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Rowlett council approves $322,000+ contract for OpenGov capital projects software
Summary
The Rowlett City Council unanimously approved a multi‑year purchase of OpenGov’s capital budget and project management application to replace spreadsheets, improve transparency and integrate with Munis and GIS. Staff estimated implementation at about six months.
The Rowlett City Council unanimously approved on March 17 a resolution authorizing the purchase of OpenGov’s Capital Budget and Project Management software, a three‑year licensed solution staff said will centralize project schedules, budgets, contracts and mapping and provide citizen‑facing dashboards.
David Liebowitz, the city’s IT director, told the council the city currently tracks capital projects with spreadsheets, resulting in inconsistent financial data and limited cross‑department collaboration. Staff recommended OpenGov after a structured vendor evaluation and demonstrations; selection criteria required integration with Munis (the city’s financial system) and ESRI (the GIS mapping system).
Staff presented a total three‑year licensing cost of $322,387 with Year‑1 licensing and implementation figures and ongoing year‑2 and year‑3 fees; implementation and integration work was estimated at roughly $113,715 in year one with ongoing annual licensing in later years. Liebowitz said municipal financial records will remain in Munis; OpenGov will integrate to provide real‑time project progress and high‑level public dashboards.
Council members asked about vendor selection, implementation timeline and procurement. Liebowitz said OpenGov stood out for its in‑house integration team and local municipal implementations. Interim City Manager Christophe Bauer and procurement staff explained the purchase was made through a Texas DIR cooperative contract (Department of Information Resources), a lawful professional services procurement pathway that does not require a typical competitive bid for unique technical services.
Liebowitz estimated implementation would take five to seven months and said citizens should be able to view high‑level project dashboards on the city website after implementation. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Bridal moved to approve the resolution and Councilmember Bowers seconded; the vote carried unanimously.
Next steps include executing the cooperative purchasing contract, completing the integration with Munis and GIS, and beginning the phased five‑stage implementation plan described to the council.
