The Henrico County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 28 approved an amendment to the county's consulting contract with Alteris Technology Partners to continue technical consulting on the public-safety communications system.

Staff said Henrico originally contracted with Alteris in 2013 and later engaged Motorola Systems for system design and installation. An earlier contract amendment approved on April 14, 2020 provided $1,786,004.05 to continue Alteris's consulting after project delays. Presenters told the board that Motorola's completion timeline has slipped and that the county needs ongoing expert advice; Motorola's current projection for system completion is May 2028.

During the presentation, staff requested authorization for an additional on-call funding increment for Alteris to provide continuing technical services. Several supervisors questioned the multi-year schedule, asked whether Motorola is being paid while schedule slips, and requested a work session and a regional update so newer board members can be briefed. Staff agreed to schedule a work session and suggested the item could be raised at an upcoming regional CAO dinner for broader discussion.

Supervisor Nelson moved to approve the contract amendment and Supervisor Rogich seconded; the motion carried. The transcript contains some garbled numeric detail when staff summarized the requested amendment and adjusted totals. Staff provided the April 2020 amendment amount above; the presentation described an additional funding request and an adjusted total but the transcripted figures were unclear. The county has assessed liquidated damages against Motorola in past years, staff said.