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Finance committee approves sole-source purchase for Motorola radios after public questions
Summary
The Wausau Finance Committee approved a sole-source purchase request for Motorola portable radios for the Wausau Police Department. A resident asked whether the radios and quantities were budgeted; staff said $50,000 was budgeted and the department follows a 10-per-year replacement plan.
The Wausau Finance Committee on March 11 approved a sole-source purchase request for Motorola portable radios for the Wausau Police Department after a public comment and staff explanation.
A resident, Paula Meadows, asked whether the packet-listed request for 10 radios included per-unit cost and whether the purchase was budgeted. "Is this for a new purchase or is this a budgeted item? Has the cost of these already been budgeted?" Meadows asked during the public-comment portion.
Patrol Captain (name not specified) and the police chief (name not specified in the record) responded that the department budget includes $50,000 for radios. The department follows a 10-radio-per-year replacement plan, and some older radios are at "end of life" and cannot be repaired. The chief said Motorola is the department standard, noting that Motorola radios are territorial and sold through a regional vendor; the local vendor is Northway Communications. The chief said there are 81 sworn staff and additional non‑sworn employees who use portable radios, and that the department plans to transition older radios (referred to in the record as "Tate" or "tape" models) to Motorola units.
Alders raised procedural points about procurement policy and transparency. The chief told the committee this is a recurring annual sole-source memo and asked whether members would prefer a different cadence for review. Alder Tierney said compliance with policy is required when sole-source items come before the committee.
A motion to approve the sole-source request was made and seconded; the committee voted by voice and the motion "carries." The record does not include a roll-call tally for the voice vote.
The committee and police staff noted advantages of using the local authorized Motorola vendor, including local repair service handled by Northway Communications rather than a regional hub.
The committee packet identifies the purchase as a sole-source procurement under the city procurement policy when an item is limited to a single vendor or is uniquely compatible with existing equipment. The police chief said the department plans to present the same memoranda annually while the replacement program continues.
No dollar-per-unit cost appeared in the committee discussion. Meadows and the committee discussed whether 10 radios would cover current needs; Meadows said the chief had told her the department needs roughly 100 radios and that 14 of the existing units are at end of life. Police staff said packet materials list 79 radios in inventory and 81 assigned sworn staff, indicating a shortfall relative to sworn staffing.
