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Consideration of request for authorization to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Greenfield for the VESTA 911 Next Generation system upgrade, waive the competitive bidding process, and authorize expenditures of up to $380,000
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Submitted by:
Jalal Ali - Director of Information Services
Luke Vetter - Deputy Chief of Police
Department:
Information Services / Police Department
A. Issue
Staff is seeking authorization to proceed with the City's VESTA 911 Next Generation system upgrade, enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Greenfield, waive the competitive bidding process due to the proprietary single-vendor nature of the Vesta911 system, and authorize expenditures of up to $380,000 for the associated hardware, software, licensing, configuration, and implementation services.
A copy of the proposed MOU and BAYCOM proposal have been included in the agenda packet.
B. Background/Options
The City is upgrading its Vesta911 system as part of its transition to Next Generation 911 (NG911). The project prepares Wauwatosa to become the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for cellular 911 calls, receive and process Text-to-911 messages, and complete required upgrades associated with the transition away from legacy analog 911 circuits that are being deprecated. The fiber-based Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) is the new standards-based network used to deliver these NG911 services.
Wauwatosa's current Vesta911 system is nearly 10 years old, and continued support of the existing hardware and technology is becoming less viable. The project will replace and upgrade the City's 911 call-taking consoles, add a portable console for additional redundancy and operational flexibility, and provide the hardware, software, licensing, network components, configuration, testing, and vendor support necessary for the transition to NG911.
As part of the project, Wauwatosa is also proposing a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Greenfield to establish a geographically diverse Vesta911 environment. The arrangement will use Greenfield's existing Vesta911 hardware infrastructure and supplement it with additional configuration, software, licensing, network components, and other resources included in the project.
The arrangement provides additional operational continuity for both communities. If either dispatch center becomes unavailable or unusable because of an emergency, facility issue, equipment failure, extended outage, or other circumstance, Wauwatosa dispatchers will be able to operate from Greenfield and Greenfield dispatchers will be able to operate from Wauwatosa.
The BAYCOM proposal includes the equipment, software, licensing, network components, consoles, installation, configuration, migration, testing, training, and vendor support necessary to complete the project.
Vesta911 is a proprietary system, and the proposed work involves the upgrade, expansion, licensing, configuration, and support of the City's existing Vesta911 environment. BAYCOM is the City's vendor for this system and the project must integrate with the existing Vesta911 infrastructure and licensing. Staff is therefore requesting that the competitive bidding process be waived and that the City be authorized to proceed with BAYCOM.
The project has experienced several delays as vendor coordination and technical dependencies among the various parties were worked through. Those issues have now been addressed, and staff has the project scope, vendor proposal, and intergovernmental framework necessary to move forward.
Upon approval, staff intends to issue a purchase order immediately so that BAYCOM and the other participating parties can schedule implementation as soon as possible.
C. Strategic Plan (Area of Focus)
Priority Area Two: Public Safety
D. Fiscal Impact
The current BAYCOM proposal totals $364,797.74. Staff is requesting expenditure authorization of up to $380,000 to allow for minor project adjustments that may occur during implementation without requiring additional Council action.
Approximately $320,000 has already been approved for the Vesta911 upgrade. An additional $60,000 has been requested as part of the 2027 Information Services budget. Expenditures above available appropriations would remain subject to appropriate approval and availability of funding.
The BAYCOM proposal requires a 40% down payment, with the remaining balance due at completion. Because work will be scheduled based on the availability and coordination of BAYCOM and the other participating parties, project expenditures may occur across the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years.
Under the proposed MOU, Wauwatosa will fund the initial vendor costs included in the BAYCOM proposal for both the Wauwatosa and Greenfield portions of the project. Greenfield will contribute the use of its applicable existing Vesta911 hardware infrastructure and licenses, which will be supplemented with the additional equipment, software, configuration, licensing, and services included in the project.
E. Recommendation
Staff recommends authorization to:
1. Enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Greenfield substantially in the form presented;
2. Waive the competitive bidding process for the Vesta911 system upgrade due to the proprietary nature of the existing system and the need for the project to integrate with the City's current Vesta911 infrastructure;
3. Authorize staff to issue a purchase order to BAYCOM and expend an amount not to exceed $380,000, subject to appropriation and availability of funds; and
4. Authorize the appropriate City officials to execute the documents necessary to proceed with implementation.