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County council denies proposed Motorola maintenance contract, seeks alternatives for CAD and records work
Summary
Councilors declined a proposed $247,500 ongoing maintenance contract with Motorola for CAD/dispatch systems and pressed 911 leadership to return with alternatives, including stipends or a permanent in-house CAD administrator.
Porter County councilors reviewed a proposal from Motorola for ongoing maintenance and related services connected to the county's CAD (computer-aided dispatch) and RMS records transfer. The proposal included a quote of approximately $247,500 for a contract to provide ongoing services tied to dispatch and system administration.
Why it matters: council members said the CAD system remains incomplete years after initial installation and that incomplete records transfers and dispatch provisioning present operational and public-safety risks. Dispatch staff asked for technical support and either a dedicated stipend or a permanent staff position for CAD administration to keep the system functional.
Council discussion focused on three related questions: whether to pay the vendor for continued contract support now; whether the county should instead fund stipends for in-house staff to administer CAD provisioning and training; and whether a permanent CAD administrator position should be established in future budgets. Dispatch and 911 leadership told the council that in-house staff are handling provisioning as part of shift duties and that a full-time CAD administrator would be the longer-term solution.
A motion to deny the Motorola maintenance contract was moved and seconded; councilors also debated tabling the matter so 911 leadership could attend and provide more details. The council ultimately denied moving forward with the Motorola contract at this meeting and directed 911 staff to return with clearer cost comparisons and alternatives, including a stipend-based interim option and a plan for in-house staffing and training. Commissioners and staff emphasized the need to resolve poor data transfers from the vendor and said they wanted to see a plan that includes both CAD provisioning and records-management transfer steps.
Ending: The council did not approve the Motorola contract and asked 911 and IT staff to return with a narrower set of options and a recommended staffing path for CAD administration and records transfer work.
