Dodge County committee selects three firms for radio-system RFP interviews

Dodge County Communications Committee members voted at their meeting to invite Federal Engineering, Mission Critical Partners and TUSA Consulting Services to give presentations and participate in interviews as the next step in evaluating responses to a request for proposals (RFP) on a countywide radio/communications upgrade.

The committee said the interviews are intended to clarify scope, timelines and fees before the group makes a recommendation to the county executive committee. Committee members emphasized interoperability with neighboring counties and compatibility with the county’s planned building and dispatch center projects as primary goals.

Committee chair (unnamed) moved to bring the three firms in for interviews; the motion was seconded and carried after a voice vote. Members discussed evaluation scores and submitted fee proposals before the vote. Staff reported that some proposals had incomplete fee information: a fee sheet from Blue Wing was not in the RFP envelope and will be treated as an incomplete submittal, and various firms provided differing fee levels. The committee noted specific fee figures available in the record (Betterland Engineering listed at $99,488; Omnicom listed at $48,735; TUSA listed at $45,660) and that other fee entries in the minutes were unclear or not submitted. A committee member asked how to reconcile a roughly $30,000 difference between top-ranked proposals; other members said that price can be discussed at the interview and that, because this procurement uses a qualifications-based approach for potential federal funding, proposals may be negotiated if appropriate.

Staff (Danielle) told members they would schedule one-hour interview blocks with each firm, with a presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. The committee set interviews for April 4 beginning at 10:00 a.m., with 30-minute presentation slots and short breaks between sessions. Members agreed the meeting would be an open meeting and that a quorum should attend; some members suggested forming a smaller interview subcommittee but the committee opted to keep the full committee invited.

Committee staff and members also reviewed survey results collected from local agencies to inform the RFP evaluation. Staff reported 46 agency survey responses that documented radio models, age and trunking/P25 capability; the survey showed a mix of older and newer radios and indicated trunking capability was more prevalent than expected. Committee members identified interoperability across the county and with seven surrounding counties as the primary objective of any upgrade and asked that the final recommendation consider DPW, fire, EMS and local municipal communications needs. Members also noted that any move to a different radio band or to a trunked system could require dispatch equipment changes and should be coordinated with the county master plan for county buildings and the dispatch center.

Next steps recorded for implementation include scheduling the interviews on April 4, preparing an interview question set, and drafting a resolution and memo to the executive committee so the executive packet can be prepared. Staff agreed to draft the resolution/memo and circulate it for review; committee members requested the draft packet be available by the county clerk’s internal deadline so the executive committee could consider the recommendation without an additional month-long delay.

The meeting also included a brief communications item: staff summarized a letter from the Horicon police chief describing radio penetration/interoperability problems in Horicon and requesting the committee consider those issues as part of future work. No formal action was taken on that letter during the meeting.

The committee adjourned after setting the interview schedule and follow-up tasks.