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Council approves lease for Motorola consoles to unify city dispatch systems under regional contract
Summary
Edinburg authorized a lease through an HGAC contract to replace dispatch consoles and reprogram radios as the city transitions to a regional P25-compatible system; the package is a multi-year agreement with payments spread over seven years and initial payment identified from police asset-forfeiture funds.
The Edinburg City Council approved a multi-year lease to replace radio dispatch consoles and reprogram city radios through a Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) cooperative contract with Motorola Solutions.
Council authorized the city manager to execute the lease under HGAC contract number TXRA05-21 for Motorola consoles and radio reprogramming. The staff report listed annual payments of $275,466.11 and a total payment profile the city recorded as part of the seven-year arrangement. Police Chief Omar Garza told council the first payment is expected after installation and that the initial payment will be made from Edinburg Police Department asset forfeiture funds.
Nut graf: The contract moves the city toward a regional, P25-compatible radio system and replaces aging dispatch consoles at police and fire facilities. Staff said the purchase is staged: console replacement is the near-term priority and portable/unit radios will be phased in over time to ensure compatibility with the new regional system.
Police Chief Omar Garza said the procurement is the first stage of a multi-phase effort: “This is the $1,600,000 is to replace all the the dispatch console…And then the console at the fire station,” and described a seven-year payment plan through HGAC. Council members asked whether the upgrade benefits all departments; staff replied the consoles will serve police and fire dispatch and that most city departments will be incorporated into the new system, with a few exceptions such as solid waste.
Council approved the lease by motion and second; the motion carried. Chief Garza and staff said existing radios that already meet P25 standards should transition to the new regional system, while older units will be replaced over time. Councilors also raised funding and procurement questions, and staff said the city will phase replacements and coordinate ordering and outfitting with vendors after contract execution.
Ending: Staff said the project will be implemented in stages, with consoles installed first and portable radios replaced over time to complete the citywide migration to the newer regional radio network.
