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Eagle Pass council tables Spyglass telecom-audit resolution over fee and procurement questions
Summary
Council unanimously tabled a resolution to pursue a Spyglass 'snapshot' audit of telecom services after members questioned a proposed recovery split and asked staff to seek comparisons and have counsel negotiate terms.
The Eagle Pass City Council on Nov. 5, 2024, voted unanimously to table a proposed resolution to authorize a Spyglass "snapshot" audit of the city’s telecom services after council members raised questions about the proposed fee structure and vendor selection.
City staff described the Spyglass offering as a two-phase engagement: an initial assessment of voice, data, Internet and cloud services to identify potential savings, followed by a proposal that would spell out specific changes and a recovery/fee split if the council chose to implement them. Staff repeatedly stated the first-phase assessment would impose "no cost" to the city unless findings triggered a fee arrangement.
Several council members asked why Spyglass was the only provider presented and requested comparisons with other vendors. One council member (Speaker 6) said the proposed recovery split — described in the discussion as a 50/50 split of realized savings — looked excessive and sought clarity on when the recovery fee would apply. The council member said the contract language could be read as creating a claim on savings before council approval of any implementation.
"If they find viable savings, we're at 50%," the council member said, and asked whether the city could be locked into paying a recovery fee regardless of whether it accepted proposed changes. Staff responded that the recovery would apply only after an implementation proposal was returned to council and that council would still have the option to decline any proposed changes if the split looked unfavorable.
After additional clarifications and requests to have the city attorney review the fee language and to solicit other provider options, Councilman Garcia moved — and Councilwoman Cruz seconded — to table the item to allow staff to seek comparisons, clarify the fee terms and have counsel negotiate or review the engagement language. The motion to table passed unanimously.
Council members said they were open to opportunities to find savings but wanted better clarity on the economics and an option to compare vendors before committing. Staff said they would return with additional information and, if necessary, negotiated contract language for council consideration.
