By Jason Crane
The Aurora City Council honored Mark Baum, executive director and founding member of the Fox Valley Blues Society and the Blues on The Fox festival, at the Aurora City Council meeting Tuesday, June 14.
Baum is given the credit for leading the charge with his vision of the Fox Valley Blues Society and Blues on the Fox festival after the discovery in 1996 that RCA’s BlueBird recordings were recorded in 1937 in the Leland Hotel in Aurora. The first Blues on the Fox festival was June 1997.
Before Bluebird moved to Chicago, where it eventually became part of RCA Records, many early sessions took place at the Leland Tower which was a hotel in Aurora. The top-floor nightclub was known as the Sky Club and used for live broadcasts of big bands on a radio station and, during off hours, served as a recording studio for John Lee Curtis “Sonny Boy” Williamson’s early sessions and those of other Bluebird artists.
Mayor Richard Irvin was not at the meeting and Fifth Ward alderman Carl Franco was mayor pro-tem. Irvin is a candidate for the Republican Party nomination of Illinois governor.
• There were three individuals who used their voices for up to three minutes each. Their comments can be seen on the city of Aurora Facebook page video starting at the 29 minute mark. Click on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/cityofaurorail/videos/1118440305407838
The City Council approved the following agenda items:
• Approved was a Resolution for the appointment of Ward 8 resident Chaitanya Kovvuri, to the Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board.
• Approved was a Resolution for the appointment of Ward 8 resident Lisa McClellan, to the Mayor’s Sustainable Aurora Advisory Board.
• Approved was a Resolution for the re-appointment of John Duggan to the Aurora Police Pension Board.
John Duggan has served on the Aurora Police Pension Board since 1998. The Police Pension Board is a five-member Board. Two of the members are elected by active members and one member is elected by the beneficiaries. The remaining two members are appointed by the mayor.
• Approved was a Resolution authorizing the appointment of two new members to the Veterans Advisory Council. The nominations brought forth are as follows:
Scott Maxson is a Ward 6 resident of Aurora. He is a United States Army veteran as well as involved with the Operation Support Our Troops America, Inc..
Patricia DeVore is a non-resident of Aurora. She has a strong presence in the veteran community as the auxiliary president of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit #1944 and president/founder of the Veterans Smile Program.
• Approved was a Resolution for the appointment of Ward 5 resident Bruce Kuehl to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Mr. Kuehl will bring the number of Kane residents west of the Fox River on the Commission to three. Four is the maximum allowed by code. If Bruce Kuehl’s appointment is approved, there will be no remaining vacancies on the commission.
• Approved was an Ordinance amending Chapter 13.5-6 of the Code of Ordinances pertaining to the qualifications of newly-hired public safety personnel changing the minimum education requirements for entry level police officer and fire private applicants.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to mitigate the challenges with meeting manpower goals for sworn personnel, amending the grade point average requirement to 2.0 with the goal of increasing applicant pools. This will decrease a barrier to entry for qualified applicants interested in a public safety career, allowing us to remain a competitive employer for public safety careers.
There is a continuing decline in the applicant pool that has affected the hiring of sworn public safety personnel. Aurora government research has shown that applicants who don’t meet the 2.5 grade point average didn’t pursue higher education, but have military experience, or don’t yet have enough college credit to meet the requirement. However, they are otherwise qualified.
Additionally, the minimum requirements of comparable municipalities of similar size and demographics do not have a minimum grade point average, regardless of the level of education required.
The city of Aurora government will maintain a threshold of “C” average for sworn public safety positions. The government will continue offering preference points for higher education (Associates degree, two points), (Bachelors and above five points).
The Ordinance will mitigate the challenges related to recruiting qualified sworn personnel by offering a larger talent pool to police and fire departments.
• Approved was a Resolution approving a Final Plan for the property at 417 5th Street for an Educational Services.
City government of Aurora documents show the Petitioner is requesting approval of a Final Plan for the property at 417 5th Street for an Educational Services Use. The property is being utilized as an administrative building by East Aurora School District. The plan is to demolish the building and construct a space to facilitate extracurricular activities for students and parents. The building is not planned to be host to after school sports. It will mainly contain indoor after school events. A psychologist and social worker will be onsite to assist the mental health of the students. The physical site has some restraints which call for a planned development to be approved. Setbacks along three sides of the site (except the south) are being reduced in order to accommodate the building and parking lot.
Concurrently with this proposal, the Petitioner is requesting approval of a Conditional Use Planned Development for the East Aurora School District Resilience Center at 417 5th Street. The property is zoned R-3 One Family Dwelling District. The original building was constructed prior to the City of Aurora’s requirement of a Conditional Use for educational services, such as schools and their accessory uses. As such, staff members have made a policy of requiring new Conditional Uses when school district properties without conditional uses redevelop. This particular property is requiring a Planned Development due to the number of variances from the Zoning Ordinance requested, which was detailed in the above request.
Staff members have reviewed the Final Plan Resolution petition and have sent comments back to the petitioner on those submittals. The petitioner has made the requested revisions to these documents and they now meet the applicable codes and ordinances, with the exceptions of the following items which are also reflected in the conditions listed in the staff members’ recommendation below.
The staff members’ evaluation and recommendation are based on the following physical development policies:
10.0 To provide for the orderly, balanced and efficient growth and redevelopment of the City through the positive integration of land use patterns, functions, and circulation systems. To protect and enhance those assets and values that establishes the desirable quality and general livability of the City. To promote the City’s position as a regional center.
11.0 To guide the growth of the City in an orderly and structured manner.
11.1(5) To guide and promote development to areas where public utilities, public roads and municipal services are either available or planned.
12.0 To plan and provide for the growth of the city through the integration of land use patterns and functions that promotes complementary interactions between different land use components.
14.1(4) To encourage quality site design throughout the City.
14.1(5) To provide for the visual enhancement of the City through attractive landscaping, quality signage and diverse building design and arrangement.
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended conditional approval of the Resolution approving a final plan for the property at 417 5th Street for an Educational Services, with the following conditions:
1.) The Final Engineering Documents are received and approved by the Engineering Department.
2.) That the 6’ tall privacy fence along the southern property line be setback 22.2 feet from 5th Street ROW.
• Approved was a Resolution authorizing a Contract and IEPA PWSLP loan agreement with Brandt Excavating Inc, 385 E. Hoover Street, Morris, Ill. for the Lead Service Replacement Project – Contract 1 for the bid amount of $4,592,394.46, pending approval of an IEPA principal forgiveness loan.
City government of Aurora documents show the city of Aurora qualifies for principal forgiveness for lead service line replacement and for FY2022 the maximum forgiveness amount is $4,000,000.00. The proposed 2022 budget includes both the expenditure and revenue for this project; the City will front fund the construction and seek reimbursement at the same time as payments are made to the contractor.
This resolution will authorize the City to sign the Notice of Intent to Award and to later fully execute the bid documents with the IEPA. City staff members will submit the required bid document paperwork and bidding certification to the IEPA. Upon IEPA approval of this paperwork, the contract will be executed with Brandt Excavating Inc..
This resolution will also grant permission for a loan agreement to be executed with the IEPA for the Public Water Supply Loan Program.
The State of Illinois passed Public Act 102-0613 in August 2021 titled the Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act requiring full replacement of lead water service lines when disturbed. The City of Aurora has an estimated 19,500 lead water services connected to the public water system. The Lead Service Line Replacement Project – Contract 1 will include the full replacement of the lead service from the water main to the water meter in the house or the completion of previous partial lead water services to eliminate all sections of lead between the main and meter.
Three total bids were received, opened, and read aloud on May 18, 2022. The lowest responsible bid in the amount of $4,592,394.46 was submitted by Brandt Excavating Inc. The lead service replacement ($4,592,394.46) will be funded with account 510-4058-511-73-02. Anything above the $4,000,000 principal forgiveness loan will be funded with account 510-4058-511-73-02 with funds transferred from the appropriate water account. The City will be utilizing available forgivable loan funds to construct this project. Once completed, the project will reduce the number of lead services lines requiring replacement in the City of Aurora. During construction, there will be various local roadway and lane closures, and delays are to be expected. Individual residential water outages will be kept to a minimum while the service is being connected at the water main and inside the house.
• Approved was a Resolution authorizing the director of Purchasing to enter into an agreement with Tatisco, Inc., 91 Lillian Lane, Yorkville, for the New York Street Bridge West Stairs in the amount of $186,350.00.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to improve the safety and aesthetics of the stairway connecting the New York Street Bridge to the Fox River Trail by entering into an agreement with Tatisco, Inc. in the amount of $186,350.00 for reconstruction.
The staircase from New York Street (next to Ballydoyle restaurant) to the Fox River Trail is in substantial disrepair. The proposed reconstruction consists of replacing the stringers, treads, landings, and railings. The existing concrete support piers, which are decorative and in good condition, will be left in place to be reused. This design, which is nearly identical (except for two additional landings) to the stairs which were replaced on the east side of the New York Street Bridge (next to La Quinta de Los Reyes restaurant) last year, was approved by the FoxWalk Overlay District Design Review Committee on October 10, 2019.
A request for bids was published and one bid was received for the New York Street Bridge West Stairs. It is the City’s opinion that the likely reason only one bid was received in response to this request is because the fabricator which furnishes and installs the majority of this type of steel in downtown Aurora, O’Malley Welding & Fabricating, elected to submit a bid directly as the General Contractor (DBA Tatisco, Inc.). It was O’Malley that furnished and installed the stairs for last year’s project on the east side of the New York Street Bridge as a subcontractor to Lite Construction, Inc.
Based on this, the City’s past positive experiences with O’Malley on similar projects, and the fact that the amount bid is similar to the cost of last year’s project (slightly more for a slightly larger scope) and is less than the City’s cost estimate (this project was approved as a Decision Package in the 2022 Capital Budget in the amount of $200,000), City staff members recommend an award to Tatisco, Inc. in the amount of $186,350 (which includes a contingency of $10,000).
The local preference ordinance does apply to this bid, but did not impact the decision.
The account to be used for this project is 354-4430-418.38-05 (Repairs & Maintenance Services/Building & Grounds).
This project will substantially improve safety for pedestrians using this staircase. Since these stairs were recently closed to the public due to the deterioration observed, no additional disruption will occur during construction.
• Approved was a Resolution to award the Lebanon St., T St., and Smith St. Water Main Replacement project in Wards 4 and 7 to Stokes Excavating, Inc., 903 Daisyfield Rd, Rockford, Ill. in the bid amount of $939,527.00.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to replace the existing 4” and 6” water main along the three locations and improve the flow for hydrants and improve water quality in the area. The water main in these areas have a long history of breaks).
Lead water services will be fully replaced up to the water meters. Closures of entrances to the businesses and residences will be kept to a minimum during construction
Seven base bids and one alternate bid were received, opened, and read aloud on May 11, 2022. The base bid is open cut construction while the alternate bid offered the option for directional drilling. One alternate bid was received for the total of $1,080,522.63. The lowest responsible base bid in the amount of ($939,527.00) was submitted by Stokes Excavating, Inc. The water main improvements will be funded with account 510-4058-511-73-02 (IC076) which has a 2022 budget amount of $12,151,800.00.
This project was subject to the Local Preference Ordinance, however no local contractors submitted.
There will be lane closures of Lebanon St., T St., and Smith St. during the duration of the project. Water shutdowns during the project will be planned and coordinated with the local businesses and residences to minimize impact. Impacts to traffic and residents will be kept to a minimum.
• Approved was an Ordinance amending Chapter 6 Sec. 6-2 of the Code of Ordinances relating to the self-service of alcohol.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to update the Code to meet the changing needs of the entertainment and service industries and to allow flexibility in the locations where self-service alcohol can be offered.
Early in the COVID pandemic in 2020, the liquor code was modified to include the self-service endorsement for licensees in entertainment districts. At the time this ordinance was adopted, this was a new concept in the City and availability was limited to established entertainment districts. Subsequently, one business obtained this endorsement and has operated with the self-service endorsement in the Fox Valley Mall Entertainment District for over a year. This business has operated throughout the pandemic and there have been no reported violations stemming from the self-service operation, due to safety precautions and good management. The same model can operate outside of an entertainment district.
It is appropriate to support the self-service business model by removing the entertainment district requirement and allowing self-service in locations outside of entertainment districts. As many know, the service industry is experiencing staffing shortages and self-service can assist businesses experiencing staffing shortages in some circumstances. Additionally, in the current COVID environment, people may prefer to have less direct contact with servers and obtain their own beverages from the tap. The self-service concept allows for an efficient, safe and well-monitored operation with less staff members than is required by a full-service operation. When self-service was first approved in Aurora, this was a new concept to the City and it made sense to limit the allowable locations. Now that self-service has been successful in the Fox Valley Entertainment District, it is logical that government officials allow other businesses to implement this business plan, in areas outside of entertainment districts to encourage businesses to keep current with emerging trends in the service industry.
This amendment will encourage economic development in areas outside of the entertainment districts.
• Approved was a Resolution establishing the maximum number of Class C: Specialty On-Site Consumption licenses, (unofficially related to the application from Final Stretch Events, LLC d/b/a Tapville Social – Chicago Premium Outlets, at the Chicago Premium Outlet Mall) – Ward 1.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to increase the number of Class C: Specialty On-Site Consumption liquor licenses. Final Stretch Events, LLC, d/b/a Tapville Social – Chicago Premium Outlets would like to open an outdoor seasonal beer garden at the Chicago Premium Outlet Mall, offering beer, cider, and wine for consumption on the premises.
This request is presented in accordance with the 2011 amendment to the City’s Liquor Ordinance, specifically Section 6-9(a), which charges the City Council with the authority to determine the number of licenses available in each classification.
Final Stretch Events, LLC, d/b/a Tapville Social – Chicago Premium Outlets, has submitted a liquor license application for the purposes of opening a business concept that is new to the City of Aurora. Tapville Social – Chicago Premium Outlets proposes to open an outdoor beer garden at the Chicago Premium Outlet Mall allowing patrons to enjoy their beverages outside only.
After an identification check, customers will be provided with a Tapville Social – Chicago Premium Outlets wristband and beer, wine, or cider will be available for patrons to be served by staff members and dispensed in a cup that specifically identifies Tapville Social – Chicago Premium Outlets as the source of the beverage. Staff members will continuously monitor customers as they drink their drinks. Customers will only be able to purchase one drink at a time, and will be allowed to purchase a limited, cumulative amount of alcohol. Staff members will be trained to guard against underage service as well as over-service. Patrons will not be allowed to exit the enclosed area in the Chicago Premium Outlet Mall with an alcoholic beverage. Patrons will be allowed to enter the area with food purchased at other locations in the mall.
This resolution would increase the number of allowable liquor licenses to allow for the issuance of the license by the Liquor Commissioner. City staff members have been working closely with the business owner to ensure that all requirements for a liquor license, as set forth in Chapter 6 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, are met.
The proposed resolution presents an opportunity to further the City of Aurora’s economic development and to bring additional business and people to Aurora.
• Approved was an Ordinance Granting Revisions to the Conditional Use Permit for a Religious Institutions Use on the Property at 2295 Church Road.
City government of Aurora documents show the Petitioner, Sri Jagannath Society of Greater Chicago, is requesting approval of a Conditional Use Revision for a Religious Institution Use at 2295 Church Road.
The property is zoned O(C) or Office District with a Conditional Use and is being utilized as a Religious Institution. The property was first granted its special use in 2015, in which four conditions were place on the property. In 2020, a revision to the conditional use was approved, which removed two of the four conditions, but upheld two conditions. The two conditions still active are that the use not be expanded beyond its current footprint and that a revision to the Conditional Use will be required if a portion of the building were to be used as a priest residence.
The Petitioner is requesting approval of a Conditional Use Revision for a Religious Institution Use in order to remove those final conditions. The Petitioner came to staff members only requesting to remove the condition regarding a priest’s residence, but staff members feel that neither of the remaining conditions that would require an additional Public Hearing process will be necessary.
Staff members have reviewed the Conditional Use Ordinance petition and have determined that it meets the applicable codes and ordinances. Additional conditions are being recommended in order to guide future development of the site.
Staff members wanted to briefly touch upon the Findings of Fact that are required for Conditional Use Petitions:
Will the establishment, maintenance or operation of the conditional use be unreasonably detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, morals, comfort, or general welfare?
Staff members do not believe the establishment, maintenance or operation of the conditional use will be unreasonably detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, morals, comfort, or general welfare. This use has operated for over seven years with no issue and has been an asset to the community
Will the conditional use be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity for the purposes already permitted or substantially diminish and impair property values within the neighborhood; factors including but not limited to lighting, signage and outdoor amplification, hours of operation, refuse disposal areas and architectural compatibility and building orientation?
Staff members believe the conditional use will not be injurious to the use and enjoyment of other property in the immediate vicinity. As previously stated, this use has been active for seven years without issue.
Will the establishment of the conditional use impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of surrounding property for uses permitted in the district?
Staff members believe that the establishment of this conditional use will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of surrounding property. Staff members believe that this use blends well with the existing character of the neighborhood
Will the proposal provide for adequate utilities, access roads, drainage, and/or other necessary facilities as part of the conditional use?
Staff members believe that the proposal provides adequate utilities, access roads, and drainage. No change in the structure is proposed at this time.
Does the proposal take adequate measures, or will they be taken to provide ingress and egress so designed to minimize traffic congestion in the public streets?
Staff members believe the proposal takes adequate measure to provided ingress and egress to the site. No change in the site is proposed at this time and there is no reason to believe traffic will substantially increase.
Does the conditional use in all other respects conform to the applicable regulations of the district in which it is located, except as such regulations may in each instance be modified by the city council pursuant to the recommendations of the commission?
Staff members believe that the conditional use in all other respects conforms to the applicable regulations of the district.
The staff members’ evaluation and recommendation are based on the following Physical Development Policies:
10.0 To provide for the orderly, balanced and efficient growth and redevelopment of the City through the positive integration of land use patterns, functions, and circulation systems. To protect and enhance those assets and values that establishes the desirable quality and general livability of the City. To promote the City’s position as a regional center.
11.1 (5) To guide and promote development to areas where public utilities, public roads and municipal services are either available or planned.
11.1 (3) To encourage new development contiguous to existing development.
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended conditional approval of the Ordinance granting revisions to the Conditional Use Permit for a Religious Institutions Use on the Property at 2295 Church Road, with the following conditions:
1) That a Final Plan process will be required if the building is expanded beyond its existing footprint.
• Approved was a Resolution approving ratification for purchases of security system hardware and software from CDW-G Corporation of Vernon Hills, Ill. for an amount not to exceed $128,190.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to approve purchases of security system hardware and software in addition to what was approved in Resolution R19-336.
Resolution R19-336 was approved by City Council on 10/8/2019 to upgrade and centralize the following services:
Detention Security System (door control & monitoring and intercom & paging systems) – Aurora Police Department
Access Control System (card readers)
Video Management and Recording System
The Access Control System and Video Management Systems were upgraded and/or installed new at the following locations:
Aurora Police Department
Development Services Center
Fire Station 8
River Edge Park
Route 25 Transportation Center
Route 59 Train Station
Water & Sewer Facility
Council Resolution R19-336 was approved for an amount of $1,825,209 which included $1,407,000 in Equipment and Installation for installation of cameras and access controls at several City-owned locations as well as a $425,000 fee for CDW-G to provide maintenance on City cameras for one year. After reviewing the marketplace for camera maintenance programs, City staff members determined that it was more cost effective to find a partner to provide maintenance and support (both reactive and preventative) to the City’s security/CCTV cameras for a period longer than just one year. This maintenance contract was approved by Council in resolution R21-135.
This ratification is for additional equipment and installation costs related to R19-336.
The completion of the items described was lengthy and was delayed by the pandemic and supply chain shortages. During this timeframe, several items that were unforeseen surfaced. The major items are described below:
The Jail Management solution that controls cameras, doors and lights in the jail became damaged by water which resulted electrical damage to several circuit boards.
The Genetec video servers needed to be upgraded to support the corrected Jail Management solution.
City buildings used up to 4 different card reader technologies for door access control. In order reduce the number of badges created for employees to one, these card readers needed to have firmware aligned and new cards needed to be tested.
At the APD, inconsistent and incorrect low-voltage wiring diagrams required detailed extensive testing and creation of new, accurate wiring diagrams.
These changes also resulted in additional project management time from CDW-G.
These security system hardware and software purchases affected public safety and the safety of city employees, so these purchases were made prior to approval by council.
• Approved was a Resolution to enter into a Agreements with the Illinois Department of Transportation, and Crawford, Murphy and Tilly for Design Phase and Construction Phase Engineering Services in the amounts of $55,300 and $114,600 for the Airfield Pavement Rehabilitation Phase 4 Project (ARR-4785).
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to obtain approval to enter into design and construction phase consultant agreements with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly as well as an agency agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics.
Each fall the airport meets with the State Division of Aeronautics to prioritize its projects. This meeting is commonly referred to as the TIPs (Transportation Improvement Program) meeting.
As a result of this meeting, this project was selected by the State of Illinois to be funded.
The total cost of this project is estimated to be $1,000,000. The Aurora government’s local share is five percent or $50,000. Regardless of the not-to-exceed amounts of the design and the construction consultant agreements, the maximum outlay of this project will be $50,000
Funds for this project have been set aside in the city government of Aurora’s budget under CIP project D053.
This project should have no adverse impact to the City of Aurora and should reduce the ongoing cost of maintaining the airport infrastructure.
• Approved was a Resolution requesting approval to utilize the services of Intrado Life & Safety Solutions Corporation to connect the new State-supplied ESInet Next Generation 911 to the existing Intrado Viper Next Generation 911 solution, in an amount not to exceed $23,400.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose it so support the City of Aurora’s public safety departments and comply with state and federal standards, the City seeks to connect the existing Intrado Viper Next Generation 911 (NG911) system approved in R20-143 and R21-120 to the State’s Emergency Services Internet Protocol Network (ESInet).
This will enable the City’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) to connect to other PSAP centers, send voice, text messages, and multimedia and more via IP networks which cannot be performed with the legacy AT&T service lines. The State of Illinois has mandated PSAPs in Illinois adhere to the NENA i3 standard for NG911.
As NG911 is a statewide solution, each Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) must be able to obtain access to the statewide ESInet. The City’s 911 system was upgraded to support NG911 with the Intrado Viper system. The Intrado Viper system purchase was originally approved by Council with R20-143 and integrated with the City’s existing NICE 911 recording platform and Cisco telephony infrastructure with R21-120.
AT&T has delivered the new Internet Protocol (IP) service lines and the City now requires Intrado to connect those lines to the Viper system. Once connected, the City’s Viper NG911 solution will be connected with the State’s ESInet network.
The new, connected, solution will provide interoperability between other emergency service and PSAP agencies. State legislation on phone systems requires NG911 capabilities that the new ESInet system provides.
Intrado is the lone vendor that can connect the new AT&T circuits to the Intrado Viper system.
Impact on Technology: The State-wide managed network provides a faster, more expansive system. Also allows for linked communications across state and local governments
Impact on the public: Enhances public safety with a more accurate GIS location data to route 911 calls and helps responders find callers that are in distressed. The network enables voice, multimedia texts, photo, and video to be processed by Intrado NG 911 system.
• Approved was a Resolution requesting purchase of two laptops and warranty services from Intrado Life & Safety Solutions Corporation for an amount not to exceed of $28,806.
City government of Aurora documents show the purpose is to support the City of Aurora’s public safety departments and Next Generation 911 (NG911) dispatching capabilities from the City’s Mobile Command Post (MCP) and from tactical dispatch locations, staff members are requesting the purchase of two laptops and five years of remote technical support provided by the City’s existing NG911 solution provider, Intrado.
These laptops will allow APD personnel to remotely answer and communicate via the Viper NG911 system while outside of the PSAP rooms.
This capability will allow APD personnel to extend PSAP services while inside the MCP and when a tactical dispatcher is needed onsite at an emergency.
The Intrado Viper system purchase was originally approved by Council with R20-143 and integrated with the City’s existing NICE 911 recording platform and Cisco telephony infrastructure with R21-120.
Intrado is the sole vendor that can connect these laptops to the Intrado Viper system and provide the remote technical support necessary to maintain these laptops.
As with the other Intrado devices installed in City PSAP, these laptops are automatically backed up to the centralized Intrado database at APD. During the course of the agreement, if either of the laptops fail to work properly, Intrado will provide a replacement laptop at no additional cost to the City.
Without this remote capability, APD will be unable to dispatch personnel while onsite at an emergency.