Travis County Commissioners Court
April 3, 2007
Item 29
29. Consider and take appropriate action on request to approve modification no. 28 to contract no. Ma980095, agreement for extended services, with tiburon, inc. As part of phase I of a two phase upgrade to the integrated justice system (ijs). (information and telecommunications systems) we did have a work session a couple of Thursdays back where we talked about the ijs, integration achieved and we were advised by our managers that it's time to go to the next phase. This would get us start understand that direction.
>> everybody who is here made a presentation that day.
>> that's correct.
>> I would move approval, judge.
>> I second that.
>> mr. Harlow, let's understand exactly what we are getting into here, okay? Then we have a motion, seconded by Commissioner Davis. For those watching exactly what are you requesting.
>> we are requesting an upgrade to the public safety modules of our integrated justice system. What we are asking for approval today is to -- to do phase 1 of that project, which is for define the project scope and to get the business practice reviews done through all of the departments, too, so that the end of the phase 1 we have a real good project plan, we know what the costs are going to be and then we are ready to take off and actually do the modification. So that's the phase 1. Phase 2 then would be the actual implementation of the changes that are necessary to -- to the systems in order to upgrade from -- from an older releases to the systems that we are on now to the new releases.
>> phase 1 would cost?
>> phase 1 would cost 505050.
>> what would be the source of funding for phase 1.
>> we have funds set aside that were approved for this project that were in the its budget.
>> once we start down the road by investing $500,000, the total cost of this phase would be how much?
>> we are estimating that the second phase would be 2.248 million.
>> so the total cost of 2.2 plus 500,000.
>> right.
>> so by starting down this road, we really
>> [indiscernible] direction to spend $2.7 million.
>> that's correct.
>> that's the part that I wanted the court to understand.
>>
>> [indiscernible] through with all of this -- still concerned about -- about some of the stuff sharing information
>> [indiscernible] stuff like that. I'm really concerned about that. Hopefully I think this is a good model. Spoke highly of it. The need for it.
>> [indiscernible] interfacing, all of the other things that this upgrade actually brings. At the end of the day still kind of concerned about -- about the use with other sources, hopefully one day everybody can get on the band wagon, it won't be as -- well as isolated or -- as it may be just for Travis County. So -- I'm still concerned about that. But I have no opposition to it.
>> I think this upgrade enhances the functionality to the users that would support the -- achieving those goals.
>> I have one question, mr. Harlow, also those who are sitting at the table. My concern is for -- I'm in favor of this, the -- this is a needed upgrade. My concern, I don't know if you all can address this, is for whether we are appropriately planning for necessary periodic upgrades. Are we looking down the road, five, 10 years to -- to how we will need to upgrade this system again? And -- and laying aside reserves for that.
>> we are not laying aside reserves for that, to my knowledge. We probably should plan to do that.
>>
>> [indiscernible] the committee, we have begun talking about much longer range plans. Further out than just five years. And it's not too early to start looking at what our needs are going to be 10 to 15 years from now.
>> to reserve the funds for that, though, you would have to come to the court and get approval and budgeted and typically we are lucky to fund for the next year. It's hard for me to see us budgeting five or 10 years down the road. This ijf started when?
>> '94, '95?
>> '98 I think is when it first started.
>> we started planning, though, in about '94.
>> my points though, is, eight, nine, 10 years later, we really have finished the ijs, but technology changed to the extent that you have got to do something else.
>> right. You kind of answered that question. Judy pitsburg, its, I think I'm the oldest member -- no, that's joe isn't it. We started ijs I think in 1994, but the public safety modules that we are requesting your consideration and approval today were implemented in 2000. And the hardware platform that we have and the operating system that they have been running on for the last eight years and by the time they are upgraded 10 years, is now out of date and so -- so exactly right, judge. The technology is -- is considerably different and we will -- we will approach a period where it will not be supported.
>> if we implement phase 2 as recommended, we will complete it by when?
>> the entire project is planned and is an 18-month project. The first four months of it would be phase 1 and then from that with -- with the 14 months of phase 2.
>> you will need $2.2 million during the next budget process then?
>> that's correct.
>> any other questions that we can take the answer to?
>> let me ask this one question, judge. I'm really concerned about -- about the use of license fees, you know, the -- so the -- does this amount of money with -- with an upgrades and all of that, does it also allow for the -- for the user license and users that will be -- for that type of upgrade?
>> our current contract that -- that is still active and mr. Hilly may want to jump in, but our current contract includes upgrade. What that means is that the user license fees.
>> come with it.
>> come with the upgrade. We are not charged for the software.
>> good. Okay that's good to hear because sometimes it hits pretty hard if you have to require additional license.
>> let me give cyd grimes credit for that. She negotiated and the county attorney together negotiated 10 year contract.
>> that's a big deal because those license -- user license fees can sometimes be pretty expensive.
>> yes, sir.
>> very expensive, in fact. Especially when you have so many people using the system. Okay.
>> I want to hear one more time from joe and judy, since you all are my go-to people for its. You all are 100% supportive of this, this is the way that we ought to go?
>> ...i think it's wonderful that we have a steering committee for tiburon, I think that's very important. My hope is that we are also having what amounts to a conservation about triaging our commuter upgrades over time, even outside of tiburon. We have conversations about our brick and mortar necessary upgrades, so we don't dump a lot of money for a building that we intend to tear down in two years. Extend that analogy to our technical upgrades as well. Are we stepping resources on an aging pig or are we having that triage to know what's coming down the pipe so we don't spend 300 million on something, get popped two years later with another million that we just weren't thinking about because we are just focused on this one year event horizon. That's my...
>> ...we have to have an issue policy, if you will, to replace technology in the next five years because it will as Commissioner Davis has said before, too, it will hit us. It will come back, you know, we will have a hailstorm or we will have something.
>> right. We are never done. I hope that last year, last budget cycle, we looked at the auditor's finance system. We wanted to make sure that the auditor get started in looking at acquiring things to get her financial situation all -- all in line and -- and I know that what you are putting forth will interface with what the auditor, the county auditor is going to actually end up be dealing with. All of this stuff is going to ends up coming together, a little -- farther down the road. And of course I want to bring that out because we are investing a lot of money here on these things that you guys are talking about. I second the motion because I -- I believe that we are headed in the right direction with this. We have got to keep a watchful eye, all of us do, on how we proceed. Thank you.
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Thank you all very much.
>> thank you.
>> you, too. That was a smooth 500,000 plus 2.2 million. Let's move to something that costs a whole lot less.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, April 3, 2007, 9:34 PM