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TO: |
Board of Trustees |
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THROUGH: |
Jay Fox, Executive Director |
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FROM: |
Alisha Garrett, Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer |
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PRESENTER(S): |
Kyle Brimley, IT Director |
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TITLE:
title
Contract: Rail Monitoring Software (Wi-Tronix, LLC)
end
AGENDA ITEM TYPE:
Procurement Contract/Change Order
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve award and authorize the Executive Director to execute the contract and associated disbursements with Wi-Tronix, LLC in the amount of $232,649.64 to cover the approximate 5-year contract running through December 31, 2027.
BACKGROUND:
Wi-Tronix digitally sends notifications to dispatch, vehicle maintenance, and other supporting groups, of the codes that are being communicated through the onboard hardware/software on rail vehicles. This real time information gives enough information to allow individuals to start troubleshooting quickly when there is a malfunction onboard the train. With this information, Vehicle Maintenance and others can provide insight to the operator or responding supervisors with ideas or specific steps to remedy the situation. At times, the code communicated helps dispatch know if the train is no longer functioning and whether the train needs to be towed to Warm Springs or not. Having prompt notifications gets everyone on the same page and allows direct troubleshooting. Additionally, Wi-Tronix helps us monitor track conditions and allows reports to be pulled immediately after events, such as incidents or rule violations. Operations utilizes the information from Wi-Tronix to gage operator performance, such as penalty applications (when a train exceeds beyond the maximum authorized speed the train will shut down) and emergency brake applications (when a train makes contact or must stop before making contact with something in the right of way).
Without Wi-Tronix, staff is faced with a “needle in a haystack” approach to troubleshooting equipment malfunctions. With the codes, communicated through Wi-Tronix, those who are supporting the recovery of a train malfunction, can quickly know where to start troubleshooting. Through prompt response to a direct information code, we spend less time guessing what is malfunctioning, and are able to take care of more specific issues, which can reduce delays in the system. Delays impact our riders and having adequate information that is being communicated directly to those supporting the system, reduces the impact on our riders.
UTA has contracted with Wi-Tronix since 2016 to perform rail monitoring software services. The contract contained an “evergreen” provision indicating that it would continue in force until either Party gives written notice of termination. UTA will provide written notice of termination to Wi-Tronix following approval of this new contract.
DISCUSSION:
Staff is now requesting approval of a new sole source contract with Wi-Tronix. The new sole source contract is justified on the basis of intellectual property closely held by Witronix which is critical to performance. The new contract will run for a period of approximately 5 years through December 31, 2027, for a total cost of $232,649.64.
CONTRACT SUMMARY:
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Contractor Name: |
Wi-Tronix, LLC |
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Contract Number: |
22-03635JD |
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Base Contract Effective Dates: |
March 9, 2023 - December 31, 2027 |
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Extended Contract Dates: |
N/A |
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Existing Contract Value: |
N/A |
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Amendment Amount: |
N/A |
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New/Total Contract Value: |
$ 232,649.64 |
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Procurement Method: |
Sole Source |
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Budget Authority: |
IT 2023 Operating Budget and yearly subsequent operating budgets 2024-2027 |
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ALTERNATIVES:
The system and several of its components are patented and considered Trade Secrets. We anticipate that this would go out to bid if the patents and/or trade secrets were released into the public domain. To find an alternative vendor would cause UTA significant delays and potential impacts to the quality of our service.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This contract will cover the 5-year period beginning March 2023.
Year Annual Rate Per Asset (total contract value is based on 18 assets)
2023 $2,434.48
2024 $2,507.51
2025 $2,582.74
2026 $2,660.22
2027 $2,740.03
Total contract value not to exceed $232,649.64
ATTACHMENTS:
Contract