Adelanto council approves one-year IT contract with DataNet amid debate over cost and continuity

The Adelanto City Council voted to approve a one‑year professional services agreement with DataNet Solutions Inc., accepting staff’s recommendation for a contract valued at $297,006 and authorizing the city manager to execute the agreement and approve routine non‑substantive amendments consistent with the approved budget. The motion, made by Mayor Pro Tem Ramos and seconded by Councilor Mesa, passed on a roll call vote: four in favor, one opposed (Councilwoman Evans).

City staff said the decision followed a yearlong audit of the city’s technology contracts and a formal RFP process that shortlisted vendors and compared proposals on security, staffing, scalability and cost. Staff reported that switching to DataNet would reduce recurring managed‑service spending and estimated annual savings of $70,833.96 compared with the city’s prior proposal baseline. “We asked for quality, not just price,” the city manager told the council, saying the recommended firm offered capabilities the city wanted to advance, including guidance on AI and security governance.

The discussion was contentious. Longtime incumbent LandOne (represented at the meeting by Rami Dababni) emphasized its local relationships, existing work supporting city systems and live monitoring of certain camera installations. Dababni said his firm had implemented redundancy, second‑site backups and 24/7 dispatching tied to the sheriff’s office for key water‑facility cameras. “We’ve been in this city for years; when something happens we are there,” he said.

Audit contractor Secure IT Services and city staff presented findings that some subscriptions and third‑party services previously billed through a vendor could be moved onto the city’s direct billing, reducing a vendor surcharge; staff told council that about $50,000–$70,000 of annual subscriptions had been identified for savings and that the recommended contract isolates labor costs from subscription billing. Christian Cooper, the consultant who conducted the third‑party audit, said the RFP was intended to produce a current market baseline and to correct duplicated services and high third‑party rates.

Council questions focused on three related areas: whether DataNet’s proposal was truly “apples‑to‑apples” with the incumbent, whether live camera monitoring that triggers sheriff dispatch would continue without interruption, and how the city will manage licensing and subscription costs if the city assumes direct billing. Staff said the existing live monitoring contract for most water‑facility cameras is separate and would not lapse immediately; that contract expires next year and will be transitioned under city control, with staff promising continuity.

Councilwoman Evans, who cast the lone no vote, pressed staff on details of daily on‑site hours, panel scoring and what the city would lose by switching providers. “I’m not opposed to savings, but I want to ensure we’re not diminishing the cybersecurity posture or the services our residents rely on,” she said during deliberations. Several councilmembers expressed appreciation for LandOne’s past service yet said they were persuaded by staff that a different vendor offered a better combination of cost and future services.

The staff report included the recommendation to award DataNet a one‑year contract with two administrative one‑year extensions at the same annual amount, and noted an expected three‑year savings of approximately $212,501.88 if the council selects DataNet for the multi‑year horizon. City staff committed to maintaining live camera dispatch services and to bringing back clarifying budget language in the staff report, including “not to exceed” contract wording where appropriate.

The council directed staff to maintain tight oversight and regular reporting on transition milestones if the contract is executed. The motion carried 4–1; Councilwoman Evans voted no. The council’s approval moves the item to contract execution and subsequent transition planning by the city manager’s office.