resources to be shared between dispatch radio consoles connected to their respective systems.No over-the-air resource sharing for users in the field was configured at the system level nor were the subscribers programmed to enable this type of functionality.1 Pierce County,in partnership with Pierce Transit,operates the Combined Communications Network(CCN).The CCN mission-critical voice sub-systems include a 700 MHz Phase II Project 25 multi-site simulcast voice network providing countywide coverage,a 4-channel 3-site VHF system to support operations in the 410 corridor,and a 4 channel 11-site VHF overlay to support fire station alerting,paging and mutual aid.Additionally,the system includes a UHF data network which provides wireless data services used exclusively by Pierce Transit. The City of Tacoma operates an 800 MHz Phase II Project 25 multi-site simulcast voice network, which includes the RF infrastructure owned by the City of Puyallup.While the Tacoma system provides coverage outside of the City of Tacoma,the system was designed to support the agencies of their respective cities and thus has denser coverage,providing for better in-building performance within the Cities of Tacoma and Puyallup. DELTAWRX evaluated the Pierce County public safety radio systems and found the following: • The current environment provides no operational benefits • The current two-system approach creates operational challenges 1 Pierce County subscribers are not programmed for Inter-WACN roaming,which is required for foreign access to a P-25 system through an ISSI interface. DELTAWRX Page 6 63 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington ■ The two-system configuration does not meet the intention of the enabling ballot initiative • Operating two different systems creates unintended operational consequences • Sharing of conventional resources requires the duplication of equipment and increases costs To address these challenges,DELTAWRX recommends that the county transition to a true single-system radio infrastructure.The following paragraphs describe these challenges. The current environment provides no operational benefits Having public safety agencies operate on two separate systems provides no operational benefits.In fact,having two systems is contradictory to interoperability guidance published by the Department of Homeland Security's SAFECOM program(see Figure 1).The current state in Pierce County of using two separate systems is identified by the red oval showing that the county is using gateways and shared channels(channels from each system programmed into every radio).The desired state is represented by the green oval showing a single shared standards-based system for the entire County. 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Yfxgg! eDELTAWRX Page 7 =laonudaeneul eansulCa.Ir 64 • Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington The current two-system approach creates operational challenges Dispatch center managerial staff have specifically noted that sub-optimal operational decisions are made due to technical constraints imposed by having operations on two desperate systems. The SS911 communications center has two sets of radio consoles.One set is connected to the CCN system and the other is connected to the Tacoma system.The ISSI 8000 Interoperability Gateway interconnects both systems and allows trunked resources from one system to be accessed on any console if the gateway is operating.When the gateway is not operational, which is typically during scheduled maintenance periods,resources are only available on the console of the system on which those resources reside.Additionally,conventional resources, such as the VHF Overlay and VHF 410 cannot be shared across the gateway without creating patches to trunked resources.This requires dispatch positions to be segregated physically and logically by the system to which they are connected.As an example,agencies that may be geographically contiguous but operate on different systems cannot be assigned to the same talk group without creating a patch between the two systems. Rather,this requires RF resources on both systems.Migrating to a single system configuration would remove these constraints. The two-system configuration does not meet the intention of the enabling ballot initiative The justification of Proposition 1,endorsed by the Pierce County Executive at the time,stated that"South Sound 911 will provide a seamless regional solution."Maintaining two separate systems does not support the intentions of the ballot initiative as published.Elected officials in attendance during interviews and presentations were insistent that the current two-system environment was unacceptable moving forward.Pierce County representatives have stated that"truly interoperable services should be provided through a single consolidated system that is seamless,effective,efficient and accountable."z Operating two different systems creates unintended operational consequences The two systems are different in composition,configuration,coverage,and capacity.The Tacoma/Puyallup system is substantially smaller than the CCN system.The CCN system,with much larger coverage and capacity requirements,is substantially larger.Logically,a larger system costs more to maintain than a smaller system.This understandably results in a different cost per user to operate and maintain each system.Additionally,the systems operators have adopted different cost allocation models,taking different approaches to the calculation of the end-user per device costs.The differing cost models have created an unintended atmosphere of"competition"between the systems,and end-users may choose their system based on the cost per unit rather than on the coverage and capacity required to support their mission.Pierce 2 From document titled"Pierce County Comments on South Sound 911 strategic Plan." e DELTAWRX Page 8 manooemer<un≤,;fiul> 65 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington County representatives have pointed out that having a"common service delivery will preclude unproductive and costly system competition."3 Sharing of conventional resources requires the duplication of equipment and increases costs The current two-system configuration does not allow of the sharing of convention resources such as the VHF Overlay,VHF 410 or other conventional interoperability resources through the ISSI gateway.While the sharing of conventional resources across system can be accomplished with the duplication of system-level hardware and additional connectivity,this approach creates additional one-time and recurring costs to establish and maintain. Recommendation 1.1.1:Transition to a true single-system radio infrastructure During the interviews and subsequent sessions,no technical barriers were presented or identified that would prevent combining the two existing systems into a single system.In fact, in the fall of 2015,South Sound 911 received a proposal from Motorola to reconfigure the two systems into a single system.4 As such,DELTAWRX recommends that executive representatives of the County,Pierce Transit, South Sound 911 and the City of Tacoma engage with Motorola Solutions to determine the most advantageous technical solution for combining the two existing communication systems to a single ASTRO25 system.The decision should include input from the technical staff supporting the CCN and the City of Tacoma,but ultimately the selection of the best approach should be weighted toward operational and financial benefits over technical concerns.Inputs to the decision should include a number of critical factors,including one-time reconfiguration costs,recurring operating and maintenance costs,operational requirements,technical limitations,service disruptions,time to implement and desired level of redundancy.It maybe beneficial to the decision-making process to engage a neutral third-party to facilitate,assist and to provide technical subject matter expertise throughout the process. Table 5 shows potentially viable technical solutions for the consolidation of the two systems, along with advantages and disadvantages of each.The configuration,which is ultimately chosen,should be a decision made during the recommended decision-making process. Ibid. a Motorola Solutions"Proposal for Single System with Dynamic System Resilience(DSR)"dated 10/16/2015. DELTAWRX Page 9 �os�iais 66 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 5.Advantages and Disadvantages of Viable System Consolidation Options onfigtgation Advan es niSll.3vaptages-, --g Status Quo _Advantages__ Allows system owners to retain • Consoles are tied to only one Two-system ISSI 8000 control specific system(700 or 800) (Console resource sharing ■ Conventional resources must be only) duplicated(vs,shared)on each system • Requires subscriber provisioning o• both systems • Software-based solution * Requires console patches to_share resources across systems Twa-system ISSI 8000 • Allows system owners to retain ■ Consoles are tied only to one (Console resource sharing control specific system(700 or 800) with talk group roaming • May allow talk group roaming • Conventional resources must be enabled) based upon configuration duplicated(vs,shared)on each system • Requires subscriber provisioning on both systems • Software-based solution a Requires subscriber re- programming Single Zone non-DSRS g Conventional resource sharing Requires configuration of certain without duplication of hardware site links =x • Reduced services costs(single • Requires subscriber re- Master Site) programming • Single subscriber provisioning Two Zone non-DSR(Inter- • Conventional resource sharing • Requires maintenance/SUA-II Zone Link) without hardware duplication investment for two Master Sites ■ Least disruption to site link • Requires subscriber re- network connections programming • Single subscriber provisioning Single-Zone DSR • Conventional resource sharing • Likely most expensive re- without hardware duplication configuration option • Likely most expensive re- • May require substantial • configuration option reconfiguration of site links Single subscriber provisioning • Requires subscriber re- c • programming 5 Dynamic System Resiliency(geographically dispersed,tertiary zone controller) DELTAWRX Page 10 �-�� fti}t4U9�lf Srre CVrI)U lip rrla 67 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Reduction in Operating and Maintenance Costs DELTAWRX was asked to identify and provide recommendations to reduce the overall operational and maintenance costs.Moving to a single system provides opportunities to reduce the overall recurring operational costs.Specifically,within the Cities of Tacoma and Puyallup,radio sites from both CCN and the Tacoma/Puyallup systems provide overlapping coverage.In certain cases,sites may be either co-located or within close proximity to each other.This creates the opportunity to evaluate coverage and capacity in those areas and make changes to the system configuration to eliminate,rebalance or relocate sites resulting in either lower recurring costs by eliminating excess channel capacity or duplicate sites,or less additional capital investment costs if a site or channels can be relocated to areas where additional coverage or capacity is required. Other opportunities to reduce operational and maintenance costs can be found in the approaches to maintenance of the Fixed Network Equipment(FNE)and site equipment,funding of the Motorola SUA-II contracts,and the management structure responsible for the operation and management of the radio system.The following recommendations discuss these approaches. Recommendation 1.1.2:Conduct a study to determine if it is more cost effective to outsource maintenance of the Fixed Network Equipment(FNE)and site equipment DELTAWRX recommends that the system owner/operator(s)conduct a study to determine if it is more cost effective to outsource the maintenance of the system to include FNE,generators, HVAC,microwave,uninterruptable power systems,and other system components to third party maintainers for an annual fixed cost. Many large system owners have determined that the outsourcing of radio system maintenance provides a number of advantages over self-maintaining.Some owner/operators outsource 100%of the system to a single service provider,who in turn executes sub-contracts with other providers for sub-system components,creating a turn-key service contract managed by a dedicated service manager and system technicians dedicated to the system operator.Others elect to execute and manage individual contracts with multiple vendors. Service contract costs have a tendency to be highly negotiable in nature and due to the size of the combined systems,the owner/operator(s)may find themselves in a position to negotiate a long-term contract resulting in substantial savings for the taxpayer. In addition to the direct costs,such as personnel,benefits,and overtime,there are a number of indirect costs savings which should be taken into consideration when considering the outsourcing system maintenance.Indirect costs savings may include vehicle acquisition and '41 DELTAWRX Page 11 68 Strategic Study of 911.Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington depreciation,fuel for service vehicles,administrative cost allocations,technical training courses and travel. The owners/operators have already outsourced certain system components and functions.The existing City of Puyallup RF infrastructure is currently outsourced to Motorola.Much of the non-FNE equipment such as microwave,HVAC,generator and UPS maintenance are already maintained by third parties.The CCN contracts with Motorola for a full-time on-site System Manager and both Tacoma and the CCN contract with Motorola for a number of services including security and networking monitoring,dispatch services,technical support, infrastructure repair and infrastructure response. Recommendation 1.1.3:Continue to fund Motorola Fixed Network Equipment(FNE)using the MSI SUA-II program Both system owner/operator(s)have elected to annually purchase Motorola's System Upgrade Agreement(SUA-II)coverage for their respective systems.DELTAWRX recommends that the owners/operator(s)continue the practice of funding the Motorola SUA-II contracts. The System Upgrade Agreement provides the hardware,software,and services for regular system upgrades for all Fixed Network Equipment at a predictable cost.The SUA-II agreement covers all fixed network equipment.It does not cover end-user subscriber agreements or site equipment(e.g.,antennas,generators,UPS,HVAC). SUA-II agreements tend to be highly negotiable and the owner/operator may be positioned to negotiate a long-term agreement resulting in substantial savings for the taxpayers. System Replacement Policies Currently,each operator has taken different approaches towards the replacement of non-FNE system and facility components.The CCN has created a system replacement reserve fund which it has the option of contributing to on an annual basis.The City of Tacoma includes some non-FNE upgrades/replacements as part of its multi-year capital plan.Additionally,South Sound 911 has invested in new subscriber units for all of the public safety agencies it serves in Pierce County. DELTAWRX makes the following recommendations for approaches for the replacement of fixed network equipment and subscriber units. 4`DELTAWRX Page 12 �4-'_:'f:4A 41[IR^q l'Itwei L:A11U�`i%<t5 69 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Recommendation 1.1.4:Develop a comprehensive strategic capital replacement schedule/plan for all other(non-FNE)system and facilities components DELTAWRX recommends that the owner/operator(s)develop a comprehensive strategic capital replacement program that,at a minimum,takes into consideration life-cycle,replacement schedule,and funding of all non-FNE system and facility components. DELTAWRX recommends development of a detailed replacement schedule.The schedule should be based on an accurate inventory of the durable items comprising the system.The inventory should include all non-FNE equipment,systems,and facilities components(e.g., HVAC,generators,microwave,roofs,towers,antennae,enclosures).Each item should be assigned a practical useful life-cycle and a determination of action at the end of the life cycle (e.g.,repair,replace,renovate),as well as an anticipated target replacement date and estimated cost. Using the replacement schedule,a pre-determined annual capital investment amount can be calculated.This annual investment amount should be used to fund the normal end-of-life cycle replacements and repairs identified in the plan and to make debt-service payments on any bonded items. Real property and other large expenditures,which exceed the budgeted and available pre- determined annual capital expenditure amount,should be considered candidates for long-term bonding/debt-service.The amount required for annual debt-service should be taken into consideration when calculating the annual pre-determined capital expenditure amount.The combination of debt-service and anticipated purchases should not exceed the pre-determined annual expenditure target. An emergency capital replacement reserve fund should be established.The amount of available capital reserve fund should be sufficient to cover the replacement or loss of key critical system components that may from time-to-time fail or require replacement.The amount of funds held in the reserve fund should be reasonable and sufficient to cover unanticipated expenditures,but not excessive. Recommendation 1.1.5:Individual agencies should determine their own subscriber unit replacement policies DELTAWRX recommends that the individual user agencies should be allowed to determine their own replacement policies for end-user subscriber devices and that it is not within the purview of system operator to establish a blanket policy for user agencies. Proposition 1 funds enabled the purchase and upgrade of the majority of end-user subscriber devices for many of the public safety agencies in Pierce County.The ILA states that"end user (tt1A DELTAWRX Page 13 ,�$.rtKonoumerr:cu!tsn9xu�rti 70 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington subscriber units shall be owned by the Member Agencies that operate them,unless otherwise agreed to in writing."6 As stated in the ILA,end-user subscriber units were intended to be the property of the individual agencies and as such are agency property.Any replacement policy should be an agency-based decision. The availability of funding will vary from agency-to-agency.Some agencies may be financially positioned to build cash replacement reserves on a regular basis.Others may opt to fund unit replacements from capital or grant funding.Any decision on a replacement policy should take into consideration: • Funding mechanisms for replacement(e.g.,operating,capital or grant funding) • Useful life-cycle of the device based on the application Financial capabilities of the agency Each of these areas of consideration are particular to each agency.The replacement policy should meet the needs and capabilities of the respective agency. 1.2 Options for Policy Leadership DELTAWRX was asked to provide options for policy leadership,assuming Pierce County adopts a single-system approach to radio operations.In particular,we were tasked with evaluating the potential role of South Sound 911 as an administrator andjor operator of a combined radio system and the roles of the CCN and Tacoma radio shops. Table 6.Financial Contributions to Operating and Maintaining Pierce County Radio Communications %of CNN %of Tacoma Operational Operational Funding Source> Expenses Expenses' 411-1—E4 11 a¢tl1f9 Onty South Sound 911 33% 26% Currently,South Sound 911 has no formal or codified role in the governance of either the CCN or the City of Tacoma's ASTRO25 systems,even though it serves as the primary financier of both capital investment and operational funding for the county's mission-critical voice systems. CCN views South Sound 911 and the agencies it services as customers,not stakeholder,even though,through user fees,they comprise the largest user base and funding source for the 6 2014 South Sound 911 Amended and Restated ILA.Section 12. 'Fixed Network Equipment and Console Fees only.Excludes other services provided. lam'DELTAWRX Page 14 ��'m,to etgnmen+cunxa�ta;xSs 71 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington operation of both the CCN and City of Tacoma systems.Table 6 shows the percent of operational expenses supported by public safety funding,in general,and South Sound 911 specifically.South Sound 911 alone provides more than 25%of the funding. Recommendation 1.2.1:Styli should play a key role in the administration,operation,and maintenance of any system supporting the county's public safety communications and,as such, should be a signatory to any agreement which relies on funding established by Proposition 1 or receives funds from the South Sound 911 organization As the largest provider of public safety communications in the County and a substantial provider of funding for both networks,South Sound 911 should play a formal and integral role in the governance of any system that is dependent on the organization for growth and sustainability. In fact,based on the text of both the ballot initiative and the resulting Interlocal Agreement which established South Sound 911,it appears that it was the intention of the originating parties that South Sound 911 would pay a critical role in the operations of the County's public safety communications systems,both operationally and financially. Proposition 1 states that funding from the 1/10th of 1%sales tax be expended: "...the purpose of providing funds for costs associated with financing,design, acquisition,construction,equipping,operating,maintaining,remodeling, repairing,reequipping,and improvement of emergency communication systems and facilities infrastructure." The Interlocal Agreement establishing South Sound 911 as executed states: "...[South Sound 911]shall be responsible for providing communications services pursuant to this Agreement either directly,or by contract or similar agreement or arrangement." Recommendation 1.2.2:Designate/establish a single organization that is responsible for the operation and management of the radio system DELTAWRX recommends that a single organization be designated or created for the operation and the management of the public safety mission-critical voice system utilized for the dispatch of the county's public safety agencies and that the Executive stakeholders begin a structured and facilitated process to determine the most advantageous and acceptable alternative. As previously stated,there are two organizations which currently operate and maintain mission-critical voice communications systems in the county,the CCN and the City of Tacoma Radio Shop.In addition to the operational challenges created by operating on two separate t 4-4DELTAWRX Page 15 72 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington systems,having two management organizations creates additional logistical challenges for the end-users.From a financial perspective,having two organizations performing the same functions and services,may not be the most effective use of taxpayer funds.Pierce County representatives have stated"a single entity can provide common service delivery standards, staff consolidation,shared communication sites and common contracts."8 DELTAWRX concurs with and supports this position. Table 7.Advantages and Challenges of Single Management Approaches CCN s• rator 55911 as•Aerator N w•r nixati sal Entity as •eras r9 area rt ea d e a Itle5 ', estab 1 s e It r ? -- , ; ,s� r+s �s e s ties-for¢ , r' d Ero i� u tlQn ens a- a� s¢�. �� ,�`tl'Fl g rQ� x' ,j sow rte.ir tin 4,17 ilf4tor: * * =note Iowa oud ,, , 'E Challenges . Perceived`lack of • While in scope,no • High effort to establish transparency. internal capabilities' • among largest user exist. community • Lack of negotiations • High user costs leverage with under current' current owners as it model,partially is not currently a' due to cost system allocations models owner/operator at PC and OEM The designation or creation of a single entity has the potential to reduce costs by eliminating the duplication of functions(e.g.management,supervisory,support,administration(that result from having multiple agencies maintaining their respective components of a combined system. The options for a single management organization include the City of Tacoma Radio Shop,the CCN,South Sound 911,or the creation of an entirely new organizational entity.While the City of Tacoma Radio Shop currently operates the City of Tacoma's 000 MHz system,it is unlikely that the current organization could be positioned to scale up to operate such a large system. Table 7 outlines the high-level advantages,benefits,opportunities,and challenges of the other three approaches. 8 From document titled"Pierce County Comments on South Sound 911 Strategic Plan." 9 Fixed Network Equipment and Console Fees only.Excludes other services provided. DELTAWRk Page 16 73 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington The CCN,which currently operates the larger of the two systems,is already established as a service provider and is well-positioned to operate the combined system.If the county selects this approach,it would need to make substantial modifications to the governance model to include the addition of South Sound 911 as a signatory to the existing agreement.It would also need to address current challenges,including the perceived lack of transparency among the user community and its existing cost model that contributes to high user costs. South Sound 911,while chartered in the ILA as"responsible for providing communications services"and as the representative of the largest user community(based on operational funding(,has no internal capabilities within its current organization and may not have the necessary leverage to negotiate terms of transference with current owners. A new organizational entity would entail significant effort to establish.However,the new entity could commence operations without the history of an existing entity.Starting from a clean slate would provide the opportunity to improve service delivery and,potentially,lower costs. The county should consider other factors as it seeks to identify its single system management approach.Some of those factors include the level of effort to transition to the organization, potential resistance from outside and inside sources,the impacts on the existing organizations, overhead costs,and the ability to be able to incur debt service. Regardless of the organization that is ultimately selected to be the system operator,Pierce County,Pierce Transit and the City of Tacoma will need to maintain some type of organic radio maintenance organization or contract with a third-party service provider to support their respective end-user communities.This in itself creates the opportunity for additional consolidation of services. DELTAWRX Page 17 74 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Part Dispatch Operations DELTAWRX was tasked with analyzing the following aspects of dispatch operations as part of our Strategic Study: 1. The routing of emergency 911 calls within Pierce County,particularly as pertains to call transfers between South Sound 911 and the Washington State Patrol 2. Call handling practices,specific to internal operations at South Sound 911 3. Telecommunicator staffing at South Sound 911,including call taker staffing,dispatch staffing and talk group assignments 4. The presence of the Municipal Emergency Operations Center(EOC)in the planned Public Safety Communications Center(PSCC) Table 8 summarizes our recommendations regarding each topic.In the sections below,we describe the current challenges inherent in each of these issues and explain the recommendations we make to address these challenges. Table 8.Summary of Recommendations Regarding Dispatch Operations Section _Recommendations c� ;"a 0 2.1.1.Reexamine wireless call routing within Pierce County in an effort to reduce the number of calls transferred between PSAPs 2.2.Cali handling practices r5 2.2.1.Transition to a unified call taker model 2.2.2.Develop and staff a formal QA program 2.3.Staffing 2.3.1.Adjust talk group assignments based on actual talk time data and the geographic proximity of users 2.3.2.Address dispatcher staffing once the county has standardized on a single radio system and adjusted talk group assignments - • 2.3.3.Conduct a top to bottom organizational study to more thoroughly assess staffing,including ' organizational structure,position descriptions J, and total staffing levels 2.4.Municipal EOC 2.4.1:Develop formal documentation clarifying the primary purpose of the EOC,any secondary purposes and other allowable activities }DELTAWRX Page 18 ail'' 75 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington 2.1 Countywide Call Routing Four Public Safety Answering Points(PSAPs)operate in Pierce County;Washington State Patrol- District 1(WSP),South Sound 911(including law enforcement and fire operations),Tacoma Fire and Joint Base Lewis-McChord(JBLM).The incoming call flow to these PSAPs,and the volume of calls that are transferred and handed off internally,are depicted in Figure 2.The statistics in Figure 2 are from 2016,with the exception of those attributed to WSP,which are from September 1,2016 to August 31,2017,the only period for which the State was able to provide call transfer data.The difference in reporting periods introduces a margin of error into our analysis,but,in general,we find that Washington State Patrol transfers roughly three times as many calls to South Sound 911 as it receives from South Sound 911(53,958 to 23,124). Figure 2.Incoming Call Flow(2016) WSP ,''1,',7--it:.;--t,,,,:$ft :. Tacoma Fire Public 121.462(911) District 1 and 76,921(9111 JBLM Key 55911 867,405 911+LE Admin ( ) Law Enforcement Trtkemaf iand:Off 55911 Fire Comm y 39,542(Fire Admin) 161,31,1911+Fine "` Adm.) Discussions with project stakeholders yielded consensus that wireless calls placed in proximity to freeways frequently route to the Washington State Patrol,despite falling within the jurisdiction of a different PSAP.10 These calls must therefore be transferred to the PSAP with jurisdictional authority.We are unable to determine the length of time that this transfer adds to the call processing timeline since the phone systems log calls as transferred from the moment that they land in the receiving PSAP's queue,not the time when they are actually answered by the receiving telecommunicator.Nevertheless,the need to transfer an incoming 911 call is unanimously understood to be a disadvantage both among project stakeholders and within the broader emergency communications industry given the delay to initiating dispatch '.Call sector routing information was unavailable for DELTAWRX to review. (41C' DELTAWRX Page 19 �� mnagEm_nl c::nsu�lanl, 76 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington services and the potential for the reporting party to be disconnected during the transfer process. Compounding the concern regarding call transfers between Washington State Patrol and South Sound 911 is the fact that the State does not provide pre-arrival emergency medical instructions to the reporting party.In the current environment,only fire call takers at South Sound 911 are trained and qualified to provide this service.Their law enforcement counterparts do not have this certification.The importance of commencing pre-arrival instructions without delay,as a result of a call transfer or otherwise,is well illustrated by the case of cardiac arrest.Trained call-takers can provide a caller with instructions for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR)by following emergency medical dispatching protocols. CPR must be initiated within 120 seconds of the onset of a cardiac arrest to provide the victim with the best chance of survival.In this case,the time spent transferring a call would consume seconds better spent instructing the caller how to provide medical aid. Recommendation 2.1.1:Reexamine wireless call routing South Sound 911,Washington State Patrol,and other PSAP stakeholders as desired,should reexamine wireless call routing within Pierce County in an effort to reduce the number of calls transferred between PSAPs.This should be part of a broader multi-jurisdictional effort to establish routine methods for reporting and analyzing call transfer data to establish baseline statistics and track call transfer progress and setbacks.This should occur immediately and continue during and post the County's transition to a Next Generation 911 call routing/ESlnet II system,which is expected to significantly reduce the number of transfers required. An analysis and reassignment of call sector routing should reduce the number of calls transferred within Pierce County,although in the absence of baseline documentation,we are unable to project future-state statistics.The establishment of a routine process to report on and analyze statistics will provide countywide stakeholders with the information necessary to make informed decisions,and thus improve outcomes over time. As an alternative,DELTAWRX explored the possibility of designating Washington State Patrol as a secondary PSAP,thereby providing all callers with immediate access to pre-arrival emergency medical instructions via South Sound 911(assuming South Sound 911 moves to a unified call taker position as described in the subsection pertaining to Call Handling Practices).This alternative was deemed inferior to the current PSAP structure because if Washington State Patrol were to become a secondary PSAP,it would receive roughly 83,000 calls for service for which it is responsible via transfer,assuming all calls went immediately to the appropriate PSAP.We prioritize the opportunity to reduce the number of call transfers over the advantages offered by immediate access to pre-arrival emergency medical instructions.We also understand that the County is considering certifying all PSAPs to provide pre-arrival emergency eDELTAWRX Page 20 m anagemei_�nsullo nis 77 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington medical instructions and believe that this is a positive step that should occur in tandem with our recommendations. 2.2 Call Handling Practices South Sound 911 has taken a phased approach to consolidating and collocating legacy 911 center employees and duties,with the Law Enforcement Support Agency(LESA)joining in 2012, Fife Communications joining in 2014,Puyallup City Communications joining in 2016 and West Pierce Fire and Rescue's Fire Communications joining in 2017.While much standardization has occurred,South Sound 911's organizational structure and operating procedures reflect the patchwork of legacy 911 centers that now comprise a single agency.South Sound 911 management has sought to unify its people and practices in a methodical and measured fashion without abrupt change. In the current environment,call takers perform either law enforcement or fire/medical responsibilities,but not both.Incoming calls are taken by a law enforcement call taker,and then handed off to a fire/medical aid call taker as necessary.This handoff delays the initiation of pre-arrival medical instructions,since only fire/medical aid call takers are trained and qualified to provide this service.As was described in the Countywide Call Routing section,time is off the essence when providing this service. South Sound 911 provides quality assurance(GA)in an ad hoc manner,without a formal program with dedicated resources.This practice allows South Sound 911 to respond to problems and provide telecommunicators with intermittent guidance,but does not conform with industry accepted best practices.. Recommendation 2.2.1:Transition to a unified call taker model South Sound 911 should develop a unified call taker position that is capable of performing both law enforcement and fire/medical aid functions.The unified call taker would be trained and certified to provide pre-arrival medical instructions.This position would replace the current bifurcated structure and offers two primary benefits.It would make operations more efficient by eliminating the handoff from law enforcement to fire/medical call-takers,while allowing prearrival instructions to be provided earlier in the call processing timeline.South Sound 911 may also derive benefits to staffing and scheduling by using a single pool of call-takers,however those advantages are not driving this recommendation and therefore have not been analyzed. The transition to a unified call taker position requires careful planning,including the development of an Emergency Medical Dispatch(EMD)training plan,an EMD quality assurance 11 CALEA Standard 6.1.5;APCO Minimum Training Standards;NFPA 1221;ASTM Standard F 1560. (Aii)DELTAWRX Page 21 78 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington plan that is based on industry standards and a staffing plan.South Sound 911 might consider allowing call takers to opt out of the universal call taker role if they are unwilling or unable to meet EMD requirements.Furthermore,it might be appropriate to increase former law enforcement call takers'pay once they become certified in EMD if this is needed to achieve parity with the fire call takers who are already certified in this area. Recommendation 2.2.2:Develop and staff a formal quality assurance(QA)program The recommendation to establish a unified call taker position that is trained in EMD requires the establishment of a formal QA program as a matter of risk management and best practices. In fact,given the size and complexity of South Sound 911,DELTAWRX recommends developing a formal QA program even if it does not move to a unified call taker model.QA in emergency communications serves multiple stakeholders.A QA program provides a systematic way to offer feedback to staff,which improves their performance,and,in turn,improves the services provided to dispatched agencies,ultimately benefiting the general public.In addition,by establishing a history of quantitative call processing metrics,South Sound 911 is better equipped to conduct self-assessments and to respond to outside inquiries about its performance.Suggested guidelines for establishing a QA program is provided in Appendix A. 2.3 Telecommunicator Staffing and Talk Group Assignments Talk Group Assignments Project stakeholders expressed concern about South Sound 911's radio talk group assignments, specifically regarding inequalities in the volume of radio traffic from channel to channel. DELTAWRX was unable to obtain statistics documenting the volume of radio traffic per talk group to verify this anecdotal concern.We did however analyze CAD events by dispatch group, using this information as an imperfect proxy for talk group usage among law enforcement agencies.1a The results of our analysis are provided in An additional concern raised among project stakeholders is the geographic profile of the various talk groups,specifically,the proximity of a talk group's users to one another.To analyze this issue,DELTAWRX developed a simple map,shown in Figure 3,which roughly plots talk groups to their municipalities.Talk groups are color coded by radio system and map pins are numbered to correspond with the associated talk group.We find that,in general,talk groups represent geographic clusters.Two exceptions are Talk Group 9(East PCSD/Roy/Edgewood/Eatonville),which forms a large triangle that nearly spans the county,and Talk Group 10,which consists of a geographic cluster in the northwest corner of the county and central/eastern outliers of Orting and Buckley. iz we were unable to map the approximately 80,000 CAD events that were attributed to the"SS Supervisor area" in 2016,as opposed to their starting beat,which account for about 11%of annual CAD events. DELTAWRX Page 22 �� ncgenieni cousullu nls 79 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 9.We find that the number of CAD events per talk group are generally consistent,with the exception of East PCSD/Roy/Edgewood/Eatonville,which has roughly double the CAD events of other talk groups,and the three relief channels,which have minimal,if any CAD, events. An additional concern raised among project stakeholders is the geographic profile of the various talk groups,specifically,the proximity of a talk group's users to one another.To analyze this issue,DELTAWRX developed a simple map,shown in Figure 3,which roughly plots talk groups to their municipalities.Talk groups are color coded by radio system and map pins are numbered to correspond with the associated talk group.We find that,in general,talk groups represent geographic clusters.Two exceptions are Talk Group 9(East PCSD/Roy/Edgewood/Eatonville),which forms a large triangle that nearly spans the county,and Talk Group 10,which consists of a geographic cluster in the northwest corner of the county and central/eastern outliers of Doing and Buckley. Table 9.CAD Events by Dispatch Group(2016) Primary Talk Group CAD Events 1.North Tacoma/Ruston(City) 87,078 2.South Tacoma(City) 84,586 3.city Relief 10,095 4.Puyallup(Metro) 66,151 5.Sumner/Bonney Lake/Metro Animal(Metro) 38,076 6 Fife/Milton(Metro) 47,845 7.Metro Relief _. 0 8.Lakewood/Steilacoom/Dupont(County) 74,103 9.East PCSD/Roy/Edgewood/Eatonville(County) 157,387 10.West PCSD/Fircrest/Gig Harbor/UP/Buckley/Orting(County) 67,026 11.County Relief 2,647 Total 634,994 114 DELTAWRX Page 23 �,`�;,. n unayemen�cunslinn:s 80 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Figure 3.Law Enforcement Talk Group Geographic Profiles Soo 1.North Tacoma/Ruston 0 v 0 w 2.South Tacoma 3.City Relief(No Pict) a c 4.Puyallup .sVewaBct .• "' 5.Sumner/Bonney Lake/Metro Animal (No Pin) 6.Fife/Milton 7.Metro Relief(No Pin) 8.Lakewood/Steilacoom/Dupont - 700 9.East PCSD/Roy/Edgewood/Eatonville lo.West PCSD/Fircrest/Gig Harbor/ University Place/Buckley/Orting Go,le 11.County Relief(No Pin) Recommendation 2.3.1:Adjust talk group assignments based on talk time data and geographical proximity of users As discussed in detail in the section of our report dedicated to Radio Systems,DELTAWRX recommends that public safety agencies within Pierce County standardize on a single radio system.Once this has occurred,we recommend that South Sound 911 adjust its talk group assignments based on actual talk time data and the geographic proximity of users.By focusing on operational needs,South Sound 911 will be more effective in facilitating and supporting emergency communications. Call Taker and Dispatcher Staffing Current incoming call volume,CAD events and authorized staffing levels by discipline are provided in Table 10.This table excludes communications support officers,telephone report writers,analysts,operations supervisor and management staff,which are outside the scope of the Strategic Study. Interviews with South Sound 911 employees did not unearth major concerns with current authorized staffing levels,primarily due to the broad understanding that South Sound 911 has not yet reached a steady state of operations and that much remains in flux as a result of the consolidation.Nevertheless,there is a desire among management to understand how current staffing compares with industry norms and best practices. (.1'4 DELTAWRX Page 24 81 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 10.South Sound 911 Call and Staffing Statistics(2016) Fire/ Law Medical Aid Total Annual Incoming calls(911&Admin) 921,363 ' 161,314 1,082,677 Annual CAD Events(CFS) 718,751 F 88,288 807,039 Authorized Communications Supervisors 9 (. 5 14 Authorized Call Takers 33 N/A 33 Authorized Dispatchers 62 20 82 I Total Authorized Floor Staff I 104 25 129 Recommendation 2.3.2:Conduct a comprehensive organizational study to assess staffing, including organizational structure and position descriptions DELTAWRX used available data to estimate optimal call taker staffing.We determined that, under a unified call taking model,the optimal number of call takers would be 33 and the number of Communication Service Officers would be 10(9 for law enforcement operations and 1 for fire/medical call taking).Appendix 6 describes the process for arriving at these recommended staffing levels. As South Sound 911 nears the end of its transition to a single,county-wide dispatch center and is approaches a cycle of relative stability,it is in a position to assess current operations,identify operational,administrative and technical support staffing needs,and determine the most efficient staffing strategy to meet those needs.For these reasons,we recommend South Sound 911 consider a top to bottom organizational study to more thoroughly assess staffing,including organizational structure,position descriptions training and total staffing levels. Recommendation 2.3.3:Assess dispatch staffing after standardizing on a single radio system and adjusting talk group assignments Determining the optimal number of dispatchers depends on a number of factors,including the target number of CAD events per dispatcher per hour,the number of units for which a dispatcher is responsible,minimum staffing per position and the number of talk groups available.As such,DELTAWRX recommends that South Sound 911 address dispatcher staffing once the county has first,standardized on a single radio system as discussed in the Radio Systems section of this report,and second,adjusted talk group assignments.These two actions are prerequisites for making a meaningful adjustment to dispatcher staffing. t-. Page 25 i DELTAWRX n cyemerit eonsu?:c ills 82 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington 2.4 Municipal Emergency Operations Center(EOC) The decision to include an EOC in the future public safety facility can be traced back to a compromise reached to ensure the City of Tacoma's participation in the dispatch consolidation. Some plans have been made to account for the square footage requirements of the EOC, however no other decisions have been made regarding the use,maintenance and ownership of the center,creating unease among project stakeholders.Furthermore,while referred to as a municipal space,it appears that the EOC will be predominantly used by the City of Tacoma.We base this assumption on the square footage requirements in the IXP Facility Planning Study, which do not seem designed to support multiple communities simultaneously.In addition, given that the PSCC will be located in Tacoma,it would be rare for communities to be in a position to travel across towns to use the EOC when a disaster strikes. Capital costs for the future PSCC will come first from Proposition 1 funds,which are"solely for the purpose of providing funds for costs associated with financing,design,acquisition, construction,equipping,operating,maintaining,remodeling,repairing,reequipping,and improvement of emergency communication systems and facilities infrastructure,"as stated in the Explanatory Statement of Proposition 1:Sales and Use Tax for Improvements to Pierce County's 911 Emergency Communications System.There is concern among project stakeholders that the EOC,and potentially other functions to be housed in the PSCC(e.g., Records),may not bean appropriate use of Proposition 1 funds.DELTAWRX cannot offer a legal opinion on this matter,but is impartial to the collocation of an EOC and emergency communications center from an operational perspective. Recommendation 2.4.1:Develop formal documentation clarifying the primary purpose of the EOC,any secondary purposes and other allowable activities South Sound 911 should obtain a legal opinion on the authority to spend revenue from Proposition 1 on the full range of services intended to be housed in the PSCC,including the EOC.Assuming the EOC is deemed an appropriate use of funds,a multi-agency task force should develop formal documentation to clarify the primary purpose of the center,secondary purpose and other allowable activities.Furthermore,the documentation should set forth expectations regarding usage,ownership,maintenance responsibilities,cost-sharing(if appropriate)and the path to renegotiate the agreed upon terms.With more clearly defined documentation in place,there is less potential for miscommunication and barriers to the development of the EOC. DELTAWRX Page 26 83 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington _ tiiu ,. �..,r -� DELTAWRX was tasked with assessing issues pertaining to the use and administration of the $.70 E911 excise tax,the 1/10 of 1%sales and use tax for emergency communications,and the structure of South Sound 911 as an Interlocal Agency.Specifically,we were asked to: 1. Evaluate the use and administration of the$.70 E911 excise tax collected by Pierce County a. Analyze the current structure of the Pierce County E911 Program Office)E911 Office)and provide recommendations for the administration of funding and for reporting requirements h. Evaluate the role of South Sound 911,as the provider of regional dispatch operations,with the State of Washington E911Office c. Evaluate moving the E911 Office,including Next Generation 911)NG911) responsibilities,to South Sound 911 2. Provide recommendations for the use of excess money from the Pierce County 1/10 of 1%sales and use tax for emergency communications 3. Evaluate the structure of South Sound 911 as an Interlocal Agency and provide information regarding other governance models Table 11 summarizes the recommendations we make in each section of this report.We address the first request in Sections 3.1 through 3.3.In Section 3.1 we present the results of our evaluation of the use and administration of the excise tax and analysis of the current structure of the E911 Office.Our recommendations,which are applicable to any entity managing the E911 funds,focus on creating an inclusive decision-making process for how to use funds and tying the expenditure of funds to documented policy and a strategic plan. In Section 3.2 we discuss the relationship of South Sound with the State of Washington E911 Office,and in Section 3.3 we describe benefits to moving the E911 Program Office responsibilities to South Sound 911.As such,we recommend that the county engage in a facilitated decision-making process to determine whether some or all of the E911 Program Office responsibilities should be relocated to South Sound 911.We further recommend that, regardless of the location of the E911 Program Office,the county stakeholders should work together to establish a county-side governance structure for E911 program administration. DELTAWRX Page 27 ''xy7 ma..oaemel carsul!o is Ps 84 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 11.Summary of Recommendations for Sustainability Recommendations Regarding Recommendations Regarding the Moving E911 Office Recommendations Regarding the Use and Administration of the Responsibilities to South Sound Use of Excess Sales and Use Tax $.70 E911 Tax(Section 3.1) 911(Section 3.3) Revenues(Section 3.4 3.1.1:identify a task force to seek 3.3.1:Engage in a facilitated 3.3.1:South Sound 911 should State E911 Coordination , decision-making process to continue to prioritize Office clarification for determine whether some or expenditures per its allowable use of funds. all of the E911 Program contractual obligations 3.1.2:Develop a formal and public I Office responsibilities should 3.1.2:South Sound 911 should policy regarding priorities for be relocated to South Sound; develop a strategic plan for and use of Pierce County 911 capital projects,technology E911 excise tax funds. 3.3.2:Establish a county-side investments,radio 3.1.3:Develop a county-wide governance structure for management and staffing strategic plan for E911, E911 program including a plan for administration investment in 18911. 3.1.4:Subject to agreed-upon priorities,consider using E911 excise tax revenue to offset the direct costs of providing E911 call intake and handling services before• expending it for non-E911 purposes. iiiil 3.1.5:Conform with reporting requirements in RCW 83.146 (030). 3.16:Regardless of who is managing the E911 funds, lireporting on expenditures needs to be clear,consistent between published reports, easy to understand,and on a regular schedule. , We address the second request in Section 3.4,where we summarize our findings regarding the use of the sales and use tax.We recommend that South Sound 911 continue to meet its contractual obligations and,in addition,develop a strategic plan for capital projects,technology investment,radio management and staffing. Section 3.5 addresses the third request.In this section,we discuss governance options,review the current governance structure of South Sound 911 in light of these options,and provide the results of benchmarking other Washington State PSAPs. r„!DELTAWRX Page 28 85 Strategic Study of 911.Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington 3.1 Use and Administration of the$.70 E911 Excise Tax The analysis in Appendix C represents our understanding of the County's use of the E911 excise tax funds at the time of this report.Table 12 summarizes our findings and recommendations, details of which are provided in the following subsections.We find that over the years evaluated,the County has not provided stakeholders with a clearly understandable accounting of the use of funds.Lack of transparency,inconsistent and confusing documentation and unilateral decision making has eroded trust and confidence in the County in general and the Department of Emergency Management in particular.Our recommendations,which are applicable to any entity managing the E911 funds,focus on creating an inclusive decision- making process for how to use funds and tying the expenditure of funds to documented policy and a strategic plan. Table 12.Summary of Findings and Recommendations Regarding Administration of Pierce County E911 Excise Tax Fund Finding's Recomnpe lotions • Understanding the County's use of the E911 Tax 3.1.1:Identify a task force to seek State E911 funds is challenging. Coordination Office clarification for allowable • County reporting on the use of E911 excise tax use of funds. funds lacks consistency and clarity. 3.1.2:Develop aformal and public policy regarding • Decision-making regarding how the E911 funds priorities for and use of Pierce County E911 are used lacks transparency,input and excise tax funds. accountability. 3.1.3:Develop a county-wide strategic plan for E911, • Opinions differ regarding allowable uses of the I including a plan for investment in NG911. E911 excise tax revenues. j 3.1.4:Subject to agreed-upon priorities,consider • E911 excise tax funds are being expended for using E911 excise tax revenue to offset the purposes other than the direct intake and direct costs of providing E911 call intake and handling of E911 landline,cellular and vow calls. handling services before expending it for non- E911 purposes. ■ Budgeted expenses from the E911 Excise Tax fund exceed expected revenues. 3.1.5:Conform with reporting requirements in RCW 04.14B(030). • The E911 Program Office appears to have disproportionaily high indirect cost allocation 3.16:Regardless of who is managing the E911 funds, within the Department of Emergency reporting on expenditures needs to be clear, Management. consistent between published reports,easy to understand,and on a regular schedule. • Capital outlays from the E911 Excise Tax fund are I. for investments in the radio system infrastructure. Administration of the$.70 Excise Tax—Findings Understanding the County's use of the E911 Tax funds is challenging Evaluating the use and administration of the E911 Excise Tax requires understanding how the funds are allocated to different expense categories.The Pierce County Department of e DELTAWRX Page 29 86 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Emergency Management(DEM)manages the E911 Excise Tax Revenue Fund along with four other funds:Emergency Management,Emergency Management Grants,Combined Communications Network(CCN),and Radio Communications.Members of the Operations and Policy Board and signatories to the Interlocal Agreement,with the exception of Pierce County, and South Sound 911 have struggled with understanding how the County expends the E911 Excise Tax revenues.They expressed frustration at what they perceived as a lack of transparency and accountability by the Pierce County E911 Office(E911 Office)regarding the use of the$.70 Excise Tax collected by the Washington State Department of Revenue and distributed to the Pierce County treasury.The agency representatives also expressed concerns about expenditures from the E911 Excise Tax revenues.As a result,over time trust in the County as stewards of the funds has diminished,as has the County's credibility with the other stakeholders. DELTAWRX found that understanding the County's use of the E911 Excise Tax fund did require lengthy and careful investigation of County accounting information,including hours of meticulous review of documentation and tracking of expenditures in various County funds. Specific challenges we encountered in conducting this analysis included: ■ Information presented in different ways in different documents;totals and spending categories varied between documents and it was difficult to understand the source of the variation • Difficulty tracking fund transfers between funds managed by the DEM and by CCN;transfers in or transfers out of one fund are reflected in the corresponding fund either as a different amount,or not at all ■ Disaggregating broad accounting categories;information regarding details was not readily available or apparent and required an iterative process of asking increasingly more pointed follow-up questions to clarify details County reporting on the use of E911 excise tax funds lacks consistency and clarity Per RCW 82.14B.0300,the County must provide an annual update to the State E911 Coordinator detailing the portion of their county E911 excise tax that is being spent on efforts to modernize their existing E911 communications system and E911 operational costs. It is our understanding that the County does not provide the State with any documented updates detailing efforts to modernize existing 911 communications system and the State imposes no requirements on the County to do so.The County does provide the State with a high level annual report about how the County uses the E911 excise tax money.A copy of the report on 2016 expenditures is in Appendix E.DELTAWRX was unable to map the expenses on the report to the expenses County's E911 Fund budget and it may be that the report includes :,rya DELTAWRX Page 30 87 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington spending by PSAPs as well as by the County.When we asked for help from the County we were told that the report was a"reflective concept as opposed to a line-by-line budget." As previously discussed,the County's use of the E911 excise tax funds are not well documented.The County provides PSAPs including South Sound 911 and its Operations and Policy Boards an annual briefing on the E911 fund budget.The briefing is high-level and inconsistent with other published financial information,and the high-level accounting categories make it difficult to decipher the specific use of funds within the expense categories. Decision-making regarding how the E911 funds are used lacks transparency,input and accountability Priorities for use of E911 excise tax funds are determined solely by the DEM without input from the providers of E911 services and the DEM was unable to provide any detailed or comprehensive documentation providing a clear explanation of how it makes decisions regarding the use the funds. Additionally,spending is not clearly aligned with any strategic initiatives at either the County or the DEM levels.The DEM Strategic Plan mentions E911 only once and does not identify any strategic initiatives for spending E911 funds. Further,decisions are not validated or ratified by any external entity;DEM independently determines how to use the E911 funds. Opinions differ regarding allowable uses of the E911 excise tax revenues DELTAWRX found differing opinions on allowable uses of the E911 excise tax revenues.The County interprets the RCW such that the E911 excise tax funds can be used for any part of the County's communications system,including radio,citizen alerting and emergency operations. The DEM views all parts as connected and necessary for providing public safety services. Documented DEM expenditures from the E911 reflect this interpretation.Expenditures in the professional services category include contracts for radio and citizen alerting;expenditures on central service allocations from the DEM E911 fund support the County's emergency operations center;and E911 Program Office staff dedicate time to emergency management functions. Interviewed members of the South Sound 911 Operations and Policy Boards believe that the funds from the E911 excise tax should be used for E911 purposes only. In fact,the County's interpretation contradicts its own expectations from South Sound 911. Section A.2 of the County's PSAP Participation Agreement with South Sound 911 covering the distribution of E911 excise tax funds to South Sound 911 in 2015 and 2016,as well as the proposed 2017 Agreement,reads: ( DELTAWRX Page 31 �?PitOn j T1E<<COn5Ul Uly p 88 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington "The funds provided by the County as described in the Budget attached as Exhibit"B",shall be used by the PSAP solely for eligible expenses as described in WAC 118-66-050(1)through(3)and WAC 118-66-060 that are necessary to operate E911 countywide."13 Executive Directors from all of the benchmarked PSAPs believe that county E911 tax funds should be used only for the enhanced 911 emergency communications system and all have a clear demarcation between funds for radio operations and funds for call taking operations in their budgets. In its 2017 Annual Legislative Update,•the State Enhanced 911 Advisory Committee to the State E911 Coordination Office(SECO)noted a number of State"E911 fund appropriations by the Legislature to other than E911 purposes,"including: • Replacing a computer aided dispatch system for the Washington State Patrol • Radio system upgrades for the Department of Corrections • Installing a Mobile Office Platform for Washington State Patrol • Funding a CPR cellular pilot project The report states that"excise taxes are intended for system development,maintenance, current operating requirements and to modernize the 911 network and PSAP customer premise equipment(CPE).The funds are allocated to ensure the state 911 emergency public safety communications system is capable of processing data and voice technology statewide.State statute RCW 38.52.540 was a mandate by the Legislature that assured all monies from 911 excise taxes be used only to support the 911 system." As mandated by the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008(NET 911 Act),the FCC reports on the collection and distribution of 911 fees and charges by the states, the District of Columbia,U.S.territories and tribal authorities.Included in the report is an identification of states that used E911 funds to support non-911 related public safety programs. In the most recent report,which is for 2015,the FCC found that eight states,including 13 The Washington Administrative Code(WAC)118-66 lays out allowable uses of the state E911 excise tax of$.25. Appendix D lists the allowable expenses per WAC 118-66,all of which are for expenses related to the enhanced emergency management system,including PSAP costs for answering E911 calls.Radio and emergency management expenses are not listed as E911 expenses. is httpliapp.leg.wa.eov/ReportsToTheLegislature/Home/GetPDF?fileName=2017%20Leeislative%20Report%20Final 542f249c-a805-43d5-a8dd-380073a9002f.pdf L?ELTAWRX Page 32 ��j man menl cons�llpnls 89 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Washington,diverted or transferred E911 fees for purposes other than E911.15 The report states that "With respect to funds devoted to other public safety uses,we have generally determined that funds used to support public safety radio systems,including maintenance,upgrades,and new system acquisitions,are not 911-related within the meaning of the NET911 Act and therefore constitute a diversion of 911 funds." The report does point out,however,that in its response to the FCC's request for information on E911 fund expenditures,Washington wrote:that the state's "Revised Code of Washington(RCW)and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC)when taken as a whole create a de facto line between'Call-taking'and 'Dispatch"'and that"state 911 dedicated funds are to be used only in support of call-taking functions(said differently,to get the 911 call from the call-maker to the call-taker)whereas"County 911 dedicated funds"are allowed to support specific"dispatching"functions." E911 excise tax funds are being expended for purposes other than the direct intake and handling of E911 landline,cellular and VolP calls Table 13.E911 Excise Tax Funds Used for Call-Taking Purposes 2016 Actual 2017 Budget 2018 Budget Distributions to SS911 $4,101,170 $4,000,000 $4,185,840 Utilities 29,760 29,760 29,760 j Equipment T — 13,560 Maintenance and Repair 15,900 15,900 15,9001 Training 15,000 15,000' 15,0001 WSP/JBLM Support 323,130 167,600 133,240 Cyber Security Consultant 195,000 210,600 200,000 E911 Salaries 357,977 466,890 472,430 Direct E911 Expense Total $5,081,597 $4,905,750 $5,052,170) Total E911 Fund Expenditures $9,141,322 $8,920,640 $10,429,840 E911%of Expenditures 55% 56% 49% 1'https.://transition.fcc.nov/pshs/911/Net°%20911/Net911 Act 8thReport to Congress 123016.pdf DELTAWRX Page 33 90 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 13 shows E911 fund expenses that the DEM attributes directly to supporting Pierce County PSAP call taking functions as a percent of total E911 fund expenditures. In 2018,about 49%of the 2018 budgeted expenditures are for E911 purposes;the remaining 51%go toward county overhead,radio system support(including for the jail),and support for County emergency management operations unrelated to E911 operations. Budgeted expenses from the E911 Excise Tax fund exceed expected revenues Fund balances grow in years when expenditures fall short of the authorized budget.In years when budgeted expenditures exceed revenues,the difference is covered by the surplus accumulated in previous years. Table 14 shows a summary of the total available E911 funds and expenditures or budgeted expenditures for each year. Table 14.Summary of Available E911 Funds and Expenditures and Fund Balances Cost Category 2016 Actual 2017 Budget 2018 Budget Beginning Fund Balance $6,919,000 $5,785,454* $4,200,000 Excise Tax Revenues 7,914,571 7,922,150 8,205,370 Grant Revenue and Miscellane©us 93,205 - - 77,290 80,290 Total Available E911 Funds $14,926,776 $13,784,894 J $12,485,660 Expenditures 9,141,322 8,920,640: 10,429,840 Use of Fund Balance 51,226,751 $834,170 $2,144,180 Ending Funding Balance $5,785,484 $4,864,800 $2,055,820 In 2016,with a beginning fund balance of almost$7 million,total available E911 funds were almost$15 million.Expenditures that year exceeded tax revenues,and DEM used the reserves in the fund balance to cover the$1.2 million difference,leaving a fund balance of$5.8 million and$13.7 million in available funds for 2017. In 2017,expenditures are again expected to exceed tax revenue,this year by about$1 million, leaving a fund balance of$4,864,600 at the beginning of 2018. The reported budget assumes the fund will start 2018 with a balance of$4.2 million,about $665,000 shy of the projected 2017 ending fund balance.With estimated expenditures over $2 million higher than expected revenues in 2018,the fund balance will be close to$2 million by the end of next year. DELTAWRX Page 34 t1Rtt P6Qg Ofnfl fit[CF.f SL�li3 iiPa 91 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington The E911 Program Office appears to have disproportionally high indirect cost allocation within the Department of Emergency Management A portion of the County's administrative and IT costs(central services costs)are allocated to each County department and unit based on formulas for each allocated cost category. Additionally,since funding for the FTEs for higher level administration of the various DEM divisions comes out of the Emergency Management fund,a portion of the costs from that fund are allocated to the other four funds that the DEM manages(cost pool allocations). Central service and DEM cost pool allocation costs are projected to be over$1.1 million in 2018. At$705,000,the central service allocation to the E911 Excise Tax fund is the highest of the five DEM funds and,although DEM assigns the fewest number of FTEs to the E911 Program Office, the DEM cost pool allocation is second highest.Examples of costs that stood out are: ▪ The charge for space rental,which will be over$7,000 per month in 2018,for 4.1 FTEs • The total costs for IT support,which are budgeted to be around$475,000 for 2017 and 2018 • Indirect County-wide costs,which will be over$100,000 in 2018 ▪ The DEM cost pool allocation,which will be over$415,000 in 2018 As explained in Appendix C,central services and DEM cost pool allocations are based on factors other than FTEs associated with a fund. The DEM uses E911 excise tax revenue to support the County's emergency management operations,including the EOC.The space occupied by the EOC,as well as the IT costs attributed to supporting the hardware,equipment and software associated with emergency management operations,both factor into the indirect cost allocation.Additionally,County accounting practices for central service allocations and the DEM cost pool allocation are weighted toward the revenue that passes through funds.The DEM cost pool allocation,as well as certain central service allocations,including the County- wide indirect costs,reflect the high revenue from the E911 Excise Tax compared to the revenue in the other DEM funds,especially relative to the number of FTEs in the E911 Program Office. Capital outlays from the E911 Excise Tax fund are for investments in the radio system infrastructure Capital outlays from 2016 through 2018 include almost$2.5 million for the Pierce County Corrections Bureau radio systems improvement project.Additionally,$3 million is budgeted for transfer to the Radio Communications fund to pay for the 700 and 410 overlay projects.Detail provided by the County for the E911 Excise Tax fund shows a$1,540,960 transfer to CCN to DELTAWRX Page 35 92 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington offset radio user fees in 2016.The CCN budget shows this transfer in from Pierce County,but shows it going into a replacement reserve fund,not offsetting radio user fees.The E911 Excise Tax fund does not show any budgeted transfers to CCN in 2017 or 2018,but the CCN budget shows revenue sourced from the"Pierce County E-911$.50 excise tax"in each of those years in the amount of$1,085,490 and$1,230,100,respectively.If these transfers do occur,the use of fund balance may be higher than projected. Use of E911 Excise Tax Funds—Recommendations Recommendation 3.1.1:Identify a task force to seek State E911 Coordination Office clarification for allowable use of funds DELTAWRX recommends a participatory and inclusive approach to developing priorities for the use of Pierce County E911 excise tax funds.Before coming to a county-wide agreement regarding the use of E911 excise tax funds,the county stakeholders need to have a clear understanding of what options are available.Joint participation in the process will create a shared understanding of allowable uses of the county's E911 excise tax revenues. As such,DELTAWRX recommends identifying a task force or committee to seek clarification for appropriate use of funds.The clarification process should include seeking input from SECO,but the task force might decide upon additional avenues for developing a shared understanding of allowable uses of the excise tax revenues.Participants in the process should include representation from the PSAPs,public safety agencies,and the County Executive office. Recommendation 3.1.2:Develop a formal and public policy regarding priorities for and use of Pierce County E911 excise tax funds Available excise tax funds are finite and the budget process is a means to allocate the funds. The Recommended Budget Practices from the National Advisory on State and Local Budgeting (NACSLB)published by the Government Finance Officers Association(GFOA)notes that the purpose of the budget process is to"help decision makers make informed choices about the provision of services and capital assets and to promote stakeholder participation in the process."16 As such,GFOA recommends that governments incorporate the following NACSLB practices into its budgeting process. ■ Incorporates a long-term perspective • Establishes linkages to broad organizational goals ■ Focuses budget decisions on results and outcomes 16 http://www.gfoa.org/recommended-budget-practices-national-advisory-council-state-and-local-budgeting DELTAWRX Page 36 �.`��. inoncgemenl consulonl5 93 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington • Involves and promotes effective communication with stakeholders • Provides incentives to government management and employees Developing a policy regarding priorities for the use of the county E911 excise tax funds,along with a strategic plan(see Recommendation 3(can provide that long-term perspective and organizational goals with which to link funding,and will guide the allocation of the funds during the budget process.The policy should take into account the shared understanding of allowable uses of the E911 funds and,to provide transparency into the budgeting process,be publicly available.We suggest that participants in the development of the policy include county PSAP Executive Directors,members of the South Sound 911 Policy Board and the County Executive or designee and that they obtain input from county stakeholders in the use of E911 funds. Possible stakeholders include representatives from public safety agencies,secondary PSAPs and citizens. Recommendation 3.1.3:Develop a county-wide strategic plan for E911,including a plan for investment in NG911 A strategic plan offers a longer-term perspective and stability regarding expectations for the use of funds.It eliminates year-to-year and ad hoc decisions regarding the use of the tax monies and by tying the expenditure of funds to strategic goals,the custodian of the funds will have clear guidance for how to spend the money.A strategic plan will provide a framework measuring progress toward achieving strategic goals,and will afford a means for holding the custodian of the funds accountable to spending the money according to the agreed upon strategic direction. The strategic planning process should involve PSAP Executive Directors,the County Executive or designee,a representative from SECO,and county stakeholders in the use of E911 funds; possible stakeholders include public safety agencies,secondary PSAPs,and citizens.To provide a long-term perspective,the strategic plan should cover a minimum of five years and include statements articulating the vision for E911 communications,the vision for the E911 Program Office and principles that will guide investment decisions.While strategic initiatives and priorities should be stable and aligned with the formal policy regarding the use of the funds,the strategic plan should be reviewed and updated annually to reflect changes in fiscal constraints, technology and resource availability. Recommendation 3.1.4:Subject to agreed-upon priorities,consider using E911 excise tax revenue to offset the direct costs of providing E911 call intake and handling services before expending it for non-E911 purposes Depending on the shared understanding of allowable uses of the E911 funds and the agree- upon priorities for the expenditure of the funds,the stakeholders should explore benefits to the DELTAWRX Page 37 >n � �man cg eunent su!7ants 94 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington county as a whole from using E911 excise tax revenue to offset the costs of providing E911 functions before spending on non-E911 functions such as County emergency operations or the radio system.Even allowing for investing a percentage of the funds in infrastructure and equipment for JBLM and WSP and directing the existing levels of capital investment into NG911 infrastructure projects,the potential exists for South Sound 911 to lower the cost to agencies of receiving call taking services by several million dollars annually.The Sheriff's Office alone could potentially save almost the same amount that the County is investing in the radio system for the jail. Additionally,the County could be available for FCC grants to assist with the deployment of NG9- 1-1 services;using the excise tax funds for anything the FCC considers a diversion of funds can compromise the County's ability to qualify for grant funding. Finally,clear and direct linkages between revenue sources and expenditures can assist with the deployment and alignment of resources.For example,grants are available to assist state and local governments with emergency preparedness.If the County,or other municipalities,finds it lacks the resources to achieve its emergency preparedness goals,it can strategically direct resources toward attaining the grant funding.If the need is masked by a diversion of funds from one account to another,the County might be missing an opportunity. Recommendation 3.1.5:Conform with reporting requirements in RCW 82.149(030) DELTAWRX recommends that the custodian of the E911 excise revenues conform with the requirements in RCW 82.14B(030)and report on the portion of their county E911 excise task that is being spent on efforts to modernize their existing E911 communications system and on E911 operational costs by developing standardized reporting documents characterizing expenditures on these efforts.Even though the State does not require Pierce County to provide the reports,such documentation will be a way to record county-side efforts and maintain a historical record of expenditures on E911 communications systems.Such reporting is not only required by state statute,but will also foster trust in the custodian of the funds by providing clarity and transparency as to how E911 funds are being spent. Recommendation 3.1.6:Regardless of who is managing the E911 funds,reporting on expenditures needs to be clear,consistent between published reports,easy to understand,and produced on a regular schedule The GFOA points out that financial reports presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles can be confusing and encourages state and local governments to provide "popular"easy-to-understand reports.'Numbers changing among reports creates confusion and diminishes credibility,while transparency in accounting practices and use of funds http://www.afoa.org/popular-reporting-financial-information DELTAWRX Page 38 95 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington increases trust.Regardless of who is managing the E911 funds,reporting on expenditures needs to be clear,consistent between published reports,easy to understand,and on a regular schedule.Details of expense categories should be readily available and not masked by broad titles.Transfers to and from other departments,agencies or funds should detail where the transfers are going to and coming from,specify what they are being used for,and be reflected in the same terms in the financial records from both departments,agencies or funds.Pass- through money(e.g.,money that goes to South Sound 911 and is returned in a different form( should be identified as such.Finally,if numbers on one financial document are different from numbers on another document,the reason should be clearly stated in the most recent document. The County interprets the Revised Code of Washington(RCW)as allowing E911 Excise Tax funds to be used for any part of the County's communications system,including radio,citizen alerting and emergency operations.The DEM views all parts as connected and necessary for providing public safety services.Representatives of other agencies in the County interpret the statute more literally and believe the funds should only be used for E911 purposes,meaning everything necessary to route a call to the appropriate PSAP. 3.2 Role of South Sound 911 with the State of Washington E911 Office DELTAWRX was asked to evaluate the role of South Sound 911 with the State of Washington E911 Office.Currently,South Sound 911 does not have a direct,formal relationship with the State of Washington E911 Office. Following the consolidation of PSAPs in Pierce County,South Sound 911 is now the primary PSAP in Pierce County and the role of the County as a coordinator of county-wide E911 services is seen by the public safety agencies as an unnecessary level in the administration of E911 services when South Sound 911 could,like other consolidated PSAPs in the State,have a direct relationship with the State. South Sound 911 is the primary provider of 911 services in Pierce County For all practical purposes,South Sound 911 is the primary provider of call taking services to all of Pierce County.As a result of initiatives to consolidate the provision of public safety call taking and dispatching services,Sound 911 is the primary provider of county-wide E911 services.The Washington State Patrol receives cell phone calls placed from the county highways and freeways,albeit the majority of those calls should have been originally routed to South Sound 911.As a primary PSAP,it is eligible to benefit from the Pierce County E911 excise tax,although it is primarily funded from State-level funds.The JBLM,which is primarily funded from federal-level funds,is also considered a primary PSAP since it receives calls from within DELTAWRX Page 39 a��a�iRUft U• C34kU�f�•ett��. �•_nf vial 96 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington the boundaries of the military base.From the perspective of SECO,however,JBLM is considered a dispatch center. Most County E911 Coordinators in Washington are associated with the county's primary PSAP RCW 38.52.520 established the State E911 Coordination Office(SECO),which is responsible for coordinating and facilitating the implementation and operation of enhanced 911 emergency communications systems throughout the state.Each county has a designated E911 Coordinator that is a liaison to the state. The majority of counties in Washington have one PSAP servicing the entire county,and at least two span multiple counties.With few exceptions,the County E911 Coordinators in these counties are associated with the county's primary PSAP,most commonly as director or deputy director of the PSAP.Other associations include communications manager,sworn sheriff's personnel overseeing a communications center under the sheriff's office,division manager,GIS operator and 911 operator.In four of these counties,Columbia,Island,Pacific,and San Juan County,the Emergency Management Director is the county's E911 coordinator and in two of these counties,Island and San Juan,emergency communications are the responsibility of law enforcement agencies. South Sound 911 could have a direct relationship with the state According to its Annual Briefing on the Pierce County 1911 Program Budget,the Pierce County 1911 Program Office performs the following functions: • Coordination between State and PSAPs • Attend State E911 Advisory Committee meetings • Represent Association of Counties West • Serve on various state level committees • Manage maintenance contracts with PSAPs • Coordinate changes/repairs for PSAPs • Project management • Vendor coordination • Coordinate carriers for call routing • fG911 geolocation data validation and re-addressing • Maintain MSAG • Address validation • Prepare and submit reports required in the RCW • Administer State Coordinator Professional Development Grant • Facilitate monthly PSAP meeting • Ensure standards compliance • Public education DELTAWRX Page 40 ,,ogEme� osiio�s 97 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington It is not clear that the County management of all of these functions adds value to the management of E911 services in Pierce County,especially given the overhead cost associated with locating the E911 Program Office at the County.South Sound 911 coordinates county- wide call handling on an operational level with WSP and JBLM,and could leverage the relationships to coordinate county-wide investments in E911 infrastructure,including managing any county-wide 911-related maintenance contracts.South Sound 911 currently manages its own maintenance contracts,so the capability for managing contracts already resides in the organization.Further,it is unclear why South Sound 911,as the largest provider of Pierce County 911 services,would not be able to represent Pierce County E911 interests on the various state and regional committees and associations,and why it would need to be represented by a third party. Concerning the GIS functions,it is our understanding that those are performed by a GIS Specialist located in the County's IT Department,not the GIS Specialist in the E911 Office.The GIS Specialist located in the County's IT Department is the GIS liaison to the State E911 Office and is responsible for maintaining the county GIS data. The GIS Specialist in the E911 office,according to the DEM,"is responsible for ensuring the monthly updates to the citizen alert and warning system data bases,training partners,including the City of Tacoma and the City of Lakewood,to name a few,in the use of Pierce County Warning Alert Response Network."It is the GIS Analyst at South Sound 911 who maintains the GIS data for the 911(call handling)and Computer Aided Dispatch applications and forwards location and GIS updates to the County for updates to the County GIS data system. South Sound 911 has the resources and skills to provide public education regarding the use of E911.South Sound 911 is the county-wide provider of 911 services.As it is uniquely familiar with 911 issues pertaining to the provision of 911 services in the county,it can tailor the programs to best benefit the communities it services.Further,South Sound 911 already provides community 911 education(call takers provide the education in addition to their regular duties).The DEM Community Program Coordinator responsible for public education provides information on 911-related issues to other emergency management public educators, who then incorporate 911 education into their presentations on an all-hazards preparedness model.If DEM wants to incorporate information about 911 services into its emergency management programs,it could coordinate with South Sound 911 to provide the information. 3.3 Moving E911 Office Responsibilities to South Sound 911 Based on our evaluation of the role of South Sound 911 vis-à-vis the State of Washington E911 office,we do not find anything that precludes Pierce County from adopting a model in which South Sound 911,which is the primary provider of call taking services in Pierce County,houses the E911 Coordinator and represents the county's E911 interests. (A DELTAWRX Page 41 - �nionagem eni coniullanls 98 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Additionally,we do not find anything,nor were we provided with any information that would show otherwise,that precludes Pierce County from transferring responsibility for managing the 1911 funds to South Sound 911.Counties levying the E911 excise tax enter into a contract with the Washington Department of Revenue(DOR)for the administration and collection of the tax. In Pierce County,the County Executive is authorized to negotiate and enter into the contract with the DOR. Per state statute,DOR must deposit taxes it collects on behalf of the county into the County treasury.DELTAWRX benchmarked four of the counties with an 1911 Coordinator and in each county,the County Treasurer provided the funds to the E911 coordinator to expend per a budget agreed upon by its board of directors,or equivalent. The County cites a holistic approach to emergency management and the presence of WSP and JBLM PSAPs in the county as benefits to housing the 1911 Office within the DEM.As discussed in the following paragraphs,DELTAWRX finds that there are potential benefits,including improved accountability,collaboration,cost efficiencies and staffing efficiencies,to moving some or all E911 Office responsibilities to South Sound 911.As such,we recommend that the county engage in a facilitated decision-making process to determine whether some or all of the 1911 Program Office responsibilities should be relocated to South Sound 911.We further recommend that,regardless of the location of the 1911 Program Office,the county stakeholders work together to establish a county-side governance structure for E911 program administration. Table 15.Summary of Findings and Recommendations Regarding the Location of E911 Program Office Responsibilities Benefits to Locating the E911 Program Office Res portsibilitjes at South Sound Recommendations • Locating the 1911 Program Office at South Sound 3.3.1:Engage in a facilitated decision-making process 911 may provide far more accountability in the to determine whether some or all of the 1311 expenditure of the E911 excise tax funds. Program Office responsibilities should be • Locating the E911 Program Office at South Sound relocated to South Sound 911 911 might improve collaboration in decision- 3.3.2:Establish a county-side governance structure making for the use of the 1911 Excise Tax funds. for 1911 program administration • Locating the E911 Program Office at South Sound 911 may result in a more efficient use of taxpayer funds • Locating the E911 Program Office at South Sound 911 may result in a more efficient staffing to fulfill 1911 responsibilities Table 15 summarizes the benefits to locating the E911 Program Office responsibilities at South Sound 911,as well as our our recommendations,details of which are provided in the following subsections. D ELTAWRX Page 42 ��" n�eoemenr co nsulanrs 99 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Benefits to Moving E911 Program Office Responsibilities to South Sound 911 Locating the E911 Program Office at South Sound 911 may provide for more accountability in the expenditure of the E911 excise tax funds Currently,accountability for expenditure of E911 excise tax funds resides with the County's DEM.Two boards manage South Sound 911,and the South Sound 911 Executive Director is accountable to both boards,which oversee or have input into the budget.The Policy Board consists of elected officials accountable to the taxpayers,and the Operations Board consists of appointed officials representing the county's public safety agencies.The County would not forfeit complete control of the funds since it has representation on both boards.Pierce County Council,the Pierce County Executive and the Sheriff are on the Policy Board and the Operations Chief of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department is on the Operations Board. Locating the E911 Program Office at South Sound 911 may improve collaboration in decision- making for the use of the E911 Excise Tax funds As discussed in the previous section,DEM unilaterally makes decisions regarding the use of the E911 funds.The structure at South Sound 911 is conducive to collaborative decision-making given the broad stakeholder representation on its Policy and Operations Boards. Locating the E911 Program Office at South Sound 911 may result in a more efficient use of taxpayer funds Currently,$1.2 million goes toward central services and DEM cost pool allocations.The amount could be reduced if money were not being used to fund emergency management operations and staff were streamlined.However,since County accounting practices for calculating overhead allocations are weighted toward the revenue that passes through funds,overhead would still be higher than if the County Treasurer allocated the funds directly to South Sound 911 since no portion of the funds would be supporting the overhead associated with the DEM management of the funds. Locating the E911 Program Office at South Sound 911 may result in a more efficient staffing to fulfill E911 responsibilities In addition to supporting a portion of the Emergency Management division through cost allocation,the E911 fund supports 4.1 FTEs: ■ MSAG Coordinator • GIS Specialist ■ Community Program Coordinator ■ Telecommunications Coordinator A.4.)DELTAWRX Page 43 loo Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington • Communications System Manager(.1FTE) Figure 4.Pierce County E911 Program Office Structure Director Q v Director Preparedness Porter 0 Porter € Deputy Director E J , Deputy Director i Program Manager Heinz y E Heinz Preparedness Taylor Program Manager ay o E911/Radio y Program Manager Community Pro Communications E911/Radio g Communications Educator Lenk u Castleman Lenk Telecomm.Coord. Brock Telecomm.Coord Brock Emergency GIS Specialist Management Sharp MSAG Coordinator Pybas Program Manager Ops(HLS,EMS,EOC) MSAG Coordinator McCaffree Pybas GIS Specialist Community Prog Sharp Educator Castleman Figure 4 shows the E911 Program Office Structure as of December 2017,as provided by the DEM.Within the E911 Program Office,The MSAG Coordinator and the Telecommunications Coordinator Report to the Communications System Manager,who dedicates.1 FTE equivalent to the E911 division.The GIS Coordinator reports to the Operations Program Manager within the Emergency Management division and the Community Program Coordinator reports to the Preparedness Program Manager,also within the Emergency management division.While the Telecommunications Coordinator appears to be dedicated 100%to performing functions related to E911,the extent to which the other members for the department were dedicated to performing E911 functions is not readily apparent. Specific details about these job descriptions were not available.In response to DELTAWRX requests for information regarding the job responsibilities of each position,DEM provided the generic County job descriptions,which,according to the County's website,are not intended to be a job description for specific positions..The following paragraphs describe what DELTAWRX was able to learn about each position and its role in supporting 0911 functions. GIS Specialist.Per the job description,the GIS specialist is responsible for assisting a department in the development and implementation of a GIS database.In April,2016,DEM 18 https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/1224/Job-Descriptions DELTAWRX Page 44 rsanoge•c i ls 101 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington provided responses to questions that arose during an earlier presentation of the E911 Program Budget,including a question regarding the role of the GIS specialist and whether this person was an employee of IT or DEM.The response,which made no mention of E911 functions,read: "This is a DEM employee who is responsible for ensuring the monthly updates to the citizen alert and warning system data bases,training partners,including the City of Tacoma and the City of Lakewood,to name a few,in the use of Pierce County Warning Alert Response Network." As part of the County's contract with SECO,it must report the name and contact information of both an MSAG and GIS Coordinator.The reported GIS Coordinator is not the Program Office's GIS Specialist,but rather a GIS Specialist who works in the County's IT Department. MSAG Coordinator.In our experience,the responsibility for MSAG updates is typically an additional duty and does require an assigned FTE.It may be a full-time job in Pierce County, but DELTAWRX was unable to ascertain the specific responsibilities of the MSAG Coordinator as they pertain to the E911 Program from the information provided. Community Program Coordinator.The Outreach Section of the OEM's Preparedness Division includes public education.This Community Program Coordinator provides information on 9-1- 1-related issues to other public educators,who then incorporate 9-1-1 education into their presentations on an all-hazards preparedness model. Recommendations Regarding Moving E911 Office Responsibilities to South Sound Recommendation 3.3.1:Engage in a facilitated decision-making process to determine whether E911 Program Office responsibilities should be relocated to South Sound 911 Although the ultimate decision for the location of the E911 Office resides with the County Executive,DELTAWRX suggests convening a county-wide committee consisting of executive level decision makers to engage in a facilitated decision-making process to determine whether some or all of the E911 Program Office responsibilities should be relocated to South Sound 911. Stakeholder participation not only creates buy-in for the decision,but also increases the likelihood that a broad range of factors,including the County's approach to holistic emergency management,will be considered,assessed and discussed.Engaging a neutral facilitator can focus the decision-making on key factors and remove the impact of historical relationships among the stakeholders. 1R'DELTAWRX Page 45 \l��t.tFi qnV CC CGCfSU=Ftl fF3S 102 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Recommendation 3.3.2:Establish a county wide governance structure for E911 program administration Regardless of the location of the E911 Program Office,the county stakeholders should work together to establish a county-side governance structure for E911 program administration.A governance structure,along with the strategic plan,reduces uncertainty,creates a venue for participatory decision-making and mitigates the risk of developing side agreements for alternative uses of the funds.The governance structure should establish a collaborative and inclusive decision-making structure,establish consistent uses of E911 funds that do not change from year to year,and include a mechanist-nations, echanism to reprioritize the use of the funds to accommodate changes in technology,operations,and community needs and expectations. 3.4 Use of Pierce County 1/10 of 1!o Sales and use Tax Appendix F shows the 2018 budget for South Sound 911 communications operations.The budget in Appendix F does not include revenue or expenses for supporting the records management services that South Sound 911 provides.Table 16 summarizes our findings and recommendations,which are described in detail in the following sections.Several agreements guide the expected used of the sales and use tax,including the Interlocal Agreement,which stipulates that any funs left over should be used to offset the cost of operations,which are covered by allocation fees paid by member and non-member agencies to which South Sound 911 provides communications services.We recommend that South Sound 911 continue to meet its contractual obligations and,in addition,develop a strategic plan for capital projects, technology investment,radio management and staffing. Table 16.Summary of Findings and Reeammendatians Regarding Use of Excess Safes and Use Tax Revenues Findings Recommendations_ meet . r xu'- ttr 4tit':'.?r;11,41: €" zit Use of Pierce County 1/10 of 1%Sales and Use Tax-Findings Several agreements guide the expected use of the sales and use tax Several agreements guide the expected use of the sales and use tax: r DELTAWR Page 46 �.s�3 a,a„n3a�taitF cunzulf�r�€s 103 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington • County Resolution 92011-87:The resolution states that the sales and use tax will fund"needed improvements in the public safety communications systems, including public safety answering point(PSAP)facilities and radio system infrastructure,requiring updating and new technologies to meet future demands" • Proposition 1:The proposition states that the sales and use tax will provide "funds for costs associated with financing,design,acquisition,construction, equipping,operating,maintaining,remodeling,repairing,reequipping,and improvement of emergency communication systems and facilities infrastructure" • Interlocal Agreement(ILA)forming South Sound 911:The ILA states that"all of the sales and use tax collected by the County under the authority of RCW 82.14.420 shall be distributed to the Agency and specifically and exclusively allocated for the purposes of construction,Agency operations and maintaining Agency facilities including debt service on bonds issued for such purposes" South Sound 911 is required to use the sales and use tax to pay off debt service and for capital investments necessary to provide the infrastructure for the delivery of public safety communications services.Per the ILA,any funds left over should be used to offset the cost of operations,which are covered by allocation fees paid by member and non-member agencies to which South Sound 911 provides communications services. Table 17 shows the 2018 contractual obligations for the use of the sales and use tax revenue. After paying for its debt and capital investments,South Sound 911 has just over$3.5 million to offset member and non-member allocation fees.Any reduction in debt or capital investments, thus increasing the amount of excess sales tax revenue,should be used to reduce member and non-member allocation fees. Table 17.2018 Budget for Use of Sales and Use Tax Revenue Category Amount Sales and Use Tax Revenue $16,534,710 Contractual Obligations: Transfer to Radio Debt Fund 5,691,600 Transfer to Facility Capital Fund 4,150,000 Transfer to Lease Reserve 2,300,000 Transfer to Radio User Fee Fund 850,000 Total Contractual Obligations $12,991,600 f"Excess"Sales Tax Revenue $3,543,110 y DELTAWRX Page 47 104 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington "Excess"Revenue from the Sales and Use Tax is offsetting Member and Non-Member allocation fees. Table 18 shows that South Sound 911 requires over$19 million in Member and Non-Member allocation fees to cover operational expenses. Table 18.South Sound 9112018 Budgeted Allocation Revenue Category Amount Total Operational Expenses $27,483 590 Excise Tax Revenue from Pierce County E911 4,301,590 Excess Sales and Use Tax Revenue 3,543,110 Total Revenue without Allocations 7,844,700 Difference to Make up from Allocation Revenue 19,638,890 2018 Budgeted Allocation Revenue $18,919,890 Revenue Shortfall ($719,0001 Use of Pierce County 1/10 of 1%Sales and Use Tax—Recommendations Recommendation 3.4.1:Continue to prioritize expenditures per contractual agreements. • DELTAWRX recommends that South Sound 911 continue to prioritize expenditures per contractual agreements.If debt service and capital investment costs decrease,freeing up additional revenue to offset the Member and Non-Member allocation fees,South Sound 911 should decrease the allocation fees accordingly. Recommendation 3.4.2:South Sound 911 should develop a strategic plan for capital projects, technology investments,radio management and staffing South Sound 911 is nearing the end of its transition to a single,county-wide dispatch center and is approaching a cycle of relative stability.Since its inception,South Sound 911 has needed to make several"ad hoc"decisions to accommodate changing circumstances and provide a bridge to stable operations.A proactive approach to future decision-making can mitigate the impact of changes to future circumstances and help ensure that decisions reside within an overall vision for South Sound 911.A strategic plan that includes an assessment of the current environment as well as a vision for the future will guide decision-making,ensure the strategic use of taxpayer money,and provide a framework for a wise capital investment plan. DELTAWRX Page 48 �'�� mssnv;�e me rer cunsulo nrs 105 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington 3.5 South Sound 911 Governance Model DELTAWRX was asked to evaluate the structure of South Sound 911 as an interlocal agency and provide information regarding other governance models.DELTAWRX explored two aspects of governance that were expressed by the Steering Committee and members of the Boards as being of interest,namely the source of powers and the organizational entity to whom the Executive Director reports. Source of Power Options Table 19 summarizes options under the RCW for sources of power for local governments to jointly provide services in a way that best meets the joint needs of the local communities. Table 19.Options for Sources of Power under Revised Code of Washington Strength of Clarity of Powers Liability Separate and Able to Protection for Legal Structure Legal Entity Responsibilities Issue Debt Agencies Simple Service No Yes Yes(Host None Contract Agency) Joint Board No,but new Intertocal Structure entity No No None Agreement created Under RCW 39.34 Non-Profit Yes ( No Maybe Strong Corporation Limited Liability Yes No Maybe Strong Corporation Public `Public Corporation Yes Yes Yes Strongest Under RCW 35.21 Corporation At a high level,the local governments can execute an interlocal agreement under RCW 39.34 or they can form a public corporation under RCW 35.21.Under RCW 39.34,governments have options in deciding how to structure the interlocal agreement and can do so in a manner that is best suited for the involved communities.The four options are: • Simple service contract,in which a host agency executes a contract to provide services to another agency • Joint board structure,which provides for the administration of the venture by a board consisting of representatives of participating governments DELTAWRX Page 49 :n an ag unen�can Syl�o nls 106 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington ■ Non-profit corporation organized under RCW 24.03 or 24.06 with membership limited to public agencies and in which the participating governments can structure the decision making and control mechanisms as they desire,subject only to constraints in nonprofit corporation laws ■ Limited liability corporation organized under RCW 25.15 with membership limited to public agencies,a rare structure that allows the participating governments to structure decision making and control mechanisms as they desire without constraint Table 19 highlights some of the key differences among the four structural options.Non-profit and limited liability corporations are legal entities separate from the governments that formed them.As such,they can provide liability protection to its members.The protection,while strong,is not guaranteed.Although the simple service contract structure does not create a separate legal entity,the host agency can provide the serviced agency or agencies indemnification through the contracting device. A joint board structure is not able to issue debt,although a member can borrow on behalf of the venture.Nonprofit and limited liability corporations can issue debt if authorized by express statutory authority.In all cases,repayment would need to be secured by commitments from one of the local governments. A criticism of the ILA is the lack of clarity with respect to the ability to issue debt and the extent to which governments can delegate powers to an interlocal entity.Additionally,provisions under the nonprofit and limited liability statutes(24.03,24.06 and 25.15)are geared to private entities and may conflict with laws governing public sector organizations.1t The majority of consolidated communications centers in the State of Washington are organized under RCW 39.34.Recently,two consolidated communications centers have re-organized under a different statute,namely as a public corporation under RCW 35.21. Under 35.21,governments can create public corporations,commissions,and authorities to provide services for public purposes.As a legal entity separate from the governments that created it,this form of incorporation provides strong liability protection to the local governments.Additionally,the specific powers,such as issuing debt,expending funds,entering 19 Much of the material in this section is drawn from the work of Hugh Spitzer,a Professor of Law at the University of Washington Law School.For an in-depth discussion of the differences and challenges of each structural option, please see:Spitzer,H.(20161.The lnterlocol Cooperation Act:What Form of lnterlocal Entity is'Base"...And Does the interlocal Cooperation Act Need a Rewrite?Paper presented at Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Training Programs 2016—Civil Track. DELTAWRX Page 50 ��—��r�(,na�ellxonr CU�e.1Ul�p rely 107 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington into contracts,employing personnel,paying taxes,and owning property,as well as limitations of powers,are unambiguously defined in RCW 35.21.740—759. Overview of South Sound 911 Governance In 2011,Pierce County(County),the City of Tacoma(Tacoma),the City of Lakewood (Lakewood),the City of Fife(Fife)and West Pierce Fire and Rescue(WPFR)signed an interlocal agreement pursuant to RCW 39.34 to use the funds approved by the sales and use tax of 1/10 of 1%to create South Sound 911,a communications center with the ultimate purpose of servicing all Pierce County public safety agencies.The five Member Agencies amended the original Interlocal Agreement(ILA)in 2014 to add the City of Puyallup(Puyallup)as the sixth Member Agency.South Sound 911 is responsible for providing communications services to Member Agencies,as well as Non-Member Agencies,which pay a fee for the services. RCW39.34 states that the ILA must contain a provision for an administrator or joint board responsible for administering South Sound 911,as well as the manner of acquiring,holding and disposing of property.Under the statute,the joint board can establish a special fund with the designated treasurer,which,in the case of the South Sound 911 and pursuant to RCW 43.09.285,20 is Pierce County. A Policy Board consisting of elected or appointed officials is responsible for financial and policy decisions.An Operations Board consisting of chiefs of law enforcement and fire agencies is under the authority of the Policy Board.Two committees,the Law Enforcement Services and the Fire Services Committee,comprise the Operations Board.Each committee has one vote on decisions and a tie is broken by the Policy Board.The Operations Board is responsible for operational policies and supervises the Executive Director.The Executive Director is responsible for managing the administration,budget,personnel,operations,and security of South Sound 911 commensurate with the policies set by the Policy and Operational Boards. The Executive Director is appointed by the Operations Board subject to confirmation by the Policy Board. Funding to operate South Sound 911 comes from several sources,including a guaranteed 29% of the E911 Excise Tax,the 1/10 of 1%Sales and Use Tax,and user assessments.Personnel 20 Whenever by law,two or more municipal corporations or political subdivisions of the state are permitted by law to engage in a joint operation,the funds of such joint operation shall be deposited in the public treasury of the municipal corporation or political subdivision embracing the largest population or the public treasury of any other as so agreed upon by the parties;and such deposit shall be subject to the same audit and fiscal controls as the public treasury where the funds are so deposited:PROVIDED,That whenever the laws applicable to any particular joint operation specifically state a contrary rule for deposits,the specific rule shall apply in lieu of the provisions of this section:PROVIDED,FURTHER,That nothing contained herein shall be construed as limiting the power or authority of the disbursing officer of such joint operation from making disbursements in accordance with the provisions of any contract or agreement entered into between the parties to the joint operation. 1`j DELTAWRX Page 51 108 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington working at South Sound 911 are employees of South Sound 911,not of any of the member agencies. Per the ILA,as amended in 2014,South Sound 911 owns the assets it acquires,with the exception of radio systems infrastructure and end user subscriber units,which belong to the Member Agencies that operate them.As an entity,South Sound 911 cannot issue bonds or assume its own debt.However,the County can assume debt on behalf of South Sound 911 and assets purchased from the borrowed money belongs to the County until South Sound 911 has repaid the debt. Benchmarking To provide additional information on governance options,DELTAWRX benchmarked five Washington communications centers.The Steering Committee agencies validated the selection of CRESA,Kitsap911,TCOMMS1,ValleyComm and NORCOM as suitable for this exercise.Table 20 provides an overview of the benchmarked agencies,as well as South Sound 911. Table 20.Benchmarked Communications Centers Agencies Population Annual Calls Primary Secondary PSAP./County Serviced Serviced Annual CFS PSAPs PSAPs South Sound 911/Pierce I Law:19 844,000 920,193 55911,JBLM, Tacoma Fire Fire/EMS:19 699,979 WSP CRESA911/Clark Law:9 467,000 410,000 CRESA WSP Fire/EMS:14 365,000 Other:3 Kitsap911/Kitsap Law:7 251,133 '331,860 Kitsap911 US Navy NB Fire/EMS:6 257,900 US Navy NB WSP TCOMM911/Thurston Law:8 252,264 407,038 TCOMM N/A Fire/EMS:12 240,632 ValleyComm/King County Law:9 700,000- 593,368= 12 Primary 3 Secondary Fire/EMS:12 520,673 NORCOM/King County Law:5 >344,00 262,088 12 Primary 3 Secondary Fire/ER/1S:13 194,000 NORCOMM,TCOMM911 and ValleyComm are ILAs organized under RCW 39.34.Like South Sound 911,ValleyComm has a joint board structure,but NORCOMM and TCCOMM911 are organized as non-profit corporations.Kitsap911 and CRESA are public corporations,formed under RCW 35.21.TCOMM911,Kitsap911 and CRESA have not always been organized as they are today.Before 2011,TCOMM911 was a Thurston County agency. Before 2016, communications services in Kitsap County were provided by CENCOM,a joint board structure formed under RCW 39.34 and in November 2017 CRESA in Clark County transitioned from a joint board structure under RCW 39.34 to a public development authority under RCW 35.21. (A' DELTAWRX Page 52 109 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 21 summarizes each agency's reason for selecting its current governance structure. CRESA911 and Kitsap911 both stated better liability protection and clearer description of organizational powers and responsibilities as a reason for their transitions to becoming a public authority.TCOMM911 stated financial concerns as the trigger for its reorganization.NORCOM, which formed at a later date than ValleyComm researched options under the 39.34 and organized as a non-profit to provide better protection for the entities creating the organization. Table 21.Benchmarked Agencies Reasons for Selecting Governance Structure Communications Center Structure: Stated Reasons for Choice of Organization CRESA 71 911 Public Better description of organizational powers,roles and Development responsibilities Authority • Better liability protection for the entities creating the organization Kitsap911 911 Public • Overlap of Kitsap County and Communications.Center Development responsibilities under ILA("not a clean hierarchy") Authority • Public corporation has a clear set of public rules and laws i • Ability to issue bonds and take on debt • Put Communications Center on"same playing field"as other agencies • Better liability protection for the entities creating the organization NORCOM Non-profit ILA Better liability protection for the entities creating the dab organization TCOMM911 Non-profit ILA • Left County to save money(saved about$200,000 annually) • Used LO1T Clean Water Alliance as a model L ValleyComm Joint Board ILA • Joint Board ILA was the common form of organization when formed in 1976;has not been asked or advised to • change form of organization since ValleyComm's ..,1 inception DELTAWRX also researched the reporting structure within the benchmarked agencies.In particular,we identified whether the Executive Director report to elected officials or chiefs of public safety agencies and asked about the perceived benefits and challenges of the reporting structure.The Executive Directors for Kitsap911,TCOMM911 and ValleyComm report to elected officials;in the reporting structure they are considered peers of the chiefs of the public safety agencies their communications centers service.Since CRESA911 has one board consisting of a combination of elected officials and agency chiefs,its Executive Director reports to both elected officials and agency chiefs.The NORCOM Executive Director is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Governing Board,which consists of a combination of elected or appointed officials and agency chiefs.Several of the interviewed Executive Directors have j DELTAWRX Page 53 110 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington worked under different reporting structures at other communications centers and provided their perspective on the relative differences between their current and past experiences. Table 22 summarizes the perceived advantages of reporting to elected officials versus agency chiefs.Stated advantages of reporting to elected officials focused on the political weight and fiduciary responsibility carried by elected officials,as well as differentiating communications center operations from public safety operations.They also emphasized the role of the Executive Director as the person responsible for strategic planning,setting policies and developing and managing budgets;since elected officials are accountable to the public,the Executive Director should be accountable to the elected officials. Given the tightly coupled operations of communications centers and the agencies they service, the structure in which the Executive Director reports to agency chiefs is seen as beneficial. Agency chiefs and the Executive Director are aware of operational opportunities and constraints in both entities and agency chiefs can influence operations to benefit serviced agencies. Finally,the stated benefit of the Executive Director reporting to a mixed oversight board is that one entity is making all the financial,operational and policy decisions and is likely to take a broader set of factors into account when making decisions. Table 22.Stated Advantages of Reporting to Elected Officials Versus Agency Chiefs etu?j S t M_,. — State'<Advac#agesofReporting Structure Executive Director Reports to puts Executive Director on the same level as agency chiefs;agencyrdii Elected Officials can advise Executive Director but Executive Director makes the final decisions,subject to approval from elected officials ■ Executive Director is responsible for high level strategic,policy issues and budgets which is where the elected officials should spend their energy • Elected officials have fiduciary responsibility for communications center - • Elected official look at 911 operations from the constituent perspective and it is their job to focus on the big picture • Allows Chiefs to focus on operational issues and representing the concerns of their agencies • Differentiates between running a communications center and running a law enforcement or fire agency ■ Elected officials have a political presence they can use to go to bat for the communication center(e.g.,procuring funding) Executive Director Reports to 4 Agency chiefs are engaged and can influence operations to benefit Agency Chiefs serviced agencies • Executive Director knows what is going on with agencies Executive Director Reports to A Board can make ail financial,operational and policy decisions Both • Members can make decisions on behalf of the entities they represent_ ��"� DELTAWRX Page 54 � mu*rt�ieme:s cans�rdanr, 111 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Governance Conclusions The benchmarking exercise shows that South Sound 911 is not bound by its current governance structure;other consolidated communications centers have reorganized successfully to reduce liability for the Member Agencies,increase clarity of organizational powers and responsibilities, and reduce costs of operating under the county government. The benchmarking exercise also shows that the Executive Director can report to or be a peer of the chiefs of the agencies the communications center services,and there are benefits of both structures. The benefit of issuing debt might be tempered by the ability of South Sound 911 to secure debt without a credit rating and a history of operation. DELTAWRX was not asked to make a recommendation regarding governance.If the Member Agencies want to consider alternative governance structures we suggest that any decision to reorganize South Sound should be based on a set of principles and concepts regarding: ■ The role of South Sound 911 in the county ■ The relationship between South Sound 911 and the agencies it services ■ Liability and risk • The desire and ability to incur debt,along with the long-term implications of assuming the debt DELTAWRX Page 55 ,.. management conzuliQ nts 112 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Appendix A:Guidelines for Establishing a Quality Assurance Program 57 Appendix B:Recommended Call Taker and Communications Support Officer Staffing 58 Appendix C:Analysis of Use of E911 Excise Tax Funds 62 Appendix D:County E911 Expenses Eligible for Reimbursement from State E911 Fund 72 Appendix E:Pierce County E911 Program Office Annual Report to State 75 Appendix F:South Sound 911 2018 Communications Budget 78 DELTAWRX Page 56 managem enl consalfar,fs 113 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Appendix A Guidelines for Establishing a Quality Assurance Program Industry standards such as CALEA,APCO and NFPA provide specific guidance on developing quality assurance programs.DELTAWRX offers South Sound 911 the following ten tasks as a starting point for developing a QA program. 1. Establish call processing goals that are consistent with industry standards and are consistent with dispatched agencies'reporting requirements 2. Collect metrics for each call processing goal on a regular basis(e.g.,monthly) 3. Publish reports on performance internal and external audiences on a regular basis(e.g.,monthly and quarterly,respectively) 4. Identify trends in call processing performance 5. Randomly review calls to evaluate compliance with protocols on both a qualitative and quantitative basis(spot checks) 6. Facilitate dialogue between Quality Assurance,Supervisory and Training staff to ensure negative trends in call processing performance are addressed with targeted training initiatives and areas of concern at the individual level are addressed with on-the-job training,discipline or other methods 7. Coordinate after action debrief sessions with stakeholder agencies to capture lessons learned and continuously refine standard operating procedures 8. Provide feedback from individual assessments and spot checks into performance evaluations 9. Respond to information requests from dispatched agencies as necessary 10.Partner with the Pierce County-Tacoma Health Department to build and refine EMD QA and training activities e DELTAWRX Page 57 114 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Appendix B Recommended Call Taker and Communications Support Officer Staffing DELTAWRX used the Erlang-C formula to determine optimal call taker staffing,and based our analysis on the following assumptions: • Average 911 call length:127 seconds ■ Average 10-digit call length:119 seconds • Desired service level:90%of calls answered within 10 seconds,per the NENA standard • Average leave time(including sick days,vacation days,breaks and training):543 hours for law enforcement and 674 hours for fire/medical aid personnel — Between 5.7 and 6.23 full time equivalents(FTE)are required to cover a 24-hour position We further assume that South Sound 911 will move to a unified call taker model and project incoming call volumes as shown in Table 23.Our projections show incoming calls decreasing from current environment by 114,356 calls per year due to the fact that fire/medical aid calls will no longer need to be answered twice.To be conservative in our projections,we assume that the number of transfers to/from the Washington State Patrol will remain the same as the current state. Table 23.Projected Call Volume Under Unified Structure Fire/ Law iVledical Aid Total Annual incoming 911 Calls 430,594 121,772 552,366 Annual Incoming Admin Calls 376,413 39,542 I 415,955 Total Annual Incoming Calls 807,007 161,314 968,321 Although DELTAWRX had total call volume data,South Sound 911 was unable to provide incoming call volume on an hourly basis,a key input into determining optimal hourly staffing. As a proxy for this data,DELTAWRX applied the distribution of law enforcement CAD events by hour of day to the incoming call volume data,assuming that incoming call volume mirrors CAD event volume.Hourly fire events were not provided,but since law enforcement events account for 83 percent of South Sound 911's dispatched events we feel comfortable using the distribution of law enforcement data as a close proxy.Table 24 shows our estimation of total hourly incoming calls for both law enforcement and fire/medical aid(combined)by hour of day. (A i DELTAWRX Page 58 �'��Rtrunnurmer!consul ants 115 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 24.Projected Hourly Incoming Call Volume(Combined Law Enforcement/Fire/Medical) Hour of Day Incoming Calls 0000 1.19 0100 1.. 49 0200 81 0300 67 0400 52 0500 43 ex,A 0600 ,__ .42 --i 0700 61 0800 0900 105 1000 116 1100 - 125 —1200 - -— 128 1300 128 i — 1400 - 144 1500 147 _ .gym- 1600 153 1700 144 1500 138 I� 1900 143 2000 130 2100 133 2200 140 2300 137 Total 2653 ` DELTAWRX Page 59 management consulto nis 116 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 25 shows the projected number of call takers required per hour based on the assumptions stated at the beginning of section 2.3,and the call volumes provided in Table 24. Table 25.Projected Unified Call Takers Required Per Hour Hour of Day Call Takers Required for Each Hour of the Day 0000 1 8 0100 7 0200 7 0300 6 0400 5 _ OSQO 4 ._ 0600 4 --i 0700 5 0800 6 0900 7 1000 8 1100 8 1200 8 1300 8 1400 9 1500 9 1600 9 1700 9 1800 9 1900 9 2000 _ 8 2100 8 2200 9 2300 9 Total 179 Based on the leave assumptions at the beginning of this subsection,it would require approximately 43 FTE to cover 179 hours of call taker work per day,or 65,335 hours of call taker work per year.This projection rounds up the number of FTE required on an hourly basis to account for"whole persons."We segregate the 43 FTE by unified call takers and Communications Support Officer(CSO)in Table 26 based on the current practice of CSOs (A)DELTAWRX Page 60 � rt+renayemen consulln nls 117 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington handling roughly 40,000 calls per year,and the assumption that fire would benefit from the addition of a CSO to answer administrative lines in the unified call taker scenario. Table 26.Recommended Call Takers and CSOs Position Law Fire/Medical Aid Recommended Unified Call Takers 33 Recommended CSOs 9 1 eDELTAWRX Page 61 monagement can sully nls 118 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Appendix C Analysis of Use of E911 Funds The tables in this appendix include actual numbers for 2016 to show how funds have been used in the past,and budgeted numbers for 2017 and 2018 to show how DEM plans to use the funds in future years.The numbers for 2017 have been updated as the year progressed and those shown are the most recent updates available as of November 2017. E911 Excise Tax Fund Overview The Pierce County Department of Emergency Management(DEM)manages the E911 Excise Tax Revenue Fund along with four other funds:Emergency Management,Emergency Management Grants,Combined Communications Network(CCN),and Radio Communications.Table 27 provides an overview of the E911 Excise tax fund as expended in 2016 and as budgeted for 2017 and 2018. Table 27.Pierce County E911 Excise Tax Funds Cost Category 2016 Actual 2017 Budget 2018 Budget Beginning Fund Balance $ 6,919,000 $ 5,785,454 $ 4,200,000 Excise Tax Revenues 7,914,571 7,922,150 8,205,370 Grant Revenue 87,894 77,090 80,090 Miscellaneous Revenue 5,311 200 200 Total Available E911 Funds 14,926,776 13,785,440 12,485,660 Expenditures 9,141,322 8,920,640 10,429,840 Ending Funding Balance $ 5,785,484 $ 4,864,800 $ 2,055,820 Fund balances grow in years when expenditures fall short of the authorized budget.In years when budgeted expenditures exceed revenues,the difference is covered by the surplus accumulated in previous years. In 2016,with a fund balance of almost$7 million,total available E911 funds were almost$15 million.Expenditures that year exceeded tax revenues,and DEM used the reserves in the fund balance to cover the$1.2 million difference,leaving a fund balance of$5.8 million and$13.7 million in available funds for 2017. In 2017,expenditures are again expected to exceed tax revenue,this year by about$1 million, leaving a fund balance of$4,864,600 at the beginning of 2018. The reported budget assumes the fund will start 2018 with a balance of$4.2 million,about $665,000 shy of the projected 2017 ending fund balance.With estimated expenditures over$2 eDELTAWRX Page 62 119 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington million higher than expected revenues in 2018,the fund balance will be close to$2 million by the end of next year. Table 28 shows an overview of E911 fund expenditures from 2016 through 2018.The following sections explore the detail of each cost category. Table 28.Overview of E911 Fund Expenditures Cost Category 2016 Actual 2017 Budget 2018 Budget E911 Program Office Expenses l $ 462,416 $ 740,700 $ 990,800 Professional Services 759,395 1,918,320 1,132,920 Central Service and DEM Allocation Costs 929,487' 1,072,500 1,120,480 55911 Allocations 4,135,467 4,041,920 4,185,840 Capital Outlays 313,607 _ _ 1,999,800 Transfer Out 2,540,960' 1,147,200 1,000,000 Total $ 9,141,332 $ 8,920,640 $ 10,429,840 Revenue $8,007,866 $7,999,440 $8,285,660 Use of Fund Balance $ 1,133,46721 $921,200• $2,144,18023 E911 Program Office Expenses E911 Program Office expenses include costs directly attributable to the activities associated with the E911 fund.Professional services could also be considered a direct cost,but for the purpose of understanding how the E911 taxes are expended,we considered them separately. E911 Program Office expenses include the salaries and benefits for the 4.1 FTEs supporting the E911 Office,along with categories like supplies,travel,training,telephone communication,and repairs and maintenance.Table 29 shows the detailed breakdown of E911 Program Office 212016 use of fund balance is based on the difference between reported revenue and reported expenditures as reported on financial information provided by the County.After the Validation Workshop,the County provided new information showing the 2016 use of fund balance to be$1,226,760.The difference between the two numbers is the revenue from grants,which shows on the original financial information but not on the new information. .2017 use of fund balance is based on the difference between budgeted revenue and budgeted expenditures as reported on financial information provided by the County.After the Validation Workshop,the County provided new information showing the 2017 use of fund balance to be$834,170.Total expenditures reported are also lower,which may reflect updates to the financial information based on actual expenditures. z3 2018 use of fund balance is based on the difference between budgeted revenue and budgeted expenditures as reported on financial information provided by the County.The budgeted revenue takes into account income from grants.After the Validation Workshop,the County provided new information in which the use of funds amount is consistent with the original financial information.Revenues on the new information do not reflect revenue from grants. DELTAWRX Page 63 120 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington expenses for 2016—2018.As can be seen in the table,the bulk of the direct costs come from salaries and benefits,although in 2018,the amount budgeted repairs and maintenance is expected to more than triple to$355,290 due to maintenance costs for customer premise equipment at JBLM and WSP. Table 29.E911 Program Office Expenses Expense 2016 Actual 2017 Budget 2018 Budget • Salaries and Benefits $ 357,977 $ 466,890 $ 472,430 1 Supplies 31,002 76,330 75,280 Public Utility Services 1 958` - - Mail and Postage 66 200 210 Freight Expense 42 - Other Miscellaneous 7,340; 18,500 3,310 Travel 1,191, 25,100' 200 ' Training 14,700 600 52,500 • Telephone Communication _- 21,746 52,000' _23,080 Repairs and Maintenance) 19,804 92,580! 355,290 Repairs and Maintenance-IT - 1,000 1,000 IT-GIS Ortho Contours 7,500 7,500 7,500 Total Direct Costs $ 464,526 $ 740,700 $ 993,040• Professional Services Table 30 shows expenses that the County categorizes as professional services from 2015 through 2018.Contracted professional services vary from year to year.Some expenses,such as the telephone system analysis performed by Mobius Solutions,are one-time expenses. Others,such as the maintenance contract for the Everbridge Alert and Warning System,are annual expenses.The County has had several contracts with Stantec Consulting for various projects related to the County's radio system,starting in 2011.Critical Infrastructure Cyber Security Consultants initially provided the County with recommendations and guidance to ensure the availability and integrity of the 911 phone system.Based on the recommendations, Critical Infrastructure Cyber Security Consultants was engaged to provide additional consulting services for the following: ■ WSP and South Sound 911 CPE upgrades ■ Staff augmentation during Telecommunications Specialist absence from E911 Office e DELTAWRX Page 64 121 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington • Puyallup and JBLM InfoSec upgrade and text-to-911 implementation • Project definition for a continuity of operations plan for the E911 Program Office • Project definition for developing E911 Office security policies and procedures Table 30.Professional Services Expenses Expense 2015Actual 2016 Actual 2017 Budget 2018 Budget Everbridge Alert&Warning Contract $181,160 $183,270 $296,900€ $180,000 Emergency Broadcast Radio(KGHP) 25,000 25,000 25,000 LAHAR Satellite Annual Lease 19,330' - I Console Cleaning 17,680 - - Stantec Consulting i 560,000 274,220 251,000 190,000 Mobius Solutions-Phone System 25,000 Analysis ' 30,000 Telco 29,410 29,760 West Pierce Fire-Duty Officer Dispatch - 50,000 State Audit 1,220' Danard Electric(WSP Tacoma) - 930 - Critical Infrastructure Cyber Sec. - 195,000 249,000 I 190,000, Consultant -_ -- State-Wide Telephone Services - 566,420 566,420 P3 NG Security - - 500,000 Centurylink Database Extract - - 5,000 WSP Monitoring/Support lines - - - 1,500 Total Professional Services $857,580 $759,400 $1,918,320 $1,132,920 The contract with P3 NG Security in 2017 is to coordinate the County's E911 infrastructure with the State's ESlnetll rollout.The amount budgeted for State-Wide Telephone Services is a contingency fund that,according to the County,is required by the State. Central Services and DEM Allocation Costs A portion of the County's administrative and IT costs(central services costs(are allocated to each County based on formulas for each allocated cost category.Additionally,since funding for the FTEs for higher level administration of the various DEM divisions comes out of the Emergency Management fund,a portion of the costs from that fund are allocated to the other four funds that the DEM manages(cost pool allocations).Table 31 shows the amount of each central service cost category,as well as the DEM costs,allocated to the 6911 Excise Tax fund. DELTAWRX Page 65 122 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 31.Central Service and DEM Costs Allocated to E911 Excise Tax Fund Allocated Cost Category 2016 Actual 2017 Budget 2018 Budget State Audit Reimbursement+ $ 8,031 $ 11,590 I $ 10,560 Performance Audit _ Self-Insurance Reimbursement+Medical 7,170 7,250 5,830 Self Insurance Space Rental from County/External Lease 81,112 88,970 87,560 IT Enterprise Allocation 17,200 16,380 180,750 IT Financial/HR Systems Allocation 14,070 12,050E 17,840 —— IT Central New Investment Allocation 14,910' 8,670 ` IT Systems Support Allocation 321,400 400,480 278,440 IT Systems New Investments 75,484 35,090 Indirect Costs 83,730 — 95,440! 116,710{�{ Routing and Delivery 2,1 ii) 2,150 2,240 County Wide Security+Sustainability b. Reimbursement 1,031; 970 1,110 Government Relations Reimbursement 5,390 3,320 Total Central Service Allocation Costs $ 626,249 j $ 684,430 $ 704,960 DEM Cost Pool Allocation 303,238 388,070 415,520 Total Allocated Costs ' $ 929,487 $ 1,072,500 $ 1,120,480 Several numbers in Table 31 warranted further investigation: ■ The charge for space rental,which will be over$7,000 per month in 2018,for 4.1 FTEs The total costs for IT support,which are budgeted to be around$475,000 for 2017 and 2018 ■ Indirect costs,which will be over$100,000 in 2018 • DEM cost pool allocation,which will be over$415,000 in 2018 Understanding the overhead allocations required understanding the basis on which each cost was allocated,as well as the allocations to the E911 Excise Tax fund relative to the allocations to other DEM funds. Relative Allocations.Table 32 shows the overhead allocated to the E911 Excise Tax fund relative to the overhead allocated to the other DEM funds. At$705,000,the central service ( DELT�IWRX Page 66 123 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington allocation to the E of the five DEM funds. assigns the fewest911 number Excise ofTax FTEs tofund theisthe E911highest Program Office,the DEM cost poolAlthough allocationGEM is second highest.As discussed in the remaining paragraphs of this section,overhead cost allocations reflect factors other than the number of FTEs in a department. Table 32.2018 Central Service and DEM Cost Pool Allocations by DEM Department Emergency Emergency E911 Excise Mgmt. Radio Mgt Tax Grants GGN co... Total fTEs 28 4.1 12 I 4.8 10.1 59 State Audit+ $ - $ 10,560' $ 1,790 $ 2,970 $ 10,300 $ 25,62Q Performance Audit Self-Insurance+ Medical Self 53,900 5,830 27,350 5,490 31,700 124,270 Insurance Space Rental from 5823,'90°300: 87,560 103,330 14,070 91,160 378,150 County ,. a ..._ IT Enterprise 264,870 180,750 80,950' 8,070, 57,750 592,390 Allocation It Financial/Hr 33,670 17,840 19,860 9,990_1.. 24,050 105,410 Systems Allocation It Central New i Investment 14,990 I - -' - 14,990 Allocation i It Systems Support 72,640 278,440 55,360 - -. 406,440 Allocation ounty-Wide 116,710 34,540 54,650 157,320 363,220 Indirect Costs -i -- -- - _-- • . _ Routing and 8,660 2,240 0 2,240 13,140 Delivery County Wide Security+ 7,590 1,110 4,110! 270 2,690 15,770, _ Sustainability Government —_ Relations 4,170 3,920 2,040 3,910 14,040 Reimbursement ::Sent o�cetio �2 s a,961 7,290�� '''''.;?,r,,,-!:i,%' ,550 6120 ' $2; 80 DEM Cost Pool Allocations - 415,520 328,810 226,310 I 449,430 1,420,070 Toga ,;(714,-*','„ `,48 .Da x,860 550 $ 6 5 Space Rental.Allocations for space rental are based on the total square footage occupied by the people and equipment supported by the fund.Table 33 shows the space allocated to each DEM fund.The space dedicated to emergency management operations,the emergency operations center(EOC)is allocated to the E911 Excise Tax fund,which explains why,with 4.1 i A~ DELTAWRX Page 67 pis 124 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington employees,the amount of space allocated to the Excise Tax funds appears high relative to that allocated to the other funds.24 Table 33.DEM Space Allocation Emergency Emergency E911 Excise Management Radio Building Management Tax Grants CCN Communications FTEs 28 ## 4.1 12 4.8 10.1 County City 610.00 Building Annex 2,613.00 297.00 Annex West 6,267.29 11,800.24 13,927.11 288.79 281.57 112th St 15,877.01 Total Square 8,880.29 11,800.24 13,927.11 1,195.79 16,158.58 Footage IT Support.The basis for the IT support costs are as follows: • IT Enterprise and Central New Investment:Weighted average of FTEs, computers and ports compared to total County-wide staff,computers and ports • IT Financial/HR Systems:Formula including transaction counts,actual fund expenditures and FTEs • IT Systems Support:Formula including hours of support,data storage used on servers and IT systems used only by the department At over$475,000,IT costs allocated to the E911 Excise Tax fund are over 40%of the$1.1 million allocated to all DEM funds.The computers and computer systems supporting EOC operations are allocated to the E911 Excise tax fund,which explains why the costs seem high relative to the other DEM departments. County-Wide Indirect Costs.County-wide indirect costs attributed to each fund are based on the funds'share of the County budget.Table 34 shows revenues and expenditures less the county-wide overhead attributed to each DEM fund,along with the county-wide indirect costs 242018 Space allocation is 11,000 square feet at the County's W.Annex building,which contains 5 consoles and 2 CAD positions that provide PSAP and first responder back up,and a"call center"staffed by multiple agencies during emergencies.The call center handles citizen and first responder calls during disasters,and law enforcement activities including Child Abduction Response Team,Tip Lines and resource requests.The E-911 Community Educator works at the W.Annex location and the other 3.1 FTE E-911 staff work at the County's 112"Street location.The 112"Street move occurred after the 2018 space costs were developed.In 2019,the County's charge for space rental will increase to account for the occupied space at 112"Street. (��. DELTAWRX Page 68 MfFRf) tlpnl C�n5Vl! 125 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington attributed to each fund.The table also shows the use of fund balance required to account for budgeted expenditures higher than expected revenues. Table 34.2018 Budgeted DEM Fund Revenues and Expenditures Emergency Emergency E911 Excise Mgmt. Radio Mgt Tax Grants CCN Comms Total FTEs 28 4.1 j 12 4.8 10.1 59 Total Revenues $1,260,880 j $8,285,660 $3,001,850 j $3,871,300 $7,694,740 $24,114,430 Use of Fund $2,458,610 $2,144,180 $275,800 $59,090; $743,100 $5,680,780 Balance Total Expenditures Less County-wide $3,176,970 $9,724,880 $2,950,360 $3,932,840, $8,399,720 $27,635,030 Overhead County-Wide - $116,710 $34,540 $54,650, $157,320 $363,220 Indirect Costs —-Even though E911 Excise Tax fund revenues and expenditures are higher than those for the Radio Communications fund,county-wide indirect costs are lower,so it is likely that the allocation formula includes a factor other than the department's share of the County budget. Regardless,the amount of tax money used to pay for expenses through the E911 Excise Tax fund is the major contributing factor to the county-wide indirect costs attributed to that fund. DEM Cost Pool Allocations.DEM cost pool allocations are indirect costs incurred by the DEM that do not directly benefit a specific function within the department.DEM tracks those costs through the use of an administrative cost pool that consists of the salaries,benefits,support costs and general department-wide costs for the following staff: • Department Director ■ Department Deputy Director ■ Two Emergency Management Program Managers ■ Administrative Program Manager ■ Grant Accountant,Accountant and Accounting Assistant • Confidential Secretary • Office Assistant ■ Information Technology Specialist e DELTAWRX Page 69 126 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington DEM allocates the administrative cost pool to the DEM funds using a rate that is calculated from direct costs less one-time,equipment,pass-through and transfer costs,and adjusted levels of eligible reimbursement for certain programs. Ultimately,the allocation reflects revenues passed through the fund,which explains why the DEM cost pool allocations seem relatively high given the number of FTEs in the E911 Program Office. South Sound 911 Distributions Per the Interlocal Agreement,the County distributes$.20 of the$.70 E911 Excise Tax fund revenue(28.5%)to South Sound 911 each year.Additional allocations are agreed upon annually.Table 35 shows the E911 Excise Tax fund distributions to South Sound 911. Table 35.E911 Excise Tax Distributions to South Sound 911 Cost Category 2016 Actual 2017 Budget 2018 Budget $.20 Excise Tax Distribution to South Sound 911 $2,220,519: $2,084,25025'$ 2,285,190 1,934,94 1,957,67 2,016,40 Additional Distributions to South Sound 911 8 0 0 Total $ 4,135,567 4 $4,041,920 a $4,185,840 Capital Outlays and Transfers Out Table 36 shows the capital outlays and transfers out from the E911 Excise Tax Fund.Capital outlays from 2016 through 2018 include almost$2.5 million for the Pierce County Corrections Bureau radio systems improvement project.$3 million is budgeted for transfer to the Radio Communications fund to pay for the 700 and 410 overlay projects.Detail provided by the County for the E911 Excise Tax fund shows a$1,540,960 transfer to CCN to offset radio user fees in 2016.The CCN budget shows this transfer in from Pierce County,but shows it going into a replacement reserve fund,not offsetting radio user fees.The E911 Excise Tax fund does not show any budgeted transfers to CCN in 2017 or 2018,but the CCN budget shows revenue sourced from the"Pierce County E-911$.50 excise tax"in each of those years in the amount of $1,085,490 and$1,230,100,respectively.If these transfers do occur,it may be that the actual use of fund balance will be higher than projected. "The South Sound 911 2017 budget shows that it expects$2,263,470 from$.20 Excise tax.The$21,720 difference may be due to accrual basis of accounting since it is equal to approximately one month of revenue. However,reconciling the two budgets will result in expenditures higher than revenues,so it may be that the actual use of fund balance will be slightly higher than projected. DELTAWRX Page 70 PtfgrtO�l•n Crf r�VnfU�!fl Ull 127 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Table 36.Capital Outlays and Transfers Out from the E911 Excise Tax Fund Cost Category 2016 Actual 2017 Budget 2018 Budget Capital Outlay for Corrections Bureau Radio $ 330,607 System Improvement Project , _ $ 1,949,800 Transfer to Radio Communications (Motorola Contract for implementation of 1,000,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 the 700 and 410 Overlay) Transfer to CCN for Radio System R 1,540,96026 -71 Replacement _. �$ Transfer to Planning and Public Works for � 147,000 Centerline Mapping Total $ 2,854,567, $ 1,147,200 $ 2,999,800 26 DEM budget documents show that$1,540,960 was transferred in 2016 to offset radio system user fees,but CCN budget shows that it went into the Radio System Replacement account. 27 CCN 2017 budget shows revenue of$1,093,880 from$.50 E911 Tax;E911 fund does not show the transfer. zs CCN 2018 budget shows revenue of$1,230,100 from$.50 E911 Tax;E911 fund does not show the transfer. DELTAWRX Page 71 128 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Appendix D Washington State County Expenses Eligible for Reimbursement from E911 Funds Based on WAC 118-66 Expenses for wireline service components,including ■ Switching office enabling; - Automatic number identification(ANI); - Traffic studies between switching offices and the selective router; - ALI/DMS service; — Reverse ALI search capability. Expenses for wireless components: ■ Wireless Phase I E9-1-1 service components: — Phase I automatic location identification(ALI); — Phase I address; — Service control point Phase I capabilities; — Phase I ALI database; — Phase I interface to selective router; — Phase I interface to ALI database; — Phase I testing; — Phase I implementation plans; — Phase I implementation agreements; — Pseudo-ANI(P-ANI); — MSC Phase I software capabilities; — Traffic studies between the MSC and selective router; — Phase I ALI data circuits; • Wireless E9-1-1 Phase II service components(including all Phase I components): — Location determination technology; — Phase II implementation plan; — Phase II testing; — MSC Phase II software capabilities; — Service control point Phase II capabilities;and — Mobile positioning center. Expenses for components shared with wireline/VoIP and wireless enhanced 9-1-1 services: C��DELTAWRX Page 72 nonagemen ,,I:nl; 129 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington ■ Statewide dialing items: - Coordinator professional development; - NG9-1-1 network; - 9-1-1 network equivalent(B.01/P.01 grade of service level required); - Selective routing; - Automatic location identification(ALI)database; - Traffic studies between selective router and PSAP; - Telecommunications service priority; - Language interpretive service; - Alternate routing and/or night service; - Customer premise equipment(CPE)/telephone system and maintenance; - TTY required for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA); - ANI/ALl controllers and necessary interfaces to send data to other PSAP equipment; - (viii)ANI/ALI display equipment for primary PSAPs; — PSAP mapping and maintenance; — County 9-1-1 coordinator duties; — MSAG coordination and maintenance; — Mapping/GIS coordination and maintenance; — 9-1-1 information technology services; — 9-1-1 call receiver salaries and benefits; — 9-1-1 public education coordination;and — 9-1-1 training coordination. ■ Basic service items: — Uninterruptible power supply(UPS)for PSAP enhanced 9-1-1 equipment and maintenance; — Route diversity between selective router and PSAP; — 9-1-1 Coordinator training; — MSAG training; — Mapping/GIS training; — Information technology(IT)training; — Call receiver training; — E9-1-1 mapping administration; — Instant call check equipment and maintenance; — Mapping display for call answering positions that are ANI/ALI equipped; — 9-1-1 Management information system; — Call detail recorder or printer and maintenance; — Headsets for 9-1-1 call receivers; DELTAWRX Page 73 � rronaye!ne+:,nsul.onfs 130 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington — Enhanced 9-1-1 document destruction;and — 9-1-1 coordinator electronic mail. • Capital: — Logging recorder for 9-1-1 calls and maintenance; — Computer aided dispatch(CAD)system hardware and software and maintenance; — Auxiliary generator and generator maintenance to provide 9-1-1 eligible equipment/telephone services backup power; — Clock synchronizer and maintenance;and — Console furniture for 9-1-1 call receiving equipment and maintenance. PSAP and 9-1-1 administration cost items • Management services; ■ Human resources services; • Legal costs; ■ Financial services; • PSAP and 9-1-1 administration lease/purchase costs; • E9-1-1 building repair and maintenance,and major systems replacement/repair; • E9-1-1 property and liability insurance; • PSAP and 9-1-1 administrative telephone system; • E9-1-1/NG9-1-1 reserve accounts;and • Radio communications services companies wireless enhanced 9-1-1 recovery expenses. DELTAWRX Page 74 �� management cansellnnl, 131 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Appendix E Pierce County E911 Program Office Annual Report to State on E911 Excise Tax Fund Expenditures The following two pages contain the Pierce County E91 Program Office Annual Report to the State on the use of the E911 excise tax fund in 2016. s DELTAWRX Page 75 `_ rn8n p{�Cml nt[Un1Vt�'tf 132 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Pierce county uv , �ad.f ry agmeewt(CPO E7gr�es� I. Pmrrfeaea eaa(fYI FY1'g _5.' CP01 cecss y Canmi4Ee`Subcrrt AtkJ5,Faum5,5T 5uppsnetl Tmff uac,a errcwnsfne 1a muerlhs $ 4,004.a" 8_S.a. GPC;2 9=3i7t Gountp GaaditaForTrasning(maximum:56044) 56,000 s 5.0 $ 54Q0A0'.: CPQ3 es�714 E2fu+.,' taE 44aeee1 easacPmam(sei cs s_55,044) 55,459 5 5 550 1,#°- :5 0D.4a! sass• ass Safari�.'BelteRts arltl Tralnirxg fmanmum S13,.i44) 515,504 S a e t55@4 S; l5;SQC.Q@'- fc00GCmdssl^�? 5 tcoo 3 To27050 WAG Caad."ng.S T7ax 6na iftm i a(Jlr of Me.Yrre7 5sfud dek w R. Y w ctn uxe eo(Elms sa to ttw'or o,S sees t§S i s,5fe�41 errymry yxiu ''''''''''''''':'-'1-7„ 'as Cord saccca'ses 5 I.S 186,410.00' wart,w�dte ifans y-xrea. 9uese.fit us Anew.ho,y jmu('hods,'whY us Um turs:f3_ M4'F�'x+ Cored 7�irm3 f 10555005071 5570 S e 7iT;S4Q:OQ T,:''':'''S sass gi 7 Ca4 oocen,er Traini.; Sa041 CR G.Ppa4 515.440 a 75.004 S,. .15,UOQ.40'.. CP[?5 MGgt t Prep�E(atc hx EslNetil3r�em�tliCrt rEquares pee-approve � CPp7 5-971 T ttE In:tpr/!E SENilic. budgeted amaerf fnr 12 mexerth; Illpo ci:.......s'':„,,,,„"'''T—_L--,,,,,,,,,,,-,.,..,.,,,, SE)m51i ac27oasa15 c) 5950Oeftr50fir 0morr0c TDTALCn�a'4iceatorP'a'o�sesffln�€?�r&{apttS9ction R'� ;td„i33l1d10�. �.�.�.E9tfCauretfCavriEnatar 563;1!07 S 63,ffi7t,t` 115;47>3.40 55 At5HC 1x7pPinge�r5 f: inaror -. 5s_o �s ,e1,090 S 2�u,2aQ.4a, se, intama7ionTecmabgyPT)Salary 5zT;4t4 ; 27Q7a `$ trrs9ci_4o S7 971 CaERecefrFs5al�s 5269,154 �S Z69,1'a4�`� 7,11@70EL40• 5B PUUYc Enm n Ccaninakx satay $7273 723 5 7,271 . aS,H9Q, 54 Trasei'V Coo�uit.'`slaty $'=,a 3 S 7,Z $ g4 At5RGMappirg,15 Caa ina�Training 55.[94 S, 'X* :. B5 tT Coa'Jinaax^Trairst[iC� 510.440 ;-. 1Q.DD4 B6 971 Cac tZeCL441'T2dirb3 57.544/CR fif,944.40-.5 t96 0Q4 s BT €917.Pping ittknsl iratiun ,,,„0,, 5 10.044 ;r 1214 7.04 B12 ti6's s far Cali RECEivers up>4 Ss.,4IX3 P.C.., S 2.404 $ t rto3lf? 873 .......''' 5140. S 104 S 190.40 874 Ca4rrty Coorcinatrx E-►Aa,�l - - 5`�J ,Sr 500;S 2,190.40 50 < J l,T PAPGAp' _4ett 6-4,4'I .u7,492s333.a. f 51.7 GPE r THEpC77tN1e tswon ma r.lance f9,564AQ 53.1 PSRP.W.,''''''''''' ao.cacti caE $ 0,055.00 ,#81-1 ul'lFainEna a� e�a 86.1 lr€stara Call Check MaeCenancE S Bt4.7`fI5 tdaireEnarx.2 $ - - B11.1 Call DEtafl R.@EOntg or Ptntei AtaimEttance $' C7.1 .7g5irl5Ju nossa0 main Enance $ - C21 CRf?Fdau7€�?oance ':'. t5fi�000.4Q .1 AuriLLarp:,erserata•Maince # 541 C10ck Synr7tronirns Man'lznance }, C5 1 .ic REceiver CC115Ue Furniture Mao."*fancE ,.' - • 021;200 $ 003,02Q_', r DELTAWRX Page 76 sss ttnsrarenere•consu:Itignta 133 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington TOTAL ESTIMATED BASIC SERVICE-OPEnAT%v eaennsE4 Rtmnr®eFffitepoRAC7lrii[G(�93Etleci®14arp�r�G- nuao Mange the .or b Oatts.'faniiennatlepdt Salaries 8 Benefits(Mertz!5.1 anG Mats a1 Cam Cedes not covered in VW., f 19,736,040 00 Proie5..I Fe.(nurse foe,legal,consutlmg,0..senat account.,slate manor,etc, app$Processing s eats pager nn cnerx,psych&ae$ar wens,etc._.) f Dues d 5ubssnutiats f Pr rg&Re,...C11 Recru%5uppt�s 4 P cstage 8 Deirr, Rue..casts&s lunge r s Jarintvi f Bldg mainenanee a repairs&Ondsraperl _ 3 usuranae-pope,and Meaty Cammuncatiorts(rates,m0 peon,pages,intemet bat..et Trartng&Travel(not cartereu n VVAC) C tat Equyrltent-¢wt cnterea n WAD, matsines,chairs,aaaa poen,etc...) f f?lJct Sapp0us(P.15 PEB*p -► 4 Caw Con.WOG*-.dirks,main ante,!llet,ea.. f - Te.p orte(aanet tones,Finer cox,PBX,otter,etc..-)Prot caned in 5t site 5enices& 4 tit, (elective,da.,fie,seawer,can ca.,etc...) f tmergeeerrineetal Fees east Fees Contract 5gvices decd tar VAC elate egopment) ®1t Reserve Account Human Resolves Legal Fees 5 Renate ratio sties Sant,PSAP f 4 4 4 4 TOTAL t 19,736,046.00 Gad Total-$ 35,904,5Aa00 (A''~DELTAWRX Page 77 �� 134 Strategic Study of 911 Dispatch Operations, South Sound 911 Radio Systems,911 Funding and Governance Washington Appendix F South Sound 9112018 Communications Budget Table 37.South Sound 9112018 Communications Budget Category Amount Aifocation Revenue $19,9100890 Sales Tax Revenue 16,534,710 Excise Tax Revenue 4,301,590 Total Revenue $38,786,190 c mit omi vtions Salaries and Benefits 2Z,847,130 Communications Supplies 03,310 Communications Services 919,460 Administrative and IT Operations(costs allocated to supporting Communications) 2,535,170 intergovernmental and inter-fund 43,520 Capital 50,000 Total Operations $27,483;590 Transfer to Radio Debt Fund 5,691,600 Transfer to Facility Capital Fund 4,150,000 Transfer to Lease Reserve 2,300,000 Transfer to Radio User Fee Fund 850,000 Total Expenditures $40,47S,190 (14'1 DELTAWRX Page 78 monagemeni consulio nls 135 SOUTH SOUND 911 YOUR CONNECTION TO POLICE,FIRE AND MEDICAL AID South Sound 911 Cost Allocation Study DELTAWRX LTAW RX management consultants 136 Strategic Drivers ❑ Improved transparency ❑ Consistent allocation formula across all entities ■ May differ by discipline ❑ Improved basis for allocation formula may;DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 2 m ono Bemenl cent ullanl• 137 Current Assessment Formula ❑ Per ILA,Policy Board sets assessments annually and bases them on usage ❑ Law enforcement agencies • Historically based on calls for service,excluding traffic and fire/medical calls • Agencies previously serviced by Puyallup and Fife joined South Sound at their previous rate O Puyallup renegotiated rate to achieve what it thought was parity • Result is that cost/CFS varies by agency with no relationship to agency characteristics or use of South Sound 911 resources ❑ Fire agencies • Currently based on assessed value(30%)and calls for service(70%) ❑ 2017 and 2018 allocations were a flat increase across the board • Offsets for Central Pierce,Buckley,Crystal Mountain,Carbonado and Green Water avoided substantial increases to costs • Allocation revenue does not cover costs less tax revenue offsets 4.0‘;DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 3 138 Principles for Developing New Formula ❑ Transparency ❑ Simplicity ❑ Easily replicable ❑ Fosters county-wide interoperability ❑ Does not create any negative incentives regarding use of South Sound 911 services ❑ Others? ■ Reflects usage of South Sound 911 resources is j DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 4 139 Potential Cost Allocation Factors ❑ Calls for service ❑ Population ❑ Assessed Valuation ❑ Sales Tax Distribution ❑ Geography(area and density) ❑ Number and Duration of Radio Transmissions ❑ Number of Subscriber Units ❑ Number of Sworn ❑ Incoming Calls ❑ Number of Logon Ids ❑ Percent of Console Use(based on CFS or population) DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 5 mooaen,,o,,o„ 140 Benchmarking -Valleycom ❑ Based on CFS ■ Does not differentiate between fire and law enforcement ■ Cost/CFS same for all agencies ❑ Implications for South Sound 911 ■ Simple formula that is easy to replicate ■ Does not take into account cost variations for providing services to agencies ■ Costs increase for agencies with cost/CFS less than the average and decrease for agencies with cost/CFS higher than the average DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 6 manap stmani coot�Ilon�s 141 Benchmarking - NORCOMM ❑ Based on percent of CFS within discipline and agency use of NORCOM resources • Divides budget evenly between fire and police agencies • Allocates budget within discipline based on calls for service • Adds the staffing cost of providing extra services(e.g.,dedicated talk group) • Adds a surcharge for subscriber agencies ❑ Implications for South Sound 911 • South Sound 911 cost for providing services to fire agencies is less than cost for providing services to law enforcement agencies(costs are allocated precisely) • South Sound 911 agencies do not want to charge non-owner agencies a surcharge • South Sound 911 does not currently charge for extra services O Does the working group want to consider this approach? DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 7 mon vYinenr con.ulranr. 142 FYI - NORCOMM Allocation Formula U Fire ■ Principal: [C(i)/C(f)*.5B]+E+D • Subscriber: [C(i)/C(f)*.5B]*1.06+E+D ❑ Police • Principal: [C(i)/C(p)*.5B]+E+D ■ Subscriber: [C(i)/C(p)*.5B]*1.06+E+D U Terms: ■ C(i)=Agency calls for service • C(f) =Total fire calls for service • C(p)=Total police calls for service • B=Net budget • S=Smoothing rebate • E=Charge for dedicated staffing • D=Debt repayment may`,DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 8 mane pe meni o naelon. 143 FYI - NORCOMM Definition of Call for Service U Any request for service or unit-initiated activity resulting in creation of a CAD incident and interaction with NORCOM personnel,with the exception of the following: • Mutual aid incident in which another NORCOM agency of the same discipline is dispatched as the primary responding agency • Incident that is a duplicate of another CFS • An incident cancelled by NORCOM personnel due to an error(does not include incidents in which RP calls back to cancel the response after the incident has been entered into CAD) • Routine traffic stops,unless the circumstances change requiring dispatcher involvement(e.g.,warrant arrest,criminal activity,pursuit,etc.) • Informational broadcasts • Incident created to assist the dispatcher in tracking unit activity DELTAW RX Cost Allocation Study Page 9 onoaam.�r consul�a ntr 144 Benchmarking - CRESA Allocation U Stated objectives(principles) • Provide stability and sustainability • Be simple to administer and easy to understand • Be fair and equitable and allow flexibility • Differentiate between Owners and Customers U Owners'contribution is based on 85%call volume and 15%radio count • Call volume is based on calls that generate a CAD entry • Radio count is based on annual inventory of the#radios owned by an agency U Implications for South Sound 911 • Simple,replicable and transparent • Decided that radio count is not a valid measure of use • Could use number of logons instead O Could hurt smaller agencies with larger percentage of logons relative to CFS O Does Working Group want to explore this approach? ii DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 10 145 Benchmarking - Kitsap ❑ Based on a base amount plus percentage of CFS within a discipline ■ Each agency is charged$5,000 as a base amount ■ Total base amount(#agencies x$5000)is subtracted from the budget ■ Remaining budget is divided between police and fire disciplines based on the number of dedicated consoles ■ Within each discipline,the budget is divided based on the agency's%of CFS within its discipline(uses a three-year average) ❑ Implications for South Sound 911 ■ Charging a base amount would put a disproportionate burden on smaller agencies(they would pay a relatively higher cost/CFS) ■ Takes into account resources dedicated to each discipline O However,South Sound 911 costs are allocated precisely between fire and law enforcement ■ Three-year average smooths out annual variations O Does the Working Group want to explore this approach? DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 11 n oglminl COns�l In nls 146 FYI - Kitsap Allocation Formula 1. Calculate Total Base=#Agencies*$5,000 2. Calculate Total Console Share=Total Appropriations=All funding sources—Total Base 3. Calculate Police/Fire Split: a) Police split=number of police allocated consoles/total consoles b) Fire split—number of fire allocated consoles/total consoles 4. Calculate Police/Fire Share a) Police share=total console share*police split b) Fire share=total console share*fire split 5. Calculate Agency Units of Use=average of previous 3 full years of agency units of use (adjusted for annexations)* 6. Calculate Cost per Unit of Use a) Cost per police unit=police share/total police units of use b) Cost per fire unit=fire share/total fire units of use 7. Calculate each agency's allocation=agency units of use*Total cost/unit)+Base *Chargeable unit of use is based on the receipt and broadcast of information generating an event and/or a teletype message DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 12 won09wn1 Lenflonlf 147 Benchmarking -TCOMM911 ❑ Based on service specific dispatch positions,67%of assessments come from law enforcement and 33%from fire/Medic One. ■ Law enforcement costs are allocated to talk groups based on CFS and then divided agencies based on their population percentage within their talk group ■ Medic One(private ambulance service)pays 67%of fire assessments and the other 33%of costs are allocated based on 5-year average CFS ❑ Implications for South Sound 911 ■ Assessment distribution does not make sense O Not providing services for a private company O South Sound 911 costs are allocated precisely between fire and law enforcement ■ Takes into account variations in use of South Sound 911 resources by dividing costs up by talk group O Would Working Group be interested in exploring this approach? O Operational inefficiencies due to radio system architectures would need to be considered `.DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 13 148 Benchmarking - Snohomish County 911 U Uses taxes to offset costs and allocates costs by discipline • Specifies how taxes will be used to offset call taking,dispatching and administration/technology support costs • Allocates call taking costs between fire and law enforcement by%CFS and administration/technology costs by number of consoles dedicated to each discipline • Allocates costs within each discipline 54%CFS;23%AV;23%Population • Charges extra for dedicated services • Provides a way to smooth costs during the consolidation transition U Implications for South Sound 911 • South Sound 911 fire agency population difficult to identify • High correlation between CFS and Population among South Sound 911 law agencies • Smoothing formula could be a way to ease the transition for agencies whose rates will increase-is Working Group interested in exploring this approach? DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 14 149 FYI - Snohomish County 911 Allocation Method U Divide net adopted budget into cost pools and offset with revenues • Call taking offset by E911 revenues • Police dispatch offset by police subscriber revenues • Fire dispatch offset by fire subscriber revenues • Administration and Technology offset by any remaining revenues U Divide cost pools between Police and Fire • Call taking costs allocated based on time spent by call takers processing each type of call(police 75%,fire 25%) • Administration and Technology costs divided based on ration of dispatch workstations assigned to each service(9 police(62%)and 5 fire(38%)) U Allocate costs to individual principles • Shared costs: distributed w/in discipline 54%CFS;23%AV;23%Population • Dedicated dispatch stations:labor cost for dedicated consoles+shared costs • Shared dispatch stations:labor costs+shared costs,distributed same way as shared costs �,;DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 15 mowayewenr eowrrrewrr 150 FYI - Snohomish County►911 Rate Smoothing ❑ Rate smoothing in first year ■ Identify which principals and subscribers will see fees increase by more than 9%("smoothing recipients")and which will see fees decrease by more than 9%("smoothing contributors") ■ Determine sum of all user fee increases experienced by smoothing recipients (up to$281,785)(maximum total smoothing allocation) ■ Identify 25%of user fee of each smoothing contributor and sum(maximum total smoothing contribution) ■ The actual total smoothing allocation is the lesser of the maximum allocation and the maximum contribution ■ Increase the user fee of each contributor by an amount such that each smoothing contributor contributes the same percentage of its user fee decrease towards the actual total smoothing allocation ■ Decrease the user fee of each recipient by an amount such that each smoothing recipient receives the same percentage of its user fee increase towards the actual total smoothing allocation DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 16 151 FYI - Snohomish County 911 Definition of CFS ❑ Any request for service or unit-initiated activity resulting in creation of a CAD incident that requires interaction w/Snohomish County 911 personnel,with the exception of the following: ■ A mutual aid incident where another SC911 principal within the same discipline is dispatched as the primary responding agency or outside the SC911 service area ■ An incident that is a duplicate of another CFS • An incident cancelled by SC911 personnel due to an error or other internal reason ■ Any informational broadcast • Any information incident used to track non police or non fire/EMS activity eDELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 17 152 Metrics - Calls for Service Merits Challenges ❑ Quantitative measure of use U Creating equivalent construction of units of service measures across U Good proxy for individual agency agencies given differences in: demands on system • Community service level expectations • Could be a moderating factor if combined with other factors ■ Agency call response policies ❑ Political appeal U Overcoming negative incentive to use dispatch services ❑ Each agency within a discipline pays the same cost per call for service(if U Inconsistency with spirit of the only measure) emergency response operations and interoperability across jurisdictional boundaries Consensus that Calls for Service is not a ❑ Does not capture differences in desirable metric on its own. individual agency service demands littDELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 18 153 Metrics - Percent of Console Use (for LE agencies) Merits Challenges ❑ Takes into account service levels ❑ Communications centers need to be ■ Agencies on talk groups with less able to allocate agencies to channels activity will have a higher percentage based on optimal staffing levels and of CFS,which will be reflected in the the optimal number of consoles amount they pay Metric was not discussed during interviews;TCOMM 911 uses this metric for allocating costs among LE agencies. A DELTAWRX goo„�,�,�,�,�,,,�„ Cost Allocation Study Page 19 154 Population Merits Challenges U Representative of the service area U Equivalent populations does not mean equivalent demand on South U Metric is easy to quantify Sound 911 M Demographic differences ■ Population density differences ❑ Does not account for differences in daytime and nighttime populations U Rapidly growing communities will benefit until formula inputs catch up to growth(static measure and quantifiable only for a point in time) Consensus that Population should be included in the model along with other metrics. DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 20 155 Assessed Valuation Merits Challenges ❑ Metric is easy to quantify ❑ A crime is a crime and a fire is a fire U Starts to account for a community's regardless of the overall wealth of the ability to pay community ❑ Recognizes that all communities CI Wealthier communities are benefit from reduced public safety supporting less wealthy communities events in neighboring communities ❑ High correlation with sales tax so ❑ Is in the spirit of emergency would need to pick one or the other operations and encourages to avoid overweighting interoperability Consensus that Assessed Valuation should be considered,perhaps as an independent "reality check,"but no consensus that it should be included. DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 21 yemenl ons Ianla 156 Percent of County Sales Tax Merits Challenges ❑ Potential to take into account taxes ❑ Only pertinent to law enforcement that are already being paid and ❑ Communities paying more in sales tax reduce allocations accordingly will pay more for services ❑ Metric is quantifiable ❑ Sales tax is a regressive tax ❑ High correlation with assessed value so would need to pick one or the other to avoid overweighting Consensus that Sales Tax should be considered,but no consensus that it should be included. 9 DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 22 157 Persons per Square Mile Merits Challenges U Quantifiable U Relationship to demands placed on South Sound 911 is more a function of U Addresses potential for different agency staffing than level of levels of calls for service for community need equivalent population sizes Consensus that persons per square mile is a better metric for looking at radio cost allocation;want to look at impact in sensitivity analysis PELTAWRX Cast Allocation Study Page 23 158 Number and Duration of Radio Transmissions Merits Challenges U Quantitative measure of use U Overcoming negative incentive to use ❑ dispatch services Good proxy for individual agency demands on system U Inconsistency with spirit of • Could be a moderating factor if emergency response operations and combined with other factors interoperability across jurisdictional ❑ Political appeal boundaries Consensus that Radio Transmission is not a desirable metric DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 24 oama�i<o�+�ne�i: 159 Number of Radio Subscriber Units Merits Challenges U Reflects potential number of units U Differences in agency policies requiring South Sound 911 services regarding take home versus shared ❑ radio resources Easily quantifiable U Function of agency size rather than demands placed on South Sound 911 Consensus that Radio Subscriber Units is not a desirable metric(NORCOM uses number of radio subscriber units in its cost allocation formula). DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 25 160 Unit Login IDs Merits Challenges ❑ Reflects potential number of agency ❑ Agency size may not reflect units requiring South Sound 911 community needs services ■ People for law enforcement agencies ■ Apparatus for fire agencies ❑ Reflects agency response policies ❑ Addresses challenges with using radio subscriber units regarding take home versus shared radios Could use as a base and use other metrics as variables DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 26 161 Number of Sworn Personnel Merits Challenges ❑ Easily quantifiable ❑ Function of agency size rather than demands placed on South Sound 911 ❑ Agencies have different staffing policies Consensus that Number of Sworn Personnel is not a desirable metric DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 27 162 Incoming Calls Merits Challenges ❑ Reflects community demands placed ❑ Difficult to attribute all calls to a on South Sound 911 jurisdiction • Over half of calls do not identify from which jurisdiction the call originated Consensus that Radio Subscriber Units is not a desirable metric A4,DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 28 aqwn[[enso![on♦ 163 Which factors make sense? Definitely Yes Possibly Definitely Not • Modified calls for • Calls for service • Incoming calls service(clearly defined) • Percent of console/talk • Radio transmissions • Assessed valuation(fire) group use • Subscriber units • Population • Number of logons • Share of county tax • Persons per square mile A l DELTAWRX Cost Allocation Study Page 29 `J manaqm 164 SOUTH SOUND 911 YOUR CONNECTION TO POLICE, FIRE AND MEDICAL AID Cost Allocation Study for South Sound 911 Final Report Uits. DELTAWRX management consultants 165 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study Part ]. Introduction ` In the interest of improving transparency and creating a consistent funding formula across all entities within a discipline, South Sound 911 convened a working group representing the agencies it services to make a recommendation for a new funding formula to the Policy Board . South Sound 911 engaged DELTAWRX to assist with identifying an appropriate formula . Part 2 Funding South Sound 911 Operations Six Member Agencies are party to the Interlocal Agreement forming South Sound 911 and as amended in 2014 ( ILA ) : Pierce County, City of Tacoma , City of Lakewood , West Pierce Fire and Rescue , City of Fife and City of Puyallup . Per the ILA, all funding for South Sound 911 comes from the 1/ 10th of 1 % sales and use tax, enhanced 911 taxes, grants, contracts and Member Agency and Non - Member Agency service fees . South Sound 911, through its Policy Board contracts with Non - Member Agencies to provide South Sound 911 services and establishes fees for these services . Additional funding may come from Member Agency Assessments if costs are greater than the projected revenues from the aforementioned sources . The funding formula describes how Member Agencies are assessed within each specific service ( i .e . , law enforcement and fire service ) . As a practice , South Sound 911 charges the same fees for Member and Non - Member agencies . Per the ILA, the Policy Board is responsible for determining the funding formula for assessments and assessment are based generally on usage . 2 . 1 Law Enforcement Agency Assessments Historically, assessments for law enforcement agencies have been based on calls for service , excluding traffic stops and fire/medical assistance incidents . Through the process of transitioning agencies previously serviced by other communications centers to South Sound 911, rates are not longer based on calls for service . For example, agencies previously serviced by Puyallup and Fife communications centers joined South Sound at their previous fee levels . Rather than basing fees for 2017 and 2018 on agency calls for service, South Sound 911 applied a flat rate increase each year . The result, as seen in Table 1 , is that the cost per call for service ( CFS ) varies by agency with no relationship to agency characteristics or use of South Sound 911 resources . `A DELTAWRX Page 1 management consultants 166 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study Table 1 . 2018 Law Enforcement Agency Cost Allocation - - -- — -- 2018 2018 Cost Allocation % of 2018 Per CFS Department CFS % CFS ($) Allocation ($) , y Bonney Lake Police Department 16,934 3 .0% 342 ,930 2 . 2% 20. 25 Buckley Police Department 6,637 1 . 2 % 54 , 590 0 . 4% 8.23 DuPont Police Department 4,047 0. 7% I 91, 230 4 0.6% 22 .54 Eatonville Police Department k 1,603 0.3% 18,800 0. 1% 11.73 Edgewood Police Department 3, 194 0.6% A 113, 610 0. 7% 35 .57 Fife Police Department 19,855 3 .5% 298,580 1.9% 15 .04 Fircrest Police Department 3, 323 0.6% 1 74, 100 0.5% 22 . 30 Gig Harbor Police Department 7, 183 1 . 3 % 193, 120 1.3% 26.89 Lakewood Police Department 52 , 001 9.3% 1, 588, 740 10 .4% 30.55 Milton Police Department 16,209 2 .9% 131 , 860 0 . 9 % 8. 13 Orting Police Department 4,978 0 .9% 66, 500 0.4% 13 .36 Pierce County Sheriff's Department 161,691 28.8% 4,304,360 28. 1% 26 . 62 Puyallup Police Department 50, 167 8.9% 1,323, 210 A 8.6% 26.38 Roy Police Department 334 0 . 1% 15,240 0 . 1 % 45 .63 Ruston Police Department 1,866 0.3% 26,920 0.2% 14.43 Steilacoom Public Safety Department 3, 346 0 . 6% 138, 640 0 . 9% I 41 . 43 Sumner Police Department 15,942 2 .8% 339, 760 2 .2% 21 . 31 Tacoma Police Department 181,847 32 .4% 5, 800,600 37 .8% 31.90 University Place Police Department 9,450 1.7% 407,610 2. 7% 43. 13 Totals (Average Cost/CFS) 560,607 A 100.0% 15,330,400 100.0% 27.35 2 .2 Fire Agency Assessments Historically, fire agency assessments have been based on calls for service and the assessed valuation of the area serviced by the fire agency. Weights have changed over time, and currently calls for service are weighted 70% and assessed valuation is weighted 30% . As with the assessments for law enforcement agencies, rather than apply this formula in 2017 and 2018, South Sound 911 applied a flat rate increase each year. To avoid substantial increases to costs, South Sound 911 provided offsets for Central Pierce , Buckley, Crystal Mountain , Carbonado and Green Water fire agencies . DELTAWRX Page 2 management consulianis 167 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study Table 2 . 2018 Fire Agency Cost Allocation 2018 Cost 2018 per Assessed Allocation % of 2018 CFS Department CFS %CFS Valuation (5) Allocation (5) Anderson Island Fire Department 261 0. 3% 0 . 4% 13,360 0 . 4% 51. 19 Ashford -Elbe Fire Department 334 0 . 4% 0 . 2 % 12 , 230 0. 3% 36 . 62 Browns Point-Dash Point Fire Department 211 0.2% 0. 7% 14,480 0.4% 68.63 Buckley Fire Department 1, 108 1 . 3% 0 . 7% 36, 870 1 . 0% 33 . 28 Carbonado Fire Department 45 0. 1% 0 . 1% 1, 720 0.0% 38.22 Central Pierce Fire & Rescue 33, 759 38 . 2 % 30 . 7% 1, 182 , 320 32 . 7% 35 . 02 Crystal Mountain Fire Department 86 0. 1% 0. 1% 1,080 0.0% 12 .56 DuPont Fire Department 882 1 . 0% 2 . 3 % 56, 800 1 . 6% 64.40 East Pierce Fire & Rescue 12,061 13 . 7% 18. 5% 544,870 15 . 1% 45 . 18 Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One 6, 524 7 .4% 14.5% 362,400 10 .0% 55 . 55 Graham Fire & Rescue 6,858 7 .8% 9 . 2% 317,920 8.8% 46. 36 Greenwater Fire Department 163 0 . 2 % 0. 2% 3, 690 0 . 1% 22 . 64 Key Peninsula Fire Department 2,452 2 .8% 3 .4% 102, 770 2 .8% 41.91 Orting Valley Fire & Rescue 1 , 942 2 . 2 % 2 . 0% 76, 060 2 . 1% 39 . 17 Riverside Fire & Rescue 554 0.6% 0. 3% 10, 590 0.3% 19. 12 South Pierce Fire & Rescue 3, 149 3 . 6% 2 . 7% 139, 020 , 3 .8% 44 . 15 West Pierce Fire & Rescue 17,947 20. 3% 14. 1% 740, 230 20.5% 41 . 25 Totals (Average Cost/CFS) 88,336 100% 100% 3,616,410 100% 40.94 Part 3 Cost Allocation Metrics The working group considered a number of factors on which to base the funding formulas for law enforcement and fire agencies . Criteria by which the working group evaluated the factors include transparency, simplicity, and replicability, as well as whether the factor fosters county- wide interoperability and avoids creating negative incentives to use South Sound 911 services . The following paragraphs discuss the measures considered . Calls for Service Calls for service may be a proxy for individual agency demands on the communications center ; the more calls for service an agency has, the higher the demands placed on the communications center . As a metric, calls for service is simple to calculate from a Computer Aided Dispatch ( CAD ) system . If calls for service is the only metric used , each agency within a discipline pays the same price for each call for service . The working group expressed several concerns with using calls for service as a factor in the funding formula . First, they expressed a concern that different law enforcement agencies define calls for service differently and have DELTAWRX Page 3 40.4 monagarntnt tanfullonts 168 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study different needs given community service level expectations and agency call response policies. Second , they worried that using calls for service might create a negative incentive to use dispatch services for officer- initiated calls, especially traffic stops . Both concerns can be overcome . South Sound 911 can develop a uniform definition of a call for service and one that e xcludes officer- initiated calls ( see examples from NORCOMM and Snohomish County 911 in Appendix A ) . Percent of Console Use Rather than looking at the number of calls for service as a percentage of total calls for service, u sing percent of console use as a factor considers an agency' s number of calls for service as a percentage of the total calls for service on a single talk group . Since fire communications does n ot dedicate talk groups to specific agencies , this measure is more applicable to the law e nforcement agencies . The Working Group decided not to use percent of console use for two reasons . First, until South Sound 911 agencies are on a single radio system , South Sound 911 will not be able to assign agencies to channels based on optimal staffing levels and the optimal n umber of consoles. Second , operational changes and changes in call volumes can result in wide annual variations in terms of percent of overall console use Number of Logins Number of logins is another proxy of agency demand on the communication center resources and reflects the number of law enforcement personnel or fire agency apparatus that a dispatcher needs to monitor . While calls for service reflects the number of calls to which an agency responds, the number of logins reflects agency response policies and the service demands placed on South Sound 911 . The Working Group is considering using the number of logins in combination with other measures . Incoming Calls Incoming calls is a proxy for community demands on the communication center . However, to u se incoming calls as a cost allocation metric, the communication center must be able to identify the jurisdiction from which the call originated , which is difficult with the existing call data set . Population A measure of potential community demands on the communication center, and one that is relatively easy to quantify, is population . Underlying the use of population in the funding formula is a belief that costs should be divided up equally across the population . The challenge with using population as a metric is that published population numbers only account for residents; the numbers do not account either for differences in daytime and nighttime A '' DELTAWRX Page 4 �4 management consultants 169 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study populations, or for temporary increases due to visiting populations . Further, rapidly growing communities may have actual numbers higher than the published numbers . Finally, it does not account for increases in operating costs due to the need to staff additional consoles to accommodate areas with a high number of calls for service . Population Per Square Mile and Per Capita Calls for Service Population per square mile and per capita calls for service are both proxies for population characteristics . Population per square mile is an indicator of population density and allocating costs passed on population per square mile reflects the assumption that calls for service will likely increase as population density increases . Allocating costs on per capita calls for service reflects the use of public safety services, law enforcement or fire, for a given population size . Assessed Valuation The assessed valuation of property in a jurisdiction is seen generally as a proxy for ability to pay . It is also viewed by fire agencies as a measure of risk since it is a reflection of the value of improvements in a fire district and an indication of potential fire and medical response activity . Using assessed valuation as an allocation factor assumes that higher valued communities can afford to pay more and will benefit from public safety efforts in surrounding communities . Radio Transmissions Radio transmissions, measured in terms of total talk time , is another indicator of an agency' s demands on communications center resources . The Working Group viewed this metric u nfavorably as it can create a disincentive to use the radio . While agencies do not want their personnel using air time unnecessarily, they do not want their personnel to think twice about u sing their radio when necessary . N umber of Radio Subscriber Units Number of radio subscriber units is a measure of potential demands placed on a communications center . This metric is useful only if policies regarding take home versus shared radio resources are the same across agencies . Given that the polices are not the same across all agencies, the Working Group discounted this as a viable metric . N umber of Sworn Personnel N umber of sworn personnel is a measure of potential demands placed on a communications center . The challenge with using sworn personnel as an allocation factor is that agencies have different staffing policies both in the field ( e . g . , number of personnel on a fire apparatus or in a squad unit ) and in the station ( e . g . , size of investigative or administrative units ) . `C1 DELTAWRX Page S sis •nurlagernen ! Lornul ! ar ' s 170 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study Part 4 Law Enforcement Funding Formula The Working Group is divided as to whether the funding formula should be based on use , as measured by calls for service , or on potential use , as measured by population . The reasoning behind using calls for service is that South Sound 911 services agencies and different agencies place different demands on South Sound 911 resources . South Sound 911 makes operational and staffing decisions based on the use of its resources . The reasoning behind using population is that South Sound 911 is a county-wide organization and its costs should be shared equally by all residents . The call center needs to be staffed to answer and dispatch calls regardless of whether a resident uses the service . Table 3 shows what the 2018 allocation would be if it were based 100% on CFS compared to the current allocation and Table 4 shows what the 2018 allocation would be if it were based 100 % on population . Table 3 . 2018 Allocation Based on Calls for Service ( excluding traffic stops and fire/medical assists ) 2018 Current 2018 Allocation Allocation ($) Based on CFS Cost per Department CFS* % CFS ($) CFS ($) Bonney Lake Police Department 14,885 2 . 8% 342,930 463,078 27. 35 Buckley Police Department 6, 293 1 . 2% 54, 590 181,496 27. 35 DuPont Police Department 4,214 0.8% 91, 230 110,670 27.35 Eatonville Police Department 1, 640 0. 3 % 18,800 j 43,836 27 . 35 Edgewood Police Department 3,040 0. 6% 113, 610 87, 343 27. 35 Fife Police Department 19, 346 3 . 6% 298, 580 542, 956 27 . 35 ,--- - -Fircrest Police Department 3,876 0.7% 74, 100 90,871 27.35 Gig Harbor Police Department 7,481 1 . 4% 193, 120 196,427 27 . 35 Lakewood Police Department 49, 755 9. 3% 1, 588, 740 1,422, 023 27. 35 Milton Police Department 15 , 328 2 . 9% 131, 860 443 , 252 27 . 35 Orting Police Department 5,641 1 . 1% 66,500 136, 129 27.35 Pierce County Sheriff's Department 155, 881 29 . 2% 4, 304, 360 4,421, 614 27. 35 Puyallup Police Department 47,086 8 . 8% 1,323, 210 1, 371,870 27 . 35 Roy Police Department 366 0 . 1 % 15, 240 9 , 134 27 . 35 Ruston Police Department 1,872 0.4% 1 26,920 51,028 27. 35 Steilacoom Public Safety Department 3, 280 a 0. 6% 138, 640 91, 500 27. 35 Sumner Police Department 13, 294 2 . 5% 339,760 435,951 27.35 Tacoma Police Department 171, 785 32 . 2% 5 , 800, 600 4, 972, 801 27 . 35 University Place Police Department 8,938 1 . 7% 407,610 258,420 27 .35 Totals 534,001 100% 15,330,400 15,330,400 27. 35 ' ir \, DELTAWRX Page 6 1.� / ,iiana .) t7rnr. rrr Cufr : u runt , _i 171 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study Table 4 . 2018 Allocation Based on Population 2018 Allocation Cost Current 2018 Based on per Department Population Population Allocation ($) Population ($) CFS ($) Bonney Lake Police Department 20,500 2 . 4% 342,930 369,455 21.82 Buckley Police Department 5,825 0. 7% 54, 590 104, 979 15 . 82 DuPont Police Department 9,385 1. 1% 91,230 169, 138 41.79 Eatonville Police Department 2,950 0. 3% 18, 800 53, 165 33 . 17 Edgewood Police Department 10,420 1. 2% 113,610 187,791 58.80 Fife Police Department 10, 100 1. 2% 298, 580 182,024 9 . 17 Fircrest Police Department 6,640 0.8% 74, 100 119,667 36.01 Gig Harbor Police Department 9, 560 1 . 1% 193, 120 172, 292 23 . 99 Lakewood Police Department 59,280 7.0% 1,588,740 1,068,356 20.54 Milton Police Department 7,900 0 .9% 131, 860 142, 375 8 . 78 Orting Police Department 7,835 Q.9% 66,500 141,204 28.37 Pierce County Sheriff's Department 400, 915 47 . 1% 4, 304, 360 7, 225, 368 44. 69 Puyallup Police Department 40,500 4.8% 1,323,210 729,899 14.55 Roy Police Department 815 0. 1% 15 , 240 14, 688 43 . 98 Ruston Police Department 975 0. 1% 26,920 17,572 9.42 Steilacoom Public Safety Department 6,410 0. 8% 138, 640 115, 522 34. 53 Sumner Police Department 9,920 1.2% 339,760 178,780 11.21 k Tacoma Police Department 208, 100 24.5 % 5, 800, 600 3, 750,419 20. 62 University Place Police Department 32,610 3.8% 407,610 587, 704 y 62 . 19 Totals 850,640 100% 15,330,400 15,330,400 27. 35 Two additional alternatives are being discussed . One alternative would base allocations 50% on calls for service and 50% on population and the other would be to base allocation of call taking costs on population and the allocation of dispatch costs on calls for service . Table S shows the allocations if the funding formula were based 50% on calls for service and 50% on population , and Table 6 shows the allocations if the distribution of call taking costs were based on population and the distribution of dispatching costs were based on calls for service . Calls for service excludes traffic stops and fire / medical assist calls. (A DELTAWRX Page 7 \. monogemen ' consultu ', Is 172 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study Table 5 . 2018 Allocation Based 50% on CFS and 50% on Population 2018 Allocation Based on 50% on Current 2018 CFS and 50% on Revised Allocation Department Allocation (5) Population ($) Cost per CFS ($) Bonney Lake Police Department 342,930 398,391 26. 76 Buckley Police Department 54, 590 142,821 22 .70 DuPont Police Department 91,230 145,058 34.42 Eatonville Police Department 18,800 50, 124 30 .56 Edgewood Police Department 113,610 137,533 45 . 24 Fife Police Department 298, 580 368, 710 19 . 06 Fircrest Police Department 74, 100 115,471 29.79 Gig Harbor Police Department 193, 120 193,530 25.87 Lakewood Police Department 1,588, 740 1, 248, 375 25 .09 Milton Police Department 131,860 291,210 19 . 00 Orting Police Department 66,500 151,574 26.87 Pierce County Sheriff's Department 4, 304, 360 5,850, 244 37 . 53 Puyallup Police Department 1 , 323,210 1,040,835 22 . 10 , Roy Police Department 15 , 240 e 12 , 598 34.42 Ruston Police Department 26,920 35,657 19.05 Steilacoom Public Safety Department 138,640 104,843 31.96 Sumner Police Department 339, 760 280, 216 21 .08 Tacoma Police Department 5,800,600 4,341,059 25.27 University Place Police Department 407, 610 422, 150 47. 23 Totals 15,330,400 15,330,400 28 .71 4A , DELTAWRX Page 8 � y monogemrnl consullanls 173 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study Table 6. 2018 Allocation with Call Taking Costs Based on Population and Dispatching Costs Based on CFS 2018 Allocation: Call Taking Costs Based on Population and Current 2018 Dispatching Costs Revised Allocation Department Allocation ($) Based on CFS Cost per CFS ($) Bonney Lake Police Department 342,930 414,582 27.85 Buckley Police Department 54,590 163 , 995 26.06 DuPont Police Department 91, 230 131,584 31 . 23 Eatonville Police Department 18, 800 48,422 29 . 53 Edgewood Police Department 113,610 109,411 35 .99 Fife Police Department 298,580 473, 167 24. 46 Fircrest Police Department 74, 100 4 113, 123 29 . 19 Gig Harbor Police Department 193, 120 205,414 27.46 , Lakewood Police Department 1, 588, 740 1, 349, 102 27 . 11 Milton Police Department 131,860 374,488 24.43 Orting Police Department 66,500 157, 377 27.90 Pierce County Sheriff's Department 4 , 304 , 360 5 , 080, 815 32 .59 Puyallup Police Department 1, 323, 210 1, 214,814 25.80 , Roy Police Department 15,240 11,428 31.22 Ruston Police Department 26, 920 45, 776 24 .45 Steilacoom Public Safety Department 138, 640 98,868 30. 14 Sumner Police Department 339, 760 336,973 25 . 35 i Tacoma Police Department 5,800,600 4,671,543 27 . 19 University Place Police Department 407,610 329, 518 36. 87 Totals 15,330,400 4 15,330,400 28 .71 Part 5 Fire Funding Formula The Working Group decided that the Member and Non -Member Fire Agencies assessments would continue to be based 70% on the number calls for service and 30% on the assessed valuation of the serviced area . in 2019, the assessment portion based on the number of calls for service will be based on the 2018 number of calls for service . In 2020, it will be based on the two-year average of calls for service ( 2018 and 2019 ) . In 2021, and every year thereafter, it will be based on a rolling three-year average of calls for service . dee A,47 DELTAWRX Page 9 management Consultants 174 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study Agencies with fewer than 100 calls for service will be assessed a flat rate of $ 1000 in 2019, and agencies with fewer than 200 calls for service will be assessed a flat rate of $ 2 , 000 in 2019 . The flat rate will increase 5 % annually . Table 7 shows what the 2018 allocation would have been under this funding formula , along with the difference between the actual and the new allocation based on the formula . Table 7 . Fire Agency Allocation Based on Revised Funding Formula Revised 2018 Allocation Difference Based on Between 2018 Funding and Revised 2018 Allocation Formula Allocation Department CFS ($) ($) ($) Anderson Island Fire Department 252 13,360 11,944 ( 1,416) Ashford Elbe Fire Department 303 12, 230 11 , 258 ! (972 ) Browns Point-Dash Point Fire Dept.t 221 14,480 14,091 (389 ) Buckley Fire Department 1, 158 36,870 _ 42,082 5, 212 Carbonado Fire Department 43 1,720 1,000 (720) Central P;erce Fire & Rescue 32,476 1, 182, 320 1, 299,952 117, 632 Crystal Mountain Fire Department 81 1,080 A 1,000 (80) DuPont Fire Department 838 56, 800 49, 762 ( 7,038 ) East Pierce Fire & Rescue 11,659 544,870 547,811 2,941 Gig Harbor lire & Medic One 6, 519 362, 400 352,034 ( 10, 366 ) Graham Fire & Rescue 6, 585 317,920 295 , 776 ( 22, 144) Greenwater Fire Department 172 3, 690 2 , 000 ( 1,690) Key Peninsula Fire Department 2,378 102,770 107,250 4,480 Orting Valley Fire & Rescue 1, 828 76,060 76, 651 591 Riverside Fire & Rescue 576 10, 590 19,858 9,268 South Pierce Fire & Rescue 3,049 139,020 120, 151 ( 18,869) West Pierce Fire & Rescue _I 17, 136 740 , 230 663 , 789 ( 76,441 ) Totals 85,274 3,616,410 3,616,410 e�'i DELTAWRX LTAW RX Page 10 \_ / inunoggernenl Consultants r 175 South Sound 911 Funding Formula Study Appendix A Definitions of Calls for Service NORCOMM defines a call for service as any request for service or unit- initiated activity resulting in creation of a CAD incident and interaction with NORCOM personnel, with the exception of the following : ■ Mutual aid incident in which another NORCOM agency of the same discipline is dispatched as the primary responding agency ■ Incident that is a duplicate of another CFS • An incident cancelled by NORCOM personnel due to an error ( does not include incidents in which RP calls back to cancel the response after the incident has been entered into CAD ) • Routine traffic stops, unless the circumstances change requiring dispatcher involvement ( e .g . , warrant arrest, criminal activity, pursuit, etc . ) ■ Informational broadcasts • Incident created to assist the dispatcher in tracking unit activity Snohomish County 911 defines a call for service as any request for service or unit- initiated activity resulting in creation of a CAD incident that requires interaction w/Snohomish County 911 personnel , with the exception of the following : • A mutual aid incident where another SC911 principal within the same discipline is dispatched as the primary responding agency or outside the SC911 service area • An incident that is a duplicate of another CFS ■ An incident cancelled by SC911 personnel due to an error or other internal reason • Any informational broadcast ■ Any information incident used to track non - police or non -fire/ EMS activity SDELTAWRX Page 11 management Consultants 176 DELTAWRX 21700 Oxnard St. manogemenf consulfanls Suite 530 Woodland Hills,CA 91367 (818)227-9300 cE (818)227-9301 ID Memo To: Andrew Neiditz,South Sound 911 Executive Director From: Monica Lynn Data August 30,2018 Re: Summary of Working Group Recommendation for Agency Assessments In the interest of improving transparency and creating a consistent funding formula across all entities within a discipline,South Sound 911 convened a working group representing the agencies it services to make a recommendation for a new funding formula to the Policy Board.South Sound 911 engaged DELTAWRX to assist with identifying an appropriate formula. Six Member Agencies are party to the Interlocal Agreement forming South Sound 911 and as amended in 2014(ILA):Pierce County,City of Tacoma,City of Lakewood,West Pierce Fire and Rescue,City of Fife and City of Puyallup.Per the ILA,all funding for South Sound 911 comes from the 1/10`h of 1%sales and use tax,enhanced 911 taxes,grants,contracts and Member Agency and Non-Member Agency service fees.South Sound 911,through its Policy Board,contracts with Non- Member Agencies to provide South Sound 911 services and establishes fees for these services. Additional funding may come from Member Agency Assessments if costs are greater than the projected revenues from the aforementioned sources. The funding formula describes how Member Agencies are assessed within each serviced discipline (i.e.,law enforcement and fire).As a practice,South Sound 911 charges the same fees for Member and Non-Member agencies.Per the ILA,the Policy Board is responsible for determining the funding formula for assessments,which are based generally on usage. The Working Group considered several factors on which to base the funding formulas for law enforcement and fire agencies.The factors included calls for service,assessed property value, population,console use,number of users,and sales tax contributions.Criteria by which the Working Group evaluated the factors included transparency,simplicity,and replicability,as well as whether the factor fosters county-wide interoperability and avoids creating negative incentives to use South Sound 911 services. 177 \nlrci�eidc..r,ectoi,I)hector \!cctc,I 1,?01,, Law Enforcement Funding Formula The Working Group decided to base the assessments on both use of South Sound 911 resources,as measured by calls for service,and potential use,as measured by population.The reasoning behind using calls for service is that the agencies that South Sound 911 services place different demands on South Sound 911 resources and South Sound 911 makes operational and staffing decisions based on the use of its resources.The reasoning behind using population is that South Sound 911 is a county- wide organization that needs to be staffed to answer and dispatch calls regardless of whether a resident uses the service. The funding formula will weight calls for service at 85%and population at 15%,with calls for service defined as any activity that generates a Computer Aided Dispatch(CAD)Event Number exclusive of: • Off-duty logins(however any separate event created while an officer is working in an off-duty capacity would be considered a call for service) • Medical aid calls to which a law enforcement officer did not respond Further,to avoid discouraging officers from reporting self-initiated activity to dispatch,field events, such as traffic stops and suspicious person stops will be weighted.The weight applied to a self- initiated call for service will be 10%in 2019,increasing by 10%each year until 2023 when the weight will be 50%.The weight will remain at 50%thereafter. Each CAD event will be attributed to the agency employing the officer who enters the call's final disposition.In 2019,the assessment portion based on the number of calls for service will be based on the 2018 number of calls for service.In 2020,it will be based on the two-year average of calls for service(2018 and 2019).In 2021,and every year thereafter,it will be based on a rolling three-year average of calls for service. To mitigate the impact of the new funding formula,2019 assessment changes will be limited to 7.5% increases and 4%decreases.Further,the total amount assessed in 2019 will be limited to the same amount that was assessed in 2018.The surplus between the assessment calculated for 2019 based on the new funding formula and the total 2018 assessment will be used to reduce 2019 assessments by each agency's percentage of what its assessment would be prior to applying any mitigations. Fire Funding Formula The Working Group decided that the Member and Non-Member Fire Agencies assessments would continue to be based 70%on the number calls for service and 30%on the assessed valuation of the serviced area.In 2019,the assessment portion based on the number of calls for service will be based on the 2018 number of calls for service.In 2020,it will be based on the two-year average of calls for service(2018 and 2019).In 2021,and every year thereafter,it will be based on a rolling three-year average of calls for service. (\44.4)DELTAWRX 178 Andrew Neidiiz,isecutne Director \,,usi 30,2010 South Sound 911 a}?e 3 Agencies with fewer than 100 calls for service will be assessed a flat rate of$1,000 in 2019,and agencies with fewer than 200 calls for service will be assessed a flat rate of$2,000 in 2019.The flat rate will be reviewed annually. To mitigate the impact of the new funding formula,the annual increase in 2019 will be limited to 7.5%over the 2018 year.Except for the agencies charged a flat rate,agencies that will have a decrease in their 2019 assessment will have the decrease reduced to cover the mitigated amount. The amount of the reduction allocated will be proportionate to each individual agency's percentage of total reduction these agencies would realize before applying the mitigation formula. • �' DELTAWRX ��J)manogement cons�ltonts 179 PROPOSAL SPECIFICATIONS Intro Weld County("County")is seeking to evaluate Public Safety Communications/Dispatch("Public Safety Communications")cost of services provided and examine whether a reasonable relationship exists between the cost of providing services and current service fees,while ensuring compliance with any applicable statutory requirements.The County desires to undertake a review and evaluation of Public Safety Communications user fee and rate charges,including the Wireless Communications unit,resulting in a cost-based user fee study.The Public Safety Communications Fee Study will calculate the full 100% cost of providing County Public Safety Communications services,provide a recommended fee to be charged for each applicable service,and develop a methodology that the County can use in the future to calculate these fees.The firm shall recommend cost recovery strategies and identify best practices in establishing user fees.These strategies should take into consideration the complexities and demands of the Weld County Regional Communications Department.The selected firm will provide thorough analysis, development of a fee model and recommendations.It is the County's goal to have a well-documented and legally defensible cost of service plan that will identify rates that will be used to recover billable costs for services and develop user fees that comply with any applicable statutory requirements. The County encourages any inquiries with respect to the expectations and/or scope of work sought through this proposal by email to the County,Question deadline date:October 16,2023,by 5:00 PM—Email questions to:bids(5welda0v.com.All inquiries will receive a response. A consultant/firm will be selected for this project based on criteria stated in"Selection Process and Criteria".All proposals received by Monday.October 30th by 10:00 AM MST will receive full consideration. RFP Process It is expected that one(1)consultant will be selected as a result of the RFP,although the County is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of the selection process.Based on the proposals received,the selection committee(comprised of Board member(s)and/or County staff)will select individuals/firms to be interviewed.As a result of those interviews the top-rated consultant will be selected for contract negotiations. Background Weld County is home to 32 incorporated municipalities,including growing cities,charming towns,thriving businesses,and thousands of acres of prime agricultural land.Agriculture and oil and gas are two very important industries in Weld County.The county seat and principal city,Greeley,is located in the west central part of the county and contains almost half of the county's population.As Colorado's third largest county,the county covers 3,987 square miles in the northem part of the state and is larger than the size of Rhode Island,Delaware and the District of Columbia combined.While 333,000 people call Weld County home,there is still plenty of room for growth. PROPOSAL REQUEST#B2300196 Page 9 180 Weld County became Colorado's first Home Rule County in 1976.The County is govemed by a five- member Board of County Commissioners.Three Commissioners are elected by districts of relatively equal population and two Commissioners are elected at large. Each Commissioner coordinates one of the five functions of the County and,therefore,there is no County Administrator. The County also is served by four Elected Officials:Assessor,Clerk and Recorder,District Attorney,and Sheriff. The County has 21 departments that employ over 1700 full-time authorized positions and nearly 200 part- time positions.The county provides a full range of service including judicial and public safety;health, employment,and social services;planning and zoning;construction,reconstruction and maintenance of streets,highways,and bridges;parks and recreation;property valuation,tax collection and distribution,and vehicle licensing;and general administrative services. The current Public Safety Communications fee study was prepared in-house and has served the County well for many years.We believe it is time to revisit the user fee study and believe a more detailed,in- depth review of the fees is necessary as we continue to grow the operations of the Weld County Regional Communications Department. Weld County Regional Communications is a consolidated dispatch center.The Center answers all 9-1-1 calls and dispatches for every law,fire,and EMS agency in Weld County.The Center serves 19 fire departments,ranging in size from very small volunteer to larger full career departments.The Center also serves 22 law enforcement agencies and several private ambulance companies.The Center's agencies range in call volume from 625 a year to 120,000 a year. Scope of Services Project tasks shall include,but are not necessarily limited to,the following described below.If the firm feels that additional tasks are warranted,they must be clearly identified in the firm's proposal.Firms responding to this RFP shall be prepared to deliver services and perform the work necessary to provide the services within three months after initiation of the project.The County would like to have the study complete by February 1,2024,for presentation to the Board of County Commissioners and the E-911 Board in February and/or March 2024 and incorporation into the FY 2025 Budget.The project consists of furnishing all labor, materials,supervision,and travel necessary to complete the tasks outlined below: Comprehensive Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Prepare a Public Safety Communications User Fee Study for the county,which may include the following elements(if the consultant feels that additional tasks are warranted,they must be clearly identified in the consultant's proposal): 1. Work and meet with County staff to refine the project scope,purpose,uses and goals of the County's Public Safety Communications User Fee Study to ensure that the study will be both accurate and appropriate to the County's needs.Review project schedules and answer any questions pertaining to the successful development of the study. 2. Meet with staff and conduct interviews as needed to gain an understanding of the County's processes and operations.Conduct a review of the County's existing fees,rates and charges related to Public Safety Communications,including Wireless Communications,services. 3. Identify the total cost of providing Public Safety Communications services at the appropriate activity level and in a manner consistent with all applicable laws,statutes,rules,and regulations governing the collection of fees,rates,and charges by public entities. 4. Compare service costs with existing recovery levels.This should include any service areas where the County is currently charging for services as well as areas where perhaps the County should charge,considering the County's practices,or the practices of similar or neighboring counties. PROPOSAL REQUEST#82300196 Page 10 181 5. Recommend appropriate fees and charges based on the firm's analysis together with the appropriate subsidy percentage of those fees where full cost recovery may be unrealistic. 6. Prepare a report that identifies each fee service,its full cost,recommended and current cost recovery levels.The report should also identify the direct cost,the indirect cost,and the overhead cost for each service. 7. Prepare a report that identifies the present fees,recommended fees,percentage change,cost recovery percentage,revenue impact and fee comparison with other counties that are comparable to Weld County,either in Colorado or another state.A survey comparison of rates and fees with similar counties with similar size Public Safety Communication Departments is required. 8. Report on other matters that come to the Consultants attention in the course of the evaluation that, in the Consultant's professional opinion,the County should consider. 9. Provide a computer-based model in Microsoft Excel for adjusting these fees and charges for the County's current and future needs and provide the County with an electronic copy of the final comprehensive study,including related schedules and cost documentation in a format that can be edited and updated by County staff to accommodate changes in the organization or changes in costs.The requirements of the models should allow for: a. Additions,revisions,or removal of the direct and overhead costs so the comprehensive fee study can be easily adapted to a range of activities,both simple and complex. b. The ability of the County to continuously update the model and fees from year to year as the organization changes. c. The addition of hypothetical service area information for future service enhancements,and the ability to calculate the estimated costs of providing the service under consideration(i.e., ad-hoc analysis). 10.Prepare and deliver presentation to the Board of County Commissioners and E-911 Board to facilitate their understanding of the plan and its implication for the County and make necessary adjustments as requested. 11.Provide on-site and/or virtual training to enable staff to update fees on an annual basis. 12.Prepare a final report and provide twenty bound copies,and a PDF file of the Comprehensive Fee Study that can be made available to County Staff,Board of County Commissioners,and E-911 Board members.Models,tables,and graphs should be provided in Excel.Any fee study revisions developed shall also be made available to the City in Excel and PDF formats,providing the ability to add,delete and/or update information as needed. 13.Consult with County staff should it become necessary to defend the County's Public Safety Communications User Fee as a result of any legal or other challenges. Proposal Format To ensure the fair and accurate consideration of all submissions,proposals must contain the following information. 1. Executive Summary Provide an overview of the project approach,including key deliverables,benchmarks,expected completion,and total cost. PROPOSAL REQUEST#B2300196 Page 11 182 2. Firm Overview Provide an overview of firm's experience in providing the Scope of Services detailed in the previous section.Please include the contact information of the individual authorized to represent your firm. 3. Project Team Provide names,contact information,and resumes for the Project Team,including the project manager and team members.Indicate the organizational structure of the team and outline key roles and lines of authority. 4. Scope of Services and Methodology Provide a detailed outline of how your firm will provide the Scope of Services requested.Please list any additional services your firm may suggest as separate line items. 5. Examples Provide up to three(3)sample reports of a similar project prepared for another county or municipal organization of similar size Public Safety Communications Department.Provide examples of data collection forms,surveys,or other similar documents you propose to use on this project. 6. References Provide at least three(3)county or municipal references where a similar project was completed.Include the contact's name,email and phone number,and a brief description of the project completed for that organization. 7. Schedule Provide a proposed schedule for all phases of the project. 8. Cost Provide a detailed not-to-exceed cost analysis for the entirety of the project,including basic fee structure and break-down of any other charges and hourly compensation rates related to your firm's proposal. Please also provide any optional items such as community engagement work. Selection Process and Criteria Weld County will not award a contract based solely on price.The award will be in the best interest of the County and will be to a firm or firms whose overall proposal is rated as being in the County's best interest. PROPOSAL REQUEST#B2305196 Page 12 183 Factors to be considered in the selection process include: • Quality&thoroughness of the proposal. • Experience and past performance in completing projects of a similar type,size and complexity. • References; • The quality of example materials and any presentation requested by involved County officials; • Demonstrated capacity to deliver high-quality work within a preset timeline and budget; • Cost&budget proposal; • A reasonable timeline based on general conditions and project objectives;and • Any other considerations deemed pertinent by the County. A review committee will evaluate all responses to the RFP that meet the submittal requirements and deadline.Submittals that do not meet the requirement or deadline will not be considered.The review committee will rank the proposals and then may arrange for on-site interviews with the Board and/or staff. The County reserves the right to request additional information or materials from bidding parties if necessary to determine the winning proposal. Likewise,the County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals,or to alter the selection process in any way,to postpone the selection process for its own convenience at any time,and to waive any informality in the proposals.Weld County retains the right at its sole discretion to select a contractor. All proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the County and public records and,as such,may be subject to public review. The County reserves the right to cancel or revise any section of this RFP prior to the date proposals are due including,but not limited to selection procedures,submittal date,and submittal requirements.If the County cancels or revises the RFP,all interested firms will be notified.The County also reserves the right to extend the date by which proposals are due. The County will not pay costs incurred by the Proposer during this process,including any travel and travel related expenses.All costs shall be borne by the Proposal. tow 70.140.o,77:ittoolawfigioar-_:,--7-fittiotogitoreotomgm PROPOSAL REQUEST#B2300196 Page 13 184 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS: The following items must be completed and submitted with your proposal on or before the proposal openlna deadline of 10:00 AM on October 30.2023: 1) Pages 9 thru 15 of the Proposal Specifications. 2) W9,if applicable* 3) Any future Addenda must be completed. 4) All other items as requested in the Proposal Specifications. *A current W9 is required for new vendors.If you have previously worked with Weld County,only provide your W9 if there has been a change. Failure to include any of the above items upon submittal of your proposal may result in your proposal being incomplete and your proposal being rejected.If there are any exclusions or contingencies submitted with your proposal it may be disqualified. PROPOSAL REQUEST#B2300196 Page 14 185 The undersigned,by his or her signature,hereby acknowledges and represents that: 1. The proposal proposed herein meets all of the conditions,specifications and special provisions set forth in the Request for Proposal for Request No.#B2300196. 2. The quotations set forth herein are exclusive of any federal excise taxes and all other state and local taxes. 3. He or she is authorized to bind the below-named Vendor for the amount shown on the accompanying proposal sheets. 4. The signed proposal submitted,all of the documents of the Request for Proposal contained herein (including,but not limited to,product specifications and scope of services),and the formal acceptance of the proposal by Weld County,together constitutes a contract,with the contract date being the date of formal acceptance of the proposal by Weld County. 5. Weld County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals,to waive any informality in the proposals,and to accept the proposal that,in the opinion of the Board of County Commissioners,is in the best interest of Weld County.The proposal(s)may be awarded to more than one vendor. FIRM DELTAWRX LLC BY Brian Hudson (Please print) BUSINESS ADDRESS 21700 Oxnard Street Suite 830 DATE 10/30/2023 CITY,Woodland Hills STATE, California ZIP 91367 CODE TELEPHONE NO(213)247-2243 FAX TAX ID#95-4818953 SIGNATURE -,,J�"'' E-MAIL bhudson@deltawrx.com WELD COUNTY IS EXEMPT FROM COLORADO SALES TAXES.THE CERTIFICATE OF EXEMPTION NUMBER IS#98-03551-0000.YOU DO NOT NEED TO SEND BACK PAGES 1-8. ATTEST: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Weld County Clerk to the Board WELD COUNTY,COLORADO BY: Deputy Clerk to the Board Mike Freeman,Chair APPROVED AS TO SUBSTANCE: Elected Official or Department Head Controller PSRFP0323 PROPOSAL REQUEST#B2300196 Page 15 186 Form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Give Form to the (Rev.October 2018) Identification Number and Certification requester.Do not Department of the Treasury send to the IRS. Internal Revenue Service Go to www.irs.gov/ForrnW9 for instructions and the latest information. 1 Name(as shown on your income tax return).Name is required on this line;do not leave this Ih16 blank. DELTAWRX LLC 2 Business name/disregarded entity name,if different from above 3 Check appropriate box for federal tax classification of the person whose name is entered on fine 1.Check only one of the 4 Exemptions(codes apply only to following seven boxes. certain entities,not individuals;see instructions on page 3): p ❑Individual/sole proprietor or ❑C Corporation ❑S Corporation ❑Partnership ❑Trust/estate c single-member LLC Exempt payee code(if any) Q Limited liability company.Enter the tax classification(C=C corporation,S=S corporation,P=Partnership)► `o Note:Check the appropriate box in the lime above for the tax classification of the single-member owner.Do not check Exemption from FATCA reporting LLC If the LLC is classified as a single-member LLC that is disregarded from the owner unless the owner of the LLC is code(7 any) aanother LLC that Is not disregarded from ral the owner for U.S.fede tax purposes.Otherwise,a single-member LLC that 2 Is disregarded from the owner should check the appropriate box for the tax classification of its owner. O Other(see instructions)► (Apple's...owes msenteined aersrd•the u.&1 t Address(number,street,and apt.or suite no.)See Instructions. Requester's name and address(optional) 21700 Oxnard Street Suite 830 8 City,state,and ZIP code Woodland Hills,CA 91367 7 List account number(s)here(optional) • Taxpayer Identification Number(TIN) Enter your TIN in the appropriate box.The TIN provided must match the name given on Nne 1 to avoid I Soolal security number backup withholding.For individuals,this is generally your social security number(SSN).However,fora I I - resident alien,sole proprietor,or disregarded entity,see the instructions for Part I,later.For other - entities,it is your employer Identification number(EIN).If you do not have a number,see How to get a TIN,later. or Note:If the account is in more than one name,see the instrudions for line 1.Also see What Name and E nployer iderrtlficallon number Number To Give the Requester for guidelines on whose number to enter. 9 5 - 4 8 1 8 9 5 3 LEZI Certification Under penalties of perjury,I certify that: 1.The number shown on this form is my correct taxpayer identification number(or I am waiting fora number to be issued to me);and 2.1 am not subject to backup withholding because:(a)I am exempt from backup withholding,or(b)I have not been notified by the Internal Revenue Service(IRS)that 1 am subject to backup withholding as a result of a failure to report all interest or dividends,or(c)the IRS has notified me that I am no longer subject to backup withholding;and 3.1 am a U.S.citizen or other U.S.person(defined below);and 4.The FATCA code(s)entered on this form(if any)indicating that I am exempt from FATCA reporting is correct. Certification instructions.You must cross out item 2 above if you have been notified by the IRS that you are currently subject to backup withholding because you have failed to report all interest and dividends on your tax return.For real estate transactions,item 2 does not apply.For mortgage interest paid, acquisition or abandonment of secured property,cancellation of debt,contributions to an individual retirement arrangement(IRA),and generally,payments other than interest and dividends,yo HI,e not requijrr d to sign the certification,but you must provide your correct TIN.See the instructions for Part II,later. sign Signature of Here U.person► f Date. October 26,2023 General Instructions •Form 1099-DIV(dividends,including those from stocks or mutual funds) Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code unless otherwise •Form 1099-MISC(various types of income,prizes,awards,or gross noted. proceeds) Future developments.For the latest information about developments •Form 1099-B(stock or mutual fund sales and certain other related to Form W-9 and its instructions,such as legislation enacted transactions by brokers) after they were published,go to www.irs.gov/FormW9. •Form 1099-S(proceeds from real estate transactions) Purpose of Form •Form 1099-K(merchant card and third party network transactions) An individual or entity(Form W-9 requester)who is required to file an •Form 1098(home mortgage interest),1098-E(student loan interest), information return with the IRS must obtain your correct taxpayer 1098-T(tuition) identification number(TIN)which may be your social security number •Form 1099-C(canceled debt) (SSN),individual taxpayer identification number(ITIN),adoption •Form 1099-A(acquisition or abandonment of secured property) taxpayer identification number(Ain or employer identification number (EIN),to report on an information return the amount paid to you,or other Use Form W-9 only if you area U.S.person(including a resident amount reportable on an information return.Examples of Information alien),to provide your correct TIN. returns include,but are not limited to,the following. If you do not return Form W-9 to the requester with a TIN,you might •Form 1099-INT(interest earned or paid) be subject to backup withholding.See What is backup withholding, rater. Cat No.102315 Fonn W-9(Rev.10-2018) 187 d61 a�..J i Li'„;2:47 7-1'-:;-:,:77,' ',: rr J14� g 1 .' , - 'l +4 Weld County,Colorado Proposal to Provide: Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Best and Final Offer November 20,2023 eDELTAWRX management consultants 188 ® DELTAWRX management consultants 21700 Oxnard Street,Suite 830 Woodland Hills,California 91367 (818)227-9300 bhudson@deltawrx.com November 20,2023 Board of County Commissioners Weld County 1301 N.17th Avenue Greeley,CO 80631 Dear Commissioners: Our team enjoyed meeting with the evaluation panel last week to discuss Weld County's Public Safety Communications User Fee Study and the proposal DELTAWRX submitted to assist with this effort.This Best and Final Offer(BAFO)is being provided in response to your emailed request on November 17, 2023.We believe that our work plan,as originally stated in our October 30,2023 proposal,will allow the County to successfully achieve its project objectives.This approach is typical of work that we have provided for other clients and is based on both best practices and our established methodology. Our original cost proposal was based on an estimate of the time that would be required to successfully complete the proposed tasks.Our estimated hours were based on our understanding of County expectations and our experience with meeting similar expectations on other projects.While we have reviewed our proposal and believe that our original pricing accurately reflects the level of effort that will be required to meet the needs of the County,we are prepared to reduce our proposed fees for Tasks 7,8 and 9 by 25%,which results in an overall reduction of more than 10%.We hope this reduction demonstrates our strong desire to become a trusted advisor and partner to the County on this effort.Other than our reduced price,we are not proposing any modifications to our original proposal. By partnering with DELTAWRX,Weld County will benefit from our 23 years of exclusively providing consulting services to public safety and criminal justice agencies and will be able to leverage the experience,knowledge and best practices DELTAWRX has gained from assisting hundreds of agencies (including 80 communications centers)on over 200 strategic planning,technology procurement and 189 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado organizational effectiveness engagements.To ensure that you will meet or exceed your desired goals from this engagement,DELTAWRX offers: • In-depth knowledge of communications center operations • Experience and expertise in identifying and allocating costs for regional communications centers • A history of managing successful engagements and providing high quality deliverables • Experienced and long-tenured consultants with strong research,analytical,facilitation and communication skills • Experience with Colorado agencies • A project leader who resides locally in Colorado We hope you will confirm our commitment to client service by contacting our references listed in Section 6.Client success is our highest priority and we have built a reputation for outstanding customer service by exceeding client expectations and taking extra steps to ensure that project outcomes yield beneficial results. In summary,we believe DELTAWRX is best qualified to assist Weld County with this engagement and we assure you that we are fully committed to its successful completion. If you have any questions, please contact me at(213)247-2243 or Michael Thayer at(310)722-1745.We are the Partners and co-founders of DELTAWRX and are individually authorized to make representations for the firm.We look forward to working with you on this important effort. Very truly yours, Brian Hudson Partner ® DELTAWRX management consultants 190 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Proposal to Provide Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 1 2. Firm Overview 2 3. Project Team 8 4. Scope of Work 13 5. Examples 18 6. References 18 7. Proposed Project Schedule 24 8. Cost 24 9. Conclusion 25 ®DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page i 191 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado 1. Executive Summary In this proposal,DELTAWRX will introduce Weld County to our company and our team's unique qualifications.We will present our approach to completing this study and describe our specialized experience completing other engagements similar in scope to your project. In Section 2,we provide an overview of DELTAWRX and our experience working with public safety communications centers and conducting cost recovery studies.Weld County will benefit from our 23 years of exclusively providing consulting services to public safety and criminal justice agencies and the wealth of knowledge that we have gathered through engagements involving eighty communications centers.While we understand the challenges facing Weld County are unique,our experience will enable us to hit the ground running from the onset of this engagement. Weld County can be confident that DELTAWRX will provide a thorough and timely assessment of your cost recovery needs.We are proposing a senior and experienced team for this engagement.As we discuss in Section 3,Brian Hudson,Michael Galvin and Monica Lynn have been involved in every DELTAWRX engagement involving a regional communications center and have developed a proven methodology for identifying communications center costs and allocating those costs among serviced agencies.We ground the methodology in an understanding of communications operations and technology use,industry standards, nationwide best practices and the combined knowledge of internal and external factors that influence staffing needs. Additionally,the lead consultant proposed for this engagement is Monica Lynn,who resides in Fort Collins.Her proximity to Weld County and Greeley will enable her to rapidly respond to any immediate needs or ad hoc meetings the County may require. The proposed work plan in Section 4 demonstrates the implementation of our methodology. We developed the work plan to address the specific requirements in the RFP and based the approach on our success with assisting other regional communications centers with similar engagements.Key deliverables include: • Cost allocation model and workshops with user agencies • A comprehensive report including the Fee Service and Cost Recovery Reports • Presentation of findings to the County Board of Commissioners and the E-911 Board • Twenty hard copies and an electronic copy of the final report,including supporting material ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 1 192 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado • Training on the use of our Excel Cost Allocation Model Workbook Section 5 lists examples of the work we have done for other clients,and we include sample work products in an appendix to this proposal. Client success is our highest priority.DELTAWRX has built a reputation for outstanding customer service by exceeding client expectations and taking extra steps to ensure that project outcomes yield beneficial results.Our references in Section 6 will attest to the exceptional quality and thoroughness of our work products and the care we take to deliver results and recommendations that are accurate,relevant,practical and feasible. The proposed schedule in Section 7 recognizes the need to include the results of this study in the FY2025 budget.We will do everything in our control to ensure that we are prepared to present the results to the County Board of Commissioners and the E-911 Board by March 6, 2024.Finally,Section 8 contains our proposed cost for providing the scope of services requested in Weld County's RFP and described in Section 4. DELTAWRX is committed to providing deliverables that meet our clients'needs.We have done our best to be responsive to the services that Weld County requested and will be happy to review and revise our scope of work if necessary to ensure that Weld County receives the information it needs to ensure continued sustainability of communications services in the county. 2. Firm Overview DELTAWRX is dedicated to providing management and information technology consulting services to public safety and criminal justice agencies.Our commitment to supporting public safety agencies across state and local governments is unwavering.The firm's partners,Michael Thayer and Brian Hudson,are each individually authorized to represent DELTAWRX.Their contact information is: Michael Thayer Brian Hudson 21700 Oxnard Street,Suite 830 21700 Oxnard Street,Suite 830 Woodland Hills,California 91367 Woodland Hills,California 91367 (310)722-1745 (213)247-2243 mthayer@deltawrx.com bhudson@deltawrx.com The paragraphs in this section describe our experience working with communications centers, as well as with public safety agencies in general.We also provide a description of our core competencies,which represent our approach to managing our engagements. ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 2 193 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Experience Weld County will benefit from our 23 years of consulting exclusively with public safety and criminal justice agencies and the wealth of knowledge that we have gathered through engagements involving 80 communications centers.Weld Since our founding in 2000,DELTAWRX has assisted County will be able to leverage the hundreds of public safety agencies on over 200 experience,knowledge and best strategic planning,technolog y p g, procurement and practices DELTAWRX has gained from organizational effectiveness engagements. assisting over hundreds of public safety agencies on over 200 strategic planning,technology procurement and organizational effectiveness engagements.We are nationally recognized experts in public safety operations,information management systems, and data and voice radio systems and we combine our extensive technical experience with real- world business and management skills to ensure balanced and practical deliverables and recommendations.The depth and breadth of our experience and knowledge provides a solid foundation that will enable a productive start to the engagement and provide informed analysis,feedback and recommendations. Depth of Experience with Communications Centers DELTAWRX takes pride in our specialized expertise in public safety communications centers. Our projects encompass technology planning and procurement,consolidation feasibility studies,staffing assessments,governance structure development,and cost allocation strategies.We grasp the intricate challenges that professional communications centers confront and recognize how decisions at the dispatch level influence the agencies they support.Table 1 provides a sample list of our projects related to consolidation feasibility studies and communications center evaluations. Table 1.DELTAWRX Communications Center Assessments and Consolidation Studies Client Project Description Benton County,Washington Strategic planning and governance development for a bi-county communications center. Black Hawk County,Iowa Operational assessment for a regional dispatch center;included an assessment of the sustainability of current funding structure and the identification of alternative funding sources. Chittenden County Regional Planning Implementation plan fora consolidated regional dispatch Commission,Vermont center. DeKalb County,Indiana Strategic planning for communications center consolidation.® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 194 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Client Project Description El Paso-Teller County,Colorado Consolidation feasibility study involving seven communications centers in two counties.Included projecting budgetary, staffing,technology and facility needs under multiple consolidation scenarios. Cities of Fremont,Newark and Union City, Dispatch consolidation feasibility study.Included projecting California budgetary,staffing,technology and facility needs under multiple consolidation scenarios. Hamilton County,Indiana Dispatch consolidation feasibility study. Harrison County,Mississippi Dispatch consolidation feasibility study. Lewis County,Washington Dispatch consolidation feasibility study and then governance development.Governance development included projecting budgetary,staffing,technology and facility needs and reaching consensus on a sustainable cost allocation method. Madera County and the Cities of Madera and Dispatch consolidation feasibility study.Included projecting Chowchilla,California budgetary,staffing,technology and facility needs under multiple consolidation scenarios. Massachusetts State Police Dispatch consolidation and modernization plan. Metro Transit Police Department,Minnesota Public safety dispatch operations study and concept of operations for a new dispatch center.Included analysis of costs for starting and maintaining the dispatch center.Cost analysis based on projected staffing,technology,infrastructure and facility costs. City of Redmond,Washington Emergency dispatching strategic plan and assessment of potential consolidation options. Santa Barbara County,California Dispatch consolidation feasibility study. Santa Clara County and the Cities of San Jose, Dispatch consolidation feasibility study for consolidation of fire Mountain View and Palo Alto,California dispatching PSAPs.Included an assessment of staffing, technology and facility costs. South Sound 911,Washington Strategic assessment of consolidated dispatch center operations,funding and governance.The study involved multiple agencies and departments providing different services such as wireless communications,records management and technology support.Included a series of workshops to revise the user cost fees based on an updated budget designed for sustainability. Spokane County,Washington Dispatch consolidation feasibility study. City of Waukesha,Wisconsin Dispatch consolidation feasibility study. DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 195 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Breadth of Experience DELTAWRX has worked with a range of public safety DELTAWRX clients include: and criminal justice disciplines on a variety of • Communications Centers • Law Enforcement Agencies projects across the United States,which allows us to • Fire Departments understand the broader community in which our • Public EMS Providers clients operate and the interdependencies of • Corrections Agencies operations among different agencies and disciplines. • District Attorney Offices • Probation Departments Our breadth of experience gives us a strong • Courts knowledge base of technology,operations,and workflows,and the connections among the public safety and criminal justice disciplines.We can speak knowledgably with personnel in all roles and at all levels,share best practices with our clients and draw on the knowledge base to provide feasible,practical and proven recommendations. Engagements Involving Financial Assessments and Cost Allocation Financial Assessments and cost allocation among user agencies have typically been part of broader engagements focused on developing governance structures and • DELTAWRX consultants are skilled at: documents,consolidation feasibility and Group facilitation and reaching operational assessments.Through these consensus engagements,DELTAWRX has: • Identifying root causes of organizational issues • Analyzed and clarified complex • Portraying complex information in financial documents easily digestible formats • Projected budgets based on technology,staffing,facilities, administrative structures and overhead costs • Developed analytical tools using Excel to assist agencies with developing appropriate cost recovery metrics and fees • Benchmarked governance and cost recovery models on behalf of clients Our experience and knowledge of communications center operations and technology allow us to develop accurate projections of staffing and technology needs and costs,which are typically the major inputs for communications center budgets.We have identified strategies for increasing operational efficiency,reducing overtime and effectively leveraging technology for improved service outcomes. DELTAWRX November 20,2023 monogemenf consultants Page 5 196 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Colorado Experience DELTAWRX has specific experience working with the following Colorado agencies: • City and County of Broomfield • City and County of Denver • El Paso-Teller County E911 Authority • Grand County • City of Lakewood • City of Longmont • South Central Homeland Security Region • City of Steamboat Springs and Routt County Additionally,we are in the project planning stages of an engagement with the City of Thornton. Core Competencies DELTAWRX is proud of the reputation for excellence that we have built over the past 23 years. We have earned this reputation based on the high quality of services and deliverables that we provide our clients and the core competencies discussed in the DELTAWRX Core Competencies following paragraphs. • Public safety experience and knowledge ■ Reputation for independence and objectivity Public Safety Experience and • Tailored approach to each engagement Knowledge • Projects staffed with experienced consultants for duration of engagement Clients can leverage the • Exceptional communication skills knowledge of public safety • Strong analytical skills operations,technology and market offerings that DELTAWRX has gained over 23 years of consulting in this industry.We have worked with every discipline of public safety,large and small agencies and individual agencies and consortia.We understand the operations of each discipline as well as how they interact with each other.Since we understand operations,regulations,acronyms and jargon, stakeholders can tell us about their unique challenges and opportunities without first having to explain the basics to us. ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 6 197 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Reputation for Independence and Objectivity We carefully guard our reputation for independence and objectivity.DELTAWRX has no prior or current conflicts of interest with any company that provides software,hardware or equipment to the public safety and criminal justice community.None of our consultants has ever worked for a technology vendor in this industry. Tailored Approach to Each Engagement DELTAWRX employs proven methodologies that we have honed over 23 years of conducting strategic planning,technology procurement and organizational assessment consulting engagements.However,we know that every client is unique,and we tailor our approach and deliverables to meet the needs of each client.We work hard to ensure that we understand and address the business problem that our clients are trying to solve.As such, Weld County will receive 1)assessments,recommendations and deliverables that are aligned with organizational goals and reflect any organizational or regulatory constraints, and 2)recommendations that are practical,feasible and implementable. Projects Staffed with Experienced Consultants for the Duration of the Project DELTAWRX is proud to have developed a staff of experienced consultants dedicated to working for the public sector,specifically public safety and criminal justice agencies.Most consultants have been with the company for more than 15 years.Weld County will benefit from our approach to staffing by: ■ Partnering with a DELTAWRX consulting team that has a history of working together on past projects and one that will be assigned for the duration of the project ■ Knowing that it can count on DELTAWRX for project continuity;if one member is not available due to personal obligations or illness,the project will continue seamlessly ■ Relying on the team for a historical understanding of the project from its inception through completion Exceptional Communication Skills DELTAWRX consultants are comfortable communicating in diverse settings and develop relationships and trust with stakeholders at all levels in an organization.We value active listening skills and are equally comfortable speaking with agency personnel,executive leadership,elected leaders and technical resources. DELTAWRX consultants possess exceptional skills in effectively communicating complex technology concepts in a manner that resonates with management,elected officials,agency staff,and the public. ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 7 198 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado We quickly develop a rapport with stakeholders,which allows us to elicit information from people who might otherwise be reticent to share important material.Further,end-users feel listened to when they see their concerns and needs reflected back to them and addressed at various project stages(e.g.,needs assessment,functional requirements, system configuration). Strong Analytical Skills With a combination of firsthand experience and advanced education,DELTAWRX consultants are equipped with robust analytical and critical thinking capabilities. Every member of our team holds an MBA,MPA,or PhD degree.Such a foundation empowers our consultants with skills in active listening,quantitative and qualitative data analysis,and strategic problem-solving techniques.We excel in discerning the broader context and intricacies,always mindful of the essential details. 3. Project Team DELTAWRX is proposing a senior and experienced team for this engagement so Weld County can be confident that DELTAWRX will provide a thorough and timely analysis of costs and cost recovery strategies.Our proposed project team consists of Brian Hudson,Michael Galvin and Monica Lynn. Brian is a partner in the firm and Michael and Monica are senior consultants who have worked for DELTAWRX for 15 and 16 years,respectively.All proposed consultants have extensive experience with regional communications center operations and finances,as well as staffing,technology and infrastructure. Brian,Michael or Monica have worked directly on all the communications center engagements identified in Table 3 of our proposal. Monica Lynn is a local Colorado resource residing in Fort Collins.As such,she will provide project leadership and be the main point of contact for the County.Michael Galvin will assist Monica with data-gathering,interviews and observations,analysis and report writing. Brian Hudson will provide subject matter expertise and will review all deliverables for quality control. Weld County resources can always contact any member of our team.DELTAWRX consultants work closely together,collaborate on all deliverables regardless of assigned project roles,and share responsibility for successful delivery of the services.We communicate regularly,hold DELTAWRX values independence and internal status meetings and review each other's objectivity;no DELTAWRX consultant has worked for a public safety work.Our team approach provides project technology vendor. continuity;if one member is not available due to personal obligations or illness,the project will continue seamlessly. ®DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 199 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado General Overview of DELTAWRX Consultants Since DELTAWRX focuses on providing management consulting services to public safety and related agencies in the public sector,all DELTAWRX consultants exhibit a deeply rooted commitment to assist public servants.Additionally,several of DELTAWRX Consultants our consultants possess • Are full-time and long-time employees of experience working in public DELTAWRX safety,civic operations and other Possess exceptional analytic and communication public service roles. skills Have experience with communications center DELTAWRX supports a variety of operational assessments,strategic planning, national public safety staffing assessments and consolidation feasibility organizations including APCO, studies NENA and IWCE.Our employees ■ Will be assigned to the project for the duration of are frequent speakers at industry the engagement conferences and serve on industry committees. Our approach also results in improved project outcomes.All team members contribute knowledge,experience and skills so our clients can leverage the combined knowledge of processes and systems gained from our collective experience.The following pages contain resumes for our proposed project team members. DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 200 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Monica Lynn , Project Lead SUMMARY CONTACT INFORMATION Monica Lynn has provided strategic management and 21700 Oxnard Street, Suite 830 information technology consulting services to public Woodland Hills, CA 91367 safety and criminal justice agencies since 2006 and has Phone : ( 818 ) 227 -9300 led many of our projects . After working on dozens of Fax : ( 818 ) 227 -9301 engagements for law enforcement, fire/EMS agencies , Email : mlynn@deltawrx . com regional communications centers, corrections facilities, and multi -agency consortiums, she is an industry expert AREAS OF EXPERTISE on public safety operations, organizational effectiveness • Organizational and Technical Strategic and information technology . Planning Monica has been instrumental in developing • Communications Center Operations , methodologies for staffing and financial analyses, and Finances , Staffing Technology, for projecting staffing, technology, facility and Infrastructure and Facilities budgetary needs . She is skilled at group facilitation and • Consolidation Feasibility Studies helping clients reach consensus on complex decisions . • Governance Development and Cost Prior to joining DELTAWRX in 2007, Monica was a police Allocation officer for the City of Albuquerque Police Department and a Professor of Management at both the University • Operational Assessments of New Mexico and Universidad Adolfo Ibanez in Chile . • Needs Assessments • Technology Procurement and ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE Implementation • Benton County, Washington • Contract Negotiations • Black Hawk County CJIS Board , Iowa • Change Management • City of Boise , Idaho EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS • City of Boston , Massachusetts • Massachusetts Institute of • Deschutes County 911 , Oregon Technology, PhD in Management • El Paso -Teller County, Colorado Science • Cities of Fremont, Newark and Union City, California • University of California at Berkeley, • Lewis County, Washington Bachelor of Arts in Economics • Madera County, City of Madera and City of SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS Chowchilla , California • Metro Transit Police Department, Minnesota • APCO 2018 : From Mobile Clients to Mobile Apps : How the Rise of • City of Minneapolis, Minnesota Smartphones and Tablets are • City of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania Changing Public Safety • South Sound 911 , Washington Communications •• Stanislaus County, California APCO 2017 : Governance Strategies to Manage Multi -Agency CAD/ Mobile DELTAWRXNovember 20, 2023 management consultants Page 10 201 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Michael Galvin , Project Consultant SUMMARY CONTACT INFORMATION Michael Galvin will serve as a Project Consultant during 21700 Oxnard Street, Suite 830 this engagement . Since 2008, Mr . Galvin has assisted Woodland Hills, CA 91367 dozens of public safety agencies across the country with strategic planning, consolidation and efficiency studies Phone : ( 818 ) 227 -9300 and major software systems replacements . Fax : ( 818 ) 227 -9301 Specific projects for regional communications center Email : mgalvin@deltawrx . com include CAD system replacement, multi -year strategic plans, and providing in -depth assessments and analysis AREAS OF EXPERTISE of options to consolidate multiple PSAPs into a single • Strategic Planning agency . Mr . Galvin ' s expertise in project management, • Communications Center Operations , communication , and analysis has provided invaluable Finances , Staffing Technology, benefit to municipalities across the United States . Infrastructure and Facilities Prior to joining DELTAWRX, Mr . Galvin worked at the • Needs Assessment Department of Veteran ' s Affairs as public affairs • Technology Procurement and manager and an asset management specialist . Implementation • ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE Contract Negotiations • Project Management • City of Alexandria , Virginia • Arlington County , Virginia EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS • Black Hawk County, Iowa • University of Southern California , • DuPage County, Illinois Master of Public Administration • Hamilton County, Indiana • Sacred Heart University, Bachelor of • Harrison County, Mississippi Arts, History and Political Science • Project Management Professional , • Kenosha Joint Services , Wisconsin Project Management Institute • Los Angeles County, California • City of Lynchburg, Virginia SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS • Massachusetts State Police • NENA 2016 : Keys to a Successful • City of O' Fallon , Missouri Public Safety Technology Procurement Western • Ramsey County, Minnesota • APCO 2015 : Communications Center • Santa Clara County, California Staffing Models : One Size Does Not Fit • Spokane County, Washington All • Stafford County, Virginia • St . Louis County, Missouri • City of Waukesha , Wisconsin November 20 , 2023 K,_} DELTAV/ RX management consultants Page 11 202 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Brian Hudson , Project Manager SUMMARY CONTACT INFORMATION Brian Hudson is a Partner and Co -founder of DELTAWRX 21700 Oxnard Street, Suite 830 and will serve as the DELTAWRX Project Manager during g this engagement . His areas of expertise include project Woodland Hills, CA 91367 management, strategic planning, procurement and Phone : ( 818 ) 227 -9300 contract negotiations . Mr . Hudson has managed and/or Fax : ( 818 ) 227 -9301 overseen more than 50 engagements throughout his 25 Email : bhudson@deltawrx . com years of public safety technology consulting experience . Prior to co -founding DELTAWRX, Brian worked for AREAS OF EXPERTISE Gartner as well as the United States Department of • Strategic Planning Justice Antitrust Division ' s Telecommunications Task • Communications Center Operations Force . • Needs Assessment ILLUSTRATIVE PROJECT EXPERIENCE • RFP Development • Black Hawk County CJIS Board , Iowa • Proposal Evaluation • City of Boston , Massachusetts • Contract Negotiations • City of Carlsbad , California • System Implementation • Cities of Fremont, Newark and Union City, California • Vendor Management • Hamilton County, Indiana • Project Management • Harrison County, Mississippi EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS • City of Kansas City, Missouri • University of Southern California , • Los Angeles County, California Master of Business Administration • Madera County and the Cities of Madera and with emphasis in Marketing and Chowchilla , California Entrepreneurism • City of Milpitas, California • Stanford University, Bachelor of Arts , • City of Redmond , Washington Political Science • Santa Barbara County, California SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS • City of Santa Clara , California Mr . Hudson is a frequent speaker on the • Santa Clara County and the Cities of San Jose, topics of strategic planning, procurement Mountain View and Palo Alto , California processes and contract negotiation • City and County of San Francisco, California strategies, integrated public safety • South Sound 911 , Washington systems, land mobile radio and mobile • Spokane County, Washington computing at national and regional public • City and County of Spokane, Washington safety conferences such as APCO , IWCE , NENA and several others . • City of Visalia , California • City of Waukesha , Wisconsin November 20, 2023 6) DELTAWRX management consultants Page 12 203 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado 4 . Scope of Work Weld County is seeking a consultant to review the cost of providing public safety communications services , including services related to the wireless infrastructure and equipment, and determine whether the current fee structure is appropriate given any applicable statutory requirements . DELTAWRX understands that desired project outcomes include : • An assessment of the full cost of providing communications services • For each applicable service , a defensible recommendation for fees based on a replicable methodology • Recommendations for cost recovery and a process for establishing user fees based on best practices • Recommenations that are practical , feasible and implementable DELTAWRX based the following work plan on our understanding of the desired Weld County Project Goals : scope of work, our knowledge of • Well - documented and legally defensible cost communications and public safety of service plan operations and our experience with • Identification of rates that will recover conducting cost assessments and billable costs for services allocation studies . Our intent is to • User fees in compliance with applicable address all the requirements in the RFP' s statutory requirements scope of services . The following work plan demonstrates our approach to providing the analysis and recommendations that Weld County desires . Task 1 . Hold Project Planning Meeting To set the foundation for a successful engagement , DELTAWRX will meet with Weld County Staff to verify our project understanding and ensure that our approach will fulfill expectations . As appropriate , we will refine the project scope , purpose , uses and goals of the study . Topics covered during this meeting are : • Project drivers • Potential risks , constraints and challenges • Tasks , timelines and milestones • Stakeholders • Data sources and data gathering November 20 , 2023 re DELTA\VRX management consultants Page 13 204 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado • Project governance • Project success criteria Task 2. Gather Background Information DELTAWRX will work with Weld County staff to coordinate gathering the information we need to conduct the study.During the project planning meeting,DELTAWRX will provide a checklist of information that we would like to collect to facilitate the analyses necessary to determine the actual costs of providing services.While not comprehensive,the following are examples of the type of information we plan to collect: • Line item budgets,including revenues and expenditures • Current agreements and cost recovery methods and data • Telephone,computer aided dispatch(CAD)and radio system data • Staffing levels and shift schedules • Human resource information • Training programs • Hiring,retention and turnover rates • Technology inventory and technology maintenance contracts • Collective bargaining agreements • Standard operating procedures and policy directives • Applicable laws,statutes,rules and regulations governing the collection of fees, rates and charges Task 3. Conduct PSAP Interviews and Observe Operations DELTAWRX will work with Weld County staff to identify a comprehensive list of stakeholders to interview.The purpose of the interviews is to gain an understanding of processes and operations related to dispatching as well as agency user perceptions of fees and services.We expect that the stakeholder list will include,at a minimum, representatives from the County administration,serviced agencies,communications center staff,wireless communications staff and technology support staff. To further our understanding of operations,we will observe call taking,dispatch and relevant administrative operations. ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 monogement consultants Page 14 205 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Task 4. Identify Cost of Providing Services DELTAWRX will conduct an in-depth analysis to determine the true and complete cost of providing communications services.The analysis will include: • Current and optimal staffing levels and costs,including hiring,training,overtime and other related staffing costs;staffing costs include administration, management,technology support and other support staffing services • Current and projected technology costs(to assist with determining technology replacement costs) • Administrative costs • Facility maintance costs • Overhead costs • Any other costs identified during discovery To validate our analysis,DELTAWRX will share our results with County staff. If necessary,we will update the analysis based on appropriate feedback. Task 5. Benchmark Cost Recovery Models DELTAWRX will work with Weld County staff to identify five to eight comparable communications centers to benchmark cost recovery models and their approaches to allocating costs.DELTAWRX will reach out to those communications centers and gather the information we need to conduct the benchmark study.We may need to rely on Weld County staff to help us connect with appropriate resources in those counties. Task 6. Compare Services Costs with Existing Recovery Levels DELTAWRX will compare current cost recovery methods and level with the service costs identified in our analysis.The comparison will identify gaps,including areas where the County should charge.In this task,DELTAWRX will draw on our experience of best practices with respect to cost allocation in multi-jurisdictional communications centers, as well as any lessons learned from the benchmarking exercise. Task 7. Develop Cost Allocation Model In our experience,user agency"buy-in"is the key to a successful and sustainable cost allocation model.DELTAWRX's approach to recommending appropriate fees and charges is to develop a model that allows user agency representatives to assess the ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 15 206 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado impact of several factors in determining appropriate fees and charges.This approach includes the following steps: • Hold a workshop with stakeholders to identify general principles of allocating costs and present potential cost allocation factors • Develop a working model based on the identified principles and factors. Variables can be changed in the model to assess the impact of different scenarios.We will hold one or two additional workshops in which stakeholders can consider the results of allocating identified costs on the user fees. - The analysis,which we develop in Excel,is tailored to reflect our client's budgetary structure and organizational constraints and is based on net costs,after considering other revenue streams contributing to cost recovery. - The analysis can take into account multiple services as well as different allocation factors for different disciplines.It also compares potential new fees with current fees,shows percentage changes from current to potential new fees,and calculates the percentage allocated to each user agency. • Arrive at concensus on the appropriate allocation model.Often we find that we need separate workshops for fire/EMS and law enforcement agencies since the factors that impact their allocations can differ. Based on this analysis and the results of the workshop,DELTAWRX will recommend appropriate fees and charges.If necessary,we will recommend an appropriate subsidy percentage where full cost recovery may be unrealistic based on user agency size or organization(e.g.,volunteer versus career). Task 8. Prepare Report DELTAWRX will prepare a report on our analysis,findings and recommendations.The report will include at least three components: • Fee Service Report:DELTAWRX will prepare a report that details our findings on the cost of providing services.We will identify each fee service,its full cost,and the recommended and current cost recovery levels.As appropriate,we will identify the direct,indirect and overhead costs for each service. • Cost Recovery Report:DELTAWRX will prepare a report that details the present and recommended fees for each agency.We will show the percentage change for each agency as well as each agency's percentage share of the cost recovery. ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consulfonts Page 16 207 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado The report will also assess the revenue impact on the County and compare the recommended cost recovery approach to those of the cost recovery approaches of the benchmarked counties. • Additional Considerations:DELTAWRX will report on other matters that come to our attention in the course of the evaluation. Examples of other matters that have arisen in other studies are staffing efficiencies and alternate funding sources. DELTAWRX will provide a draft of the report to Weld County staff for review.We will update the final report based on appropriate feedback. Task 9. Present Results to Board of County Commissioners and the E-911 Board DELTAWRX will present our analysis,results and recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners and the E-911 Board.As appropriate,we will incorporate any feedback into the final report. Task 10. Provide Final Report DELTAWRX will provide twenty bound copies of the final User Fee Study,along with a PDF file of the report.We will also provide the Excel file with the working model,as described in the next task.We will provide any supporting documentation,such as tables,graphs and other analysis,in Excel or another appropriate electronic format.We will work with Weld County staff to ensure that all deliverables are in the most appropriate and useful format for the County. Task 11. Provide Sensitivity Analysis and Train County Staff We will provide our working model to the County for future use.Costs to be allocated are based on a line-item budget that County staff can revise as needed.The user fees are based on metrics,such as calls for service,population served,tax assessment base and number of sworn,and the County can update the metrics to calculate future user fees. DELTAWRX will also provide on-site training to staff to transfer knowledge on how to use and update the workbook.We will provide written instructions on how to update the costs and metrics,as well as how to add or remove agencies,such that the editors can maintain the integrity of the workbook.We will also provide a worksheet that includes a structure for calculating the costs of providing a potentially new service and we will train the staff on how to add the new enhancement. ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consulfonts Page 17 208 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Task 12. Provide Follow-Up Services After the project is completed,DELTAWRX will always be available to discuss with Weld County staff any of the work products we prepare for the County.If the County is faced with legal or other challenges and would like our assistance in defending its User Fee, DELTAWRX would be pleased to discuss the scope of work and budget for the additional assistance that is desired.Although we are not attorneys,we are able to provide subject matter expertise to the County and assist in formulating strategies to address future issues that may arise. 5. Work Examples As requested,we have provided three examples of our work product in accompanying PDF files. All three examples are from our project for South Sound 911 in the State of Washington and each deliverable represents a separate phase of the project.The deliverables are as follows: 1. DELTAWRX Final Report for South Sound 911—This document is the final report from our initial engagement with South Sound 911.It is the report that spurred the request for the cost allocation study and it includes an analysis of the costs for operating South Sound 911 as well as an analysis of revenue sources. 2. Cost Allocation Study Workshop.pdf—This document is a presentation from a workshop that was conducted to examine the current allocation formula,the components that could be used in a new allocation methodology and benchmarking for agencies similar to South Sound 911. 3. Funding Formula Report.pdf—This document is a summary and discussion of the funding formula recommendations presented to the South Sound 911 Board. Final Cost Allocation Study Memo.pdf—We have also included the memo that shows the final decision that was presented to the South Sound 911 Director for implementation. 6. References Client success is our highest priority.DELTAWRX has built a reputation for outstanding customer service by exceeding client expectations and taking extra steps to ensure that project outcomes yield beneficial results. ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 18 209 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado The following references are a representative set of previous DELTAWRX engagements during which our team performed a similar scope of work to the services requested in Weld County's RFP. In addition to these project descriptions,we have provided our full client list at the end of this section.We would be pleased to provide contact information for any of our previous clients upon request.We trust that each of our references will assure you of our subject "DELTAWRX has exceeded my matter expertise,independence,breadth and expectations,which were high to start. depth of experience,and commitment to our Feels like money well spent." clients. —Chittenden County,VT South Sound 911,Washington At the time we began our engagement,South Sound 911 was a newly consolidated public safety emergency communications center providing dispatching services for 19 law enforcement and 18 fire agencies.After South Sound 911 completed its transition to a consolidated entity,South Sound 911,in partnership with Pierce County and the public safety agencies in Pierce County,engaged DELTAWRX to conduct a multi-faceted strategic study of the emergency communications environment. Our initial work with South Sound 911 explored three different areas.First,we examined radio system management and architecture.We analyzed the current dual-system environment and made recommendations for the creation of a true single-system environment;consolidation of maintenance,support and management services;cost reduction strategies and the development of a unified approach to the replacement of fixed network equipment and subscriber units. Our second area of focus was funding.We researched and analyzed the use and administration of funding streams throughout the emergency communications environment in Pierce County and made recommendations pertaining to financial sustainability and governance.Our findings led to an additional engagement to assist a working group,consisting of leaders from involved jurisdictions,with developing a cost allocation formula to assess service fees for the South Sound 911 law enforcement and fire agencies. The cost allocation engagement involved building on the budgetary analysis conducted for the original engagement and facilitating the development of a recommended user fee model that would be presented to the South Sound 911 Policy Board,which was responsible for identifying a funding formula.We guided the working group through the exercise of identifying cost allocation principles and metrics.We built a model to analyze the impact of different metric weights on future allocations and facilitated workshops to arrive at consensus on the appropriate model for future user fees. ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 19 210 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Our final area of focus was dispatch operations.In this area,we conducted a staffing study, analyzed dispatch practices,and made recommendations pertaining to call routing,staffing levels,call-taking/dispatching workflow,quality assurance and other operational areas. Additionally,although South Sound 911 was physically consolidated,it was not operationally or culturally consolidated and employees belonged to different unions.This environment was contributing to staffing challenges and territorialism over dispatch areas. DELTAWRX was further engaged to conduct an in-depth assessment of communications operations.We provided recommendations regarding organizational culture,career paths,hiring and training to further the transition to a fully consolidated environment so that the county could realize the operational and fiscal efficiencies that were initially driving consolidation. Contact: Tim Hannah Assistant Director South Sound 911 3580 Pacific Avenue Tacoma,WA 98418 (253)287-4860 tim.hannah@southsound911.org Stearns County,Minnesota Stearns County Sheriff's Office provides dispatch services for all law enforcement and fire/EMS agencies in the county.DELTAWRX has been working with Stearns County to procure and implement new public safety information systems,including Computer Aided Dispatch/Mobile Computing,a Records Management System(RMS),a Jail Management System(JMS)and a Civil Processing System.The cost recovery model for the current system is based on a per seat license model with the County subsidizing the cost of call taking and dispatch services.With the implementation of new systems,Stearns County agencies saw an opportunity to revisit and update the governance decision-making structure and the cost recovery model. Because the county includes many small jurisdictions with part-time and volunteer staff,and because Stearn's County's tax base includes taxes from all jurisdictions,Stearns County agreed to continue to subsidize the cost of providing communications services,as well as assume responsibility for the JMS and Civil Processing Systems and all of the infrastructure,hardware and equipment costs,except for mobile devices.It also paid for the up-front costs of implementing the new system.The remaining ongoing maintenance costs,which include the law enforcement RMS and the fire and law enforcement mobile applications,needed to be allocated among the county public safety agencies.® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 20 211 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado As of the writing of this proposal,DELTAWRX has just completed the final cost allocation workshop.The workshop addressed not only the cost allocation model,but also governance factors such as the effects of combining multiple agencies combine into one agency,the triggers for reviewing the allocation model in the future,the recommended frequency of updating model metrics and the official sources for model metrics.DELTAWRX is in the process of finalizing the governance and cost allocation documents and will be happy to provide them after they are reviewed and approved by our client. Contact: Kristen Lahr System Support Specialist Stearns County Sheriff's Office 807 Courthouse Square,PO Box 217 St Cloud,MN 56303 (320)259-3727 kristen.lahr@co.stearns.mn.us Black Hawk County Consolidated Communications Center,Iowa The Black Hawk Consolidated Communications Center(BHCCC)services all public safety agencies in the County.It is governed by an 11-member intergovernmental Board that hired DELTAWRX to assess its governance and operations.We were asked to assess workloads, review business practices,examine the cost-sharing model and provide recommendations to improve operations. The assessment entailed interviewing key stakeholders from BHCCC and its partner agencies, observing communications center operations,reviewing available information and analyzing data.Our assessment identified critical challenges to the sustainability of BHCCC and we provided recommendations regarding governance,funding,operations,staffing and data collection procedures to address the challenges. Recommendations regarding governance focused on creating an equitable decision-making structure to reduce perceived inequities and ensure that all members have appropriate input into decisions and policies.We found that BHCCC's funding sources were not sufficient to sustain operations and we identified an untapped funding source that would reduce the burden on individual cities. DELTAWRX recommended operational and technology improvements to increase the efficiency of existing staff,improve service delivery to the public and improve first responder safety.We also identified an optimal staffing structure to support the operational improvements and provided a path to attaining that level of staffing. ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 21 212 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Finally,DELTAWRX suggested that BHCCC collect data that would allow it to monitor performance and make operational adjustments accordingly. Contact: Sheriff Tony Thompson Black Hawk County 225 E 6th Street Waterloo,IA 50703 (319)291-2587 ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 22 213 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado Figure 1—Complete DELTAWRX Client List Cities Counties Regional Consortiums ,Vbuqueryue,NA( .Arlington Counn•,VA ;\nnka Counn-joint Lain Enforcement Council QF.F.C),�fN Alexnndria,VA Bernalillo Count}',NM \Ibcmarlc Counn-/(:i R-of(:harlotresville/l niversih�of Virginia,V,`\ Anaheim,CA Broomfield Counn•CO Bay Area.air Quality Management District(BAAQMD),CA Raton Rouge,Lit Clackamas County,OR Renton Counn Emergency Sen'ices,O..1 Berkeley,CA Clark Counn-,WA Black Hawk County cps Board,IA Beverly Hills,CA Columbia Counn_•,OR Chittenden Count}-Regional Planning Commission,VT Bellevue,WA DeKalb County,IN Clark Cuunx}-Regional Emergent}-Services Agency(CRES.A),WA Boise,ID Delaware Counn•,1N Consolidated Fire Agencies of East Valley(CONFIRE),CA Burton,\tA Denver County CO Deschutes County 9-I-I,OR Broomfield,CO DuPage Counn IL DuPage County ETSB,1I. Burbank,CA East Baton Rouge Parish,1..�\ E:Comm 911,British Columbia Cambridge,i\LA Grand Counn,CO El Paso=feller County 91 I Authorin,CO Carlsbad,CA Flamil[on Counn',IN Johnson Counn-Joint F:mergena-Communications Center()ECC),IA Cedar Rapids,IA Harrison County,A[S Kenosha Joint Services,W'I Chowchilla,CA horn County,SC Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System(I.A-RI CS),CA College Station,'I-a Lewis County,WA Local Government Inh>nnation Systems Association(1.OGIS),\IN Dcnvcr,CO Los Angeles County,CA Mario Emergency Radio:\uthorin-n[ERA),(:.\ Duluth,MN .\ladcra Corm ry,CA �[arin"transit,<:A Elgin,IL Alarin Counn-,CA Metro Transit Police,Nf\ Fort Smith,ARl-Iarion Counn-,IN tl9ctropolirun Fmcrgcncv Communications Agency(tilEC:l),IN Fremont,CA \tonrerey Count},CA Nest Generation Radio Project(NGE\),Monterey,CA Garden City,KS Multnomah County,OR Northeast Ivng County Regional Communications Center(N ORCONE,WA Hayward,CA Napa Counn,CA Northeast Hnmcland Seeurin Rcginnal Ackison Council(NERAC),ASA Indianapolis,IN' Orangeburg Counn,SC: Orange Counn Pire Authority,(�\ Kansas City,AIO Ramsey Count}-,\IN Rhode Island Police Chiefs':\ssociation,RI Long Reach,CA Routt County,CO Saota Clara Couo[},C;\ I.unkmxun[,CO San Francisco Count}',CA Scutt Emergency Communications Center(SEC(),I_\ Longn-iew-,TK Sacramento County,CA Snohomish Count}Police Staff and r\uxiliary Service Center(SI�OPr\C),\VA Lynchburg,VA Saint Louis Count}-,.MO South Central Region,(:O Madera,CA Santa Barbara Count}-CA South Sound 911,WA Milpitas,C:1 Spokane County,WA Stanislaus Regrional 911,C:\ \[inneapolir,AfN Stanislaus Counn,CA A'allev Communications Center(\-alley Com),\\'A 1-Lodesm,CA Stafford County,VA \Vnshington Coun[}-Consolidnted Communications r\gency(PL-CCCA),OR \fountain View,CA Steams County,1IN Yolo Emergency Communications Agency(YECA9l I),CA Napa,CA Teller Count},CO Nashville,TN "Thurston County WA Other Newark,(::1 Ventura Counn•,(::'\ Rain&Compam• ()'Pillion,MO Washington Counts,OR Bridge Gruyyrh Partners Olathe,KS Yuba Counrv,CA Bulger Partners Palo Alto,CA G[Partners Pasadena,C:\ States Hamilton Southeastern School Disxricr Pcorin,[I. Cali fornin Priman Insight Pittsburgh,PA Florida Rivenvood Capital Management Plano,TK Indiana San Francisco[ntcrnarional:\irport Portland,OR Massachusetts State Police Silver Lake Partners Redding,C;\ N'cbraska Department of Roads Southern California Edison Redmond,WA Oregon State Police United Stater Department of Justice,Bureau off asrice Assistance Salinas,CA Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association San Francisco,CA Leah Communications Audxorin- Santa Barbara,C.A Sunni Clara,CA San jose,CA Spokane,WA Springfield,NIA Steamboat Springs,CO Tempe,:\Z "1'hornxon,CO Liniun City,C.A Visalia,CA Waukesha,WI West Chester,OH \\cstmins[cr,C�\ DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 23 214 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado 7. Proposed Project Schedule DELTAWRX understands that Weld County requires analysis results by March 2024 so that the County can incorporate the findings into its FY 2025 budget.We based the preliminary project schedule shown in Table 1 on our understanding of the scope of services,the desired timeframe for completing this project presented in the RFP and our experience completing similar engagements. As an initial task,DELTAWRX will finalize the project schedule with Weld County staff.The schedule currently shows a start date of December 12,2023,and that we will present findings to the Board of County Commissioners and the E-911 Board on March 6,2023. DELTAWRX will do everything within our control to adhere to the schedule,but we cannot guarantee the date. While we have built time into the schedule to accommodate known holidays and natural project lag times(e.g.,scheduling meetings,review cycles),we have not factored in time to accommodate delays on the part of Weld County or participating agency resources. Table 2.Preliminary Project Schedule Estimated Start Estimated Finish Task# Task Name Date Date 1 Hold Project Planning Meeting 12/11/2023 12/11/2023 2 Gather Background Information 12/11/2023 12/22/2023 3 Conduct PSAP Interviews and Observe Operations 01/08/2024 01/12/2024 4 Identify Cost of Providing Services 01/16/2024 01/26/2024 5 Benchmark Cost Recovery Models 01/16/2024 01/26/2024 6 Compare Services Costs with existing Recovery 01/16/2024 01/26/2024 models 7 Develop Cost Allocation Model 01/29/2024 02/09/2024 8 Prepare Report 02/12/2024 02/23/2024 9 Present Results 02/26/2024 03/06/2024 10 Provide Final Report 03/06/2024 03/15/2024 11 Provide Analysis and Train County Staff 04/01/2024 04/19/2024 12 Provide Follow-Up Services N/A N/A 8. Cost Our professional fees to perform the services described in this proposal are$78,150,as presented in Table 3 below.Our fees are inclusive of all administrative,travel,report® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consullonts Page 24 215 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado production and related expenses. It is our policy to perform the proposed services for a firm, fixed fee,and DELTAWRX will not issue change orders unless Weld County desires a major change to the proposed scope of work(e.g.,addition of a new phase).We have developed our proposed work plan to be responsive to the requirements as documented in the RFP but are prepared to negotiate price and scope as needed to meet the needs of Weld County. After the project is completed,DELTAWRX will always be available to discuss with Weld County staff any of the work products we prepare for the County. Because it is not known at this time whether the County will be faced with legal or other challenges related to defending its User Fee,we have not included fees for any follow-up services.Should the situation arise where County requires additional assistance from us,we would be pleased to discuss at the appropriate time the scope of work and budget for the additional assistance that the County desires. Table 3.Professional Fees Task# Task Name Fees 1 Hold Project Planning Meeting $2,200 2 Gather Background Information 8,100 3 Conduct PSAP Interviews and Observe Operations 16,000 4 Identify Cost of Providing Services 6,100 5 Benchmark Cost Recovery Models 6,100 6 Compare Services Costs with existing Recovery models 4,200 7 Develop Cost Allocation Model 9,075 8 Prepare Report 10,500 9 Present Results 7,575 10 Provide Final Report 2,200 11 Provide Analysis and Train County Staff 6,100 12 Provide Follow-Up Services TBD Total $78,150 Our firm-fixed fee approach enables our team to provide the contracted deliverables without being bound by stipulations for billable hours or travel,while providing our clients with the peace-of-mind that our fees will remain fixed for the duration of our engagement.We believe the flexibility and unparalleled customer service afforded by this approach outweigh the financial risk we assume. DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consultants Page 25 216 Proposal to Provide Weld County Public Safety Communications User Fee Study Colorado 9. Conclusion We thank Weld County for considering our proposal.We assure you that we understand your mission to provide outstanding and effective communications/dispatch services as well as your duty to efficiently use taxpayer dollars.We also understand the challenges of adequately funding regional operations. By teaming with DELTAWRX on this engagement,Weld County will: ■ Capitalize on the breadth and depth of knowledge we have gained from providing management consulting services to more than 200 public safety agencies across the country ■ Work with a firm that offers extensive expertise in communications centers operations, staffing,technology and funding ■ Have confidence that it will receive timely service and receive expert recommendations that are practical and feasible ■ Know that results and recommendations are the result of careful and sound analysis tailored to Weld County's needs ■ Leverage the trends,best practices and related data DELTAWRX has gathered from similar projects throughout the country ■ Work with a highly flexible consulting firm that can react quickly to project and participant needs with the ability to meet tight schedules and time restraints ■ Know that the project will be completed to your satisfaction without additional cost In summary,we believe DELTAWRX is best qualified to assist Weld County with this project and we assure you that we are fully committed to its successful completion.We look forward to participating with you in this most important endeavor. ® DELTAWRX November 20,2023 management consullonts Page 26 217 Contract Form Entity Information Entity Name* Entity ID* O New Entity? DELTAWRX MANAGEMENT @00032912 CONSULTANTS Contract Name* Contract ID Parent Contract ID PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT BETWEEN WELD 7688 COUNTY AND DELTAWRK Contract Lead* Requires Board Approval Contract Status CPATTELLI YES CTB REVIEW Contract Lead Email Department Project# cpattelli@co.weld.co.us Contract Description* CONTRACT TO PERFORM PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS FEE STUDY Contract Description 2 Contract Type* Department Requested BOCC Agenda Due Date AGREEMENT FINANCE Date* 12/14/2023 12/18/2023 Amount* Department Email 578,1 50.00 CM- Will a work session with BOCC be required?* Finance@weldgov.com HAD Renewable* NO Department Head Email Does Contract require Purchasing Dept.to be CM-Finance- included? Automatic Renewal DeptHead@weldgov.com YES Grant County Attorney Bid/RFP#* GENERAL COUNTY B2300196 ATTORNEY EMAIL IGA County Attorney Email CM- COUNTYATTORNEY@WEL DGOV.COM If this is a renewal enter previous Contract ID If this is part of a MSA enter MSA Contract ID Note:the Previous Contract Number and Master Services Agreement Number should be left blank if those contracts are not in OnBase Contract Dates Effective Date Review Date* Renewal Date 12/12/2023 Termination Notice Period Committed Delivery Date Expiration Date* 12/31/2024 Contact Information Contact Info Contact Name Contact Type Contact Email Contact Phone 1 Contact Phone 2 Purchasing Purchasing Approver Purchasing Approved Date Approval Process Department Head Finance Approver Legal Counsel CHERYL PATTELLI CHERYL PATTELLI KARIN MCDOUGAL DH Approved Date Finance Approved Date Legal Counsel Approved Date 12/12/2023 12/12/2023 12/12/2023 Final Approval BOCC Approved Tyler Ref# AG 122023 BOCC Signed Date Originator CPATTELLI BOCC Agenda Date 12/20/2023 1861 WELD COUNTY FINANCE PHONE:(970)400-4451 WEBSITE: COUNTY -, www.co.weld.co.us 1150 0-STREET P.O.BOX 758 GREELEY,COLORADO 80632 December 11,2023 To:Board of County Commissioners From:Cheryl Pattelli Subject:Public Safety Communications User Fee Study(B2300196) A Request For Proposal(RFP)was completed for the Public Safety Communications User Fee Study. The County received 2 responses for this project from DELTAWRX and MGT Consulting.The evaluation team evaluated the RFP responses and then conducted interviews with the 2 vendors. The team evaluated the interviews and then performed reference checks for the 2 vendors.The team also requested a Best and Final Offer(BAFO)from both vendors. The evaluation team is recommending the award to DELTAWRX in the amount of$78,150. If you have any questions,please contact me at extension 4451. Sincerely, Cheryl Pattelli CFO Attachment A:RFP Evaluation Scores Attachment B:Interview Evaluation Scores Attachment C:Dec.11,2023 Work Session Request Form 2023- 2-5(0 12A F1®0-1� ATTACHMENT A The following criteria will be used to evaluate the proposal submitted in response to this Request for Proposal. In addition the interview process maybe used as supplemental information to information received in the bids. Each category will be rated from 1-5. 1 represents marginal;3 being average,5 represents exceptional MGT Item allinalgilla Corresponding Bid Specifications for Best Value Evaluation ,„;•• DELTAWRX: Consulting 1 Firm capabilities -,Y a.Has this firm completed other projects of similar size and complexity? 5 4.75 3 b.Does this firm have the required personnel resources to complete the project? 5 4.25 4.5 c.Relevance and quality of examples provided of similar projects 5 4.5 3 d.Were all required items of bid submission received? 5 4.25 4.25 Total 20 17.75 14.75 2 Consultants and key staff experience and qualifications a.Does the project manager and team members have the experience required to complete this project? 5 4.75 3 b.Do team members have a diverse set of skills that will assist in meeting the goals of the project? 5 4.25 3.5 b.Has the team completed a project of this size and complexity? 5 4.25 3 e.Does the team have experience in public sector work and understand Weld Counties needs? 5 4.5 4 Total 20 17.75 14 3 Scope of ro osal and Project approach a.The proposal clearly shows an understanding of the project objectives. 5 4.5 4 b.The proposed methodology meets the desired goals of the County. 5 4.5 4.25 c.Does this firms approach seems to be geared towards giving Weld County the best value while meeting the goals of the project? 5 4.25 4 d.Does approach detail how handle meetings,communications,and schedule? 5 4.5 4.5 e.Does proposal provide innovative ideas for the project? 5 3.75 3.25 roma Total_ 25 21.5 20 • 4 Firm Availability and Project Schedule b.Does projected schedule/timeframe meet,exceed,or not meet needs? 10 7.75 7.25 c.Does team have current or future commitments that may hinder on call work availability?(may be unknown) 5 2.5 2.5 Total • 15 10.25 9.75 5 Cost ,.. • ..,. a.Is main project pricing reasonable with project goals? • • 10 2.75 6.25 d.Does the price includes all services requested? • . 5 3.25 3.25 Total 15 6•• . • 9.5 Grand Total -- 95 73.25 67.5 • 281 ATTACHMENT B PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATION FEE STUDY RFP EVALUATION - INTERVIEW Total Possible MGT Points DELTAWRK Consulting Interview Evaluation 1 Work Approach 10 . 00 9 . 75 7 . 50 2 Project Manager Qualifications 10 . 00 9 . 25 5 . 25 3 Presentation 30 . 00 23 . 75 13 . 75 4 Questions/Answers Section 50 . 00 43 . 75 23 . 75 Total Interview Evaluation 100.00 86 . 50 50 . 25 282 ATTACHMENT C BOCC STAFF USE Date Set: Time: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION REQUEST WORK SESSION TITLE:Public Safety Communications User Fee Study—Approval of DELTAWRX,LLC Bid DEPARTMENT:Finance&Public Safety Communications DATE:12/6/23 PERSON REQUESTING:Cheryl Pattelli EXTENSION:4451 Has your Commissioner Coordinator or BOCC Chair approved the work session? Yes,Commissioner Coordinator X_Yes,BOCC Chair Recommended length of time needed for discussion: _X_15 minutes 30 minutes other(list) In addition to yourself and the board,please list who should attend: Ryan Rose,Tina Powell,Jen Oftelie,Chris D'Ovidio Brief description of the issue: Informational only_X Action needed A Request For Proposal(RFP)was completed for the Public Safety Communications User Fee Study.A RFP evaluation uses quality-based selection based on established criteria,not necessary lowest price,when determining what company should be awarded the work.The scope of services for this project can be found in Attachment A. The County received 2 responses for this project from DELTAWRX and MGT Consulting. The evaluation team evaluated the RFP responses and then conducted interviews with the 2 vendors. The team evaluated the interviews and then performed reference checks for the 2 vendors.The team also requested a Best and Final Offer(BAFO)from both vendors.The team strongly believes the higher-cost vendor,DELTAWRX,should be awarded this work. DELTAWRX's and MGT Consulting's fees for the project were $78,150 and$43,728,respectively. Options for the board: 1) Award the bid to DELTAWRX 2) Award the bid to MGT Consulting Recommendation to the board: The evaluation team recommends awarding the bid to DELTAWRX. DELTAWRK scored much higher in both the RFP and the interview evaluations(see attachments F& G). DELTAWRX specializes in public safety operations including E-911/dispatch centers and has far more expertise and experience in this area than MGT Consulting. DELTAWRX understands the importance of transparency and educating and working BOCC STAFF USE Date Set: Time: with our partnering agencies to ensure " buy- in " of the proposed fee structure . MGT Consulting indicated that the County would be mostly responsible for communicating and working with partnering agencies during the projects . We believe an independent , third party working with the agencies during the project will be critical in achieving the buy- in we desire for this project and , therefore , agree with DELTAWRX' s approach . DELTAWRX' s team would include much more experienced consultants to perform the actual project work . MGT Consulting stated the majority of work would be done by their lower- level analysts , many of whom are working on 10 or more projects at one time , with the most knowledgeable members of the team getting involved only as needed . The reference calls we performed further solidified our desire to move forward with DELTAWRX We will be requesting the project get funded with a supplemental budget request using the $3 . 7 million transferred from the E911 Fund to the General Fund in 2023 . Attachments : Attachment A ( page --3)-:-Pubfi-cc- S•ufety Communications User Fee Study RFP dated Oct. 5 , 2023 Att : ELTAWRX - RFP -response )L. Attachment D ( page 210) : MGT Consulti . REP response Attachment E- (page 28-0) :-MGT Consulting BAFO response Attachment F (page 281 ) : Attachment -G (page ')82) : Evaluation Team-1-n-ter:is l-ration **Please be sure to have all materials to Karla Ford by a minimum of one day prior to the scheduled work session for inclusion into electronic work session packets to be viewed on the Board's laptops. ** WELD COUNTY PURCHASING 1301 N . 17T" Avenue , Greeley , CO 80631 _ - la4r E- mail :E- mail : reverett@weldgov . com i tip , y - rtjio , E Mail : cgeisert@weldgov . com °°1, .} Phone : 970)400-4222 , 4223 4_56UNT—Yits DATE OF BID : OCTOBER 30 , 2023 REQUEST FOR : PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS USER FEE STUDY PROJECT DEPARTMENT : FINANCE BID NO : B2300196 PRESENT DATE : NOVEMBER 1 , 2023 APPROVAL DATE =BD 18 , 2023 ) VENDORS MGT OF AMERCIA CONSULTING LLC 4320 WEST KENNEDY BLVD , STE . 200 TAMPA FL 33609 DELTAWRX LLC 21700 OXNARD STREET, STE 830 WOODLAND HILLS CA 91367 2.023-3256 Hello