HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2004City of Evanston
E9-1-1 Committee Meeting
Thursday, ,tune 24, 2004
Board Members Present: Alderman Ann Rainey, Max Rubin, and Chief Alan Berkowsky
Staff Present: Pat Casey, Perry Polinski, Chief Frank Kaminski and Deputy Chief Sam
Hunter
Presiding Officer: Alderman Ann Rainey
Summary of Action: Aid. Rainey, Committee Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM
Approval of Minutes:
Minutes of the June 24, 2004 meeting will be approved at the next scheduled meeting, to be held
August 22, 2004.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION:
Review and Presentation: Fire Department Radio Study Currently the City of Evanston has a
"simple," one frequency system which has been problematic for years. Thus 9-I-1 board members
hired consultants from a company named Trott Communications Group, Inc. to analyze their existing
radio communications system and develop options for future system upgrades. Chief Berkowsky
discussed the findings of this search along with the concurrent proposed solution and costs.
Current Problems: After extensive interviewing and research, Trott found the number one
flaw of the current system to be weak portable radio coverage in specific parts of town. Once
radio communication is taken out of a rig (a frequent occurrence) the radio goes from 100 watts
to 5 watts, accelerating the problem. This leads to difficulty in relaying vital information, The
second prominent issue is wireless calls to 9-1-1. Cell phones now represent roughly 40% -
45%ofcalls to the 9-1-1 center and can lead to various problems including the following:
Often these calls are accidental and create more traffic for telecommunicators, citizens calling
in on cell phones incorrectly assume their location can be traced, as though the call was made
on a land line, and cell phone calls can create additional interference over radio airwaves. One
problem already solved was the addition of a third telecommunicator on duty so that call
volume can now be handled in an adequate response time.
Proposed Solution: After extensive analysis, Trott recommended the City of Evanston Fire
Department go to a repeater system, the same system currently used successfully by the City's
Police Department. A Repeater system uses two frequencies; one to transmit and the other to
receive. The stronger signal then retransmits the message. Under this proposal there would be
2-3 simulcast sites (Chief Berkowsky stated we would use two sites) as well as 4 auxiliary sites
(which could become five since we already have a fifth in place). Sites will be placed in areas
that have a high success rate in hearing dispatch calls currently. Using the repeater system
would allow for more flexibility. Additionally, the city could use its current frequency and
equipment.
Costs and Potential Obstacles: Implementing the repeater system for two sites and four to
five auxiliaries would cost the City of Evanston S255,000. if the council finds it financially
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beneficial the Police Department could be added to the system for S 105,000. If Trott was
chosen, the Project management costs would run S45,000. Chief Berkowsky will further
examine the necessity of adding the police department which if included would make the
project total S405,000. The project's time table is estimated at 12-24 months, an optimistic but
reasonable time table. Thus, the project could be funded over several years. The current
budget for the 2004-05 year is 250,000. Should the E 9-1-1 approve the repeater system the
city would need to obtain a second frequency which it's currently applying for from the FCC.
Also, funding needs would need to be determined. Alderman Rainey was concerned the project
was detailed enough for the corresponding costs, so Chief Berkowsky will have hard numbers
next meeting to fully educate the council before a vote. August is a target deadline for RFP's.
Update: Fiber Inlative Pat Casey stated that the fiber project is near completion. The first fiber
connection is up and running. The remainder of the project should be completely connected
And up and running by the end of the summer. Evidence continues to show that this will save
the City of Evanston significant money in the long run.
Other Business: Pent' Polinski updated everyone about the IP (intemet protocol). He has received
two letters already from vendors. IP will be implemented in two phases. Phase I will be
getting calls into ISAP. The City of Evanston is still waiting on a 10 digit number to route calls
to the 9-1-1 center. Perry briefly mentioned that he received a quote from Motorola for 3
power packs and an interim meeting will be set up.
2004 Meeting Calendar: Chief Berkowsky will keep board members updated on his findings and
subsequently when an appropriate date will be to share his updated numbers. No current date is set
though the next meeting will tentatively be planned for August 2004.
Tice committee adjourned at 8:10 P.M.
2
City of Evanston
E9-1-1 Committee Meeting
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
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Board Members Present: Alderman Edmund ~loran, Alderman Ann Rainey, Max Rubin,
Staff Present: Alan Berkowsky, Alison Zelms, Dennis Nilsson, Curtis Nekovar, Sam
Hunter, and Deborah Hakimian
Presiding Officer: Alderman Edmund Moran
Summary of Action: Aid. Moran, Committee Chair, called the meeting to order at 6:37 PM
Approval of Minutes:
Minutes of the July 20, 2004 meeting will be approved at the next scheduled meeting, to be held
August 26, 2004.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION:
Fire Department Radio System Upgrade — Additional Information: After a brief review of the
previous meeting, Alderman Moran asked if a two site estimate was a previously presented alternative.
Chief Berkowsky explained that this alternative was a middle ground of the previous
recommendations. Next, Chief Berkowsky stated that price estimates from the previous meeting were
now available in more detail. Asked why the prices were written as "not for budgeting purposes," the
chief responded by stating the numbers were estimates based on Trott jobs performed in the past.
Thus, the numbers are a historical perspective, not necessarily what companies will bid. For budgeting
purposes the numbers given are estimated on the higher end, and also factor in contingency and site
preparation. As a reminder the Chief mentioned that station 5 needs a lot of work which will be done
in the future. Also, the water tower may be a future site for the city. In a separate but related topic,
Air raid sirens may be moved up or switched to a two story station. Bids for the proposed project will
go to a variety of vendors in different areas because it's such a large project. The city will look for
multiple vendors in order to achieve a fair amount of flexibility.
Fire Committee and Police Department views: When Asked by Alderman Rainey the fire
committee stated it is behind the current proposal, adding they are concerned for potential
problems without it. Speaking for the Police, Chief Berkowsky explained that transmissions
are becoming more unclear and thus it's harder to hear the radio. Currently the police
department has 4 repeaters and 1 transmit receiver. Under the proposal the police would have
one more repeater and transmit receiver and they would like to "piggy back" on to the fire
department bid in order to expedite the plan and cut costs. They feel this is something not
wanted but needed since radio communication quality continues to decline. As mentioned at
the last meeting, adding police to the plan would cost about S 105,000, but would eliminate
$40,000 - $50,000 needed for consultants to examine the police radio needs separately. The
police add -on is unbudgeted but funds exist to cover the cost.
Additional Information: Alderman Rainey asked whether funds existed to retain Trott to help
prepare bid documents. There are some funds remaining in the original contract, Chief
Berkowsky estimates there is enough to cover about 10 to 15 hours of work. Rainey asked that
Chief Berkowsky get a cost estimate from Trott to work on bid documents and move forward
with the intent to use Trott to help with the bid process.
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Purchase of Three Power Packs for I%tDT Installation: Alderman Rainey moved to approve the
purchase of units to proceed with the police and fire upgrade. Alderman Moran seconded. The
approval was unanimous. Additionally, Alderman Rainey approved the conceptual plan, which was
seconded by Max Rubin and passed unanimously. Thus, Chief Berkowsky can continue to go forth
with the project and work beyond the budgeted amount if needed. If costs seem extreme to secure
Trott for bid work, Chief Berkowsky will notify the board members for their approval.
Other Business: Upon Discussion of Governor Blagojevich rerouting state E-911 funds, Curtis
Nekovar explained that the roughly 2.1 -- 2.2 million dollars cut out of the state budget is a small
fraction of the overall fund and won't break the city budget. When asked what authority allows
Blagojevich to touch the money, Nekovar said that no law is in place to stop him. Two months ago
Blagojevich disbanded central management office and made the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC)
responsible for funds disbursement. Staff will continue to monitor the fund and the actions taken by
the state.
The committee adjourned at 7:16 P.M.
2
City of Evanston
E94.1 Committee Meeting
Thursday, November 5, 2004
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Board Members Present: Alderman Edmund Moran, Alderman Ann Rainey, Max Rubin, Chief
Frank Kaminski, and David Angelus.
Staff Present: Alan Berkowsky, Patrick Casey, and Perry Polinski.
Presiding Officer: Alderman Edmund Moran
Summary of Action: Aid. Moran, Committee Chair, called the meeting to order at 5:11 PM
Approval of Minutes:
Minutes of the June 24, 2004 and July 20, 2004 meeting were approved by Alderman Rainey and
seconded by Chief Kaminski with no corrections.
ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION:
Proposed 2005-06 Emergency Telephone System Budget:
Mr. Casey reviewed the proposed budget for the Emergency Telephone System Board for FY
2005/06. Regular salaries will budget for a Communication Center Coordinator, two Assistant Center
Coordinators, and two Telecommunication Operators, one of which will be an over hire for one year,
the over hire may become permanent based on future needs. The budget increase in this area is due to
the raise in salaries for the current employees. On April P the 9-1-1 center implemented a 12 hour
work shift, which added a third person on duty at the work center. With individuals now being
assigned to specific situations complaints have gone down.
Service Agreements and Contracts within the 9-1-1 Center will see overall drop in the budget this
upcoming year. The primary reason for this drop comes in the area of AS 400 Hardware & Software
Support. This will now be a year to year contract with a regular service contractor. Service agreements
will also begin to include new fiber equipment and support system. HVAC service agreements cover
the independent system in the 9-1-1 center. Finally service agreements also include the Teletrac
location monitoring system in police cars.
In the transfer to debt service fund no money was funded for 2005-2006. The reason behind this is that
bond issued for initial construction of the 9-1-1 center has been paid off. The Fuel line item has been
increased and is directly tied to the rising costs for the price of gas. The new budget reflects the
upgrade of the AS 400 server with the possibility of using the old server in a back-up center
Perry Polinski and Alan Berkowsky discussed the reverse 9-1-1 system. They explained that it would
allow the City of Evanston to call any number we have on file to inform the public of emergency
situations. This system is interactive to personal needs such as safety checks. The reverse system is
currently used by Evanston Township High School for days off and by other cities. One point to be
considered is that website numbers need to be verified for authenticity. While this is not the highest
priority of the 9-1-1 center it should be budgeted and discussed further
The City is currently finishing up the bidding for the back-up data center that the fund will share in the
cost. It is anticipated that the back-up center will be in place in the Summer of 2005. The need for and
the sizing of backup center is also open for future discussion.
After looking at a preliminary 10 year forecast of funds, Perry Polinski explained that S280.000 needs
to be added for Radio software upgrades in 2007-2008. Chief Kaminski mentioned the need for the
police department command van to become more mobile. This upgrade to wireless communication
will cost no more than S20,000 but needs to be added to the '05-'06 budget. Medical insurance
numbers will be updated within 2-3 weeks with a likely 10-15 percent increase. FY2004-2005 revenue
and expenditures are tracking well to date, based on a six month review which was just conducted and
showed revenues and expenses at 45-50 percent over half a year.
2005 Meeting Calendar: Committee members approved the 2005 Meeting calendar %vith a possible
amendment to move the March 24a' meeting later on. A December mailing will be sent out
highlighting budget changes and committee minutes.
The committee adjourned at 6:10 P.M.
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