SR-111296-6H
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Contract No. 6566 (ecs) . .--~
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CM KSV ckl f \cmanager\share\mcg2 Santa MOllica. CahfornIa NOV 1 2 ml
Councd Meeting November 12_ 1996
TO Mayor and Cny CouncIl
FROM CIty Staff
Sl.13JECT RecommendatIOn to AuthOrIze the CIty Manager to Negotiate and Execute A
Contract WIth Media Connections Group for $115,000 to Prepare a
TelecommUnIcations Master Plan
IntroductIOn
Thts report recommends that CIty CouncIl authonze the CIty Manager to negotiate and execute a
contract '''lth MedIa ConnectIOns Group not to exceed $115.000 to develop a TelecommurucatIOns
Master Plan
Back!!round
TechnologIcal advances are makmg It pOSSIble for telecommUnIcatIons and cable providers to
provlde a broad array of mnovatIve, two-way. mteractIve VOIce. data, vldeo and multrmedm serVlces
to customers As a result of such technologIcal developments. the U S Congress re\\Tote the legal
framework m the Federal TelecommUnICatIOns Act of 1996 to encourage the development of a
natIOnal mformatIOn mfrastructure ("NIl") -- popularly referred to as the "mformatIOn
superhIghway'"-- whIch WIll permit a combmatlOn oftelecommurncatlOllS proVIders and technologIes
to bnng such servIces to homes, busmesses and InstItutlons The Act redeSIgns the rules governmg
the telecommumcatlons marketplace to prOVIde for greater competItIOn III a deregulated emironment
wnh the goal of accelerating private sector deployment of advanced telecommUnICatIOns and
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mformatIOn technologIes and servIces The Federal Commumcanons ComnussIOn IS adoptmg rules
that govern ImplementatIOn of the new Act
The CIty desIres to be well posItIOned to enhance the qualIty ofEfe and economIC vitalIty m Santa
MOnIca through the strategIc use oftelecommumcatlons technologIes The adopted FY1996J97 CIty
Budget mcludes a collaborative objective m technology and telecommUnICatIons which calls for
preparatIOn of a telecommumcatIOns master plan The plan "~\1ll Identify the CIty' s current
telecommunicatIOns mfrastructure and future commumty telecommumcatIOns needs and '''111
determme potential roles and partnershIp opportumtles to help the Cny meet such needs F or the
purposes of the plan. ""telecommumcatIOns" IS broadly defmed to encompass VIdeo. data, VOIce,
cable. WHeless and other multImedia servIces
The scope of work V"'Ill mclude an analYSIS of
(1) the te1ecommumcatIOns mfrastructure that currently eXIts and the potennal that eXIsts for future
development, mcludmg, but not limIted to the mfrastructure's uses of publIc nghts of ways.
users and market potentIal,
(2) the telecommUnICatIOns net\vorks that currently eXIst and models that could be developed and
used by the CIty on a communIty-wide basIS.
(3) the assocIated costs and feaSIbilIty ofusmg or developmg the local mformatlon mfrastructure,
(4) the types oftechnologIes that best promote commumty telecommumcations obJectIves.
(5) finanCIal models that could support the deployment oftelecommumcatIOns technologIes and
IdentificatIOn of CIty actIOns reqUIred. and
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(6) ordmance, contract and franchIse reqmrements to deal with hIghly competItive serVIce
provIders seekmg to operate wl.thm the CIty
As the manager of the publIc nght-of-way, the CIty has a responsIbIlIty to ensure that future
telecommunicatIOns needs and mterests are met m a way that serves the publIc mterest Among
other thmgs, the plan \vIll proVIde the baSIS for development of a City TelecommumcatIOn pobey
related to unIversal access and umversal serVIce, competItIon m proVIsIon oftelecommumcatIon
serVIces. pubbc benefits for use of valuable pubhc property and nghts-of-way, proVIsIOn of a full
range of teleeonununIcatlon services at affordable costs, open net\vork archItecture, coordmatlon and
mteroperabIhty of telecommUnICatIOn systems The plan \\111 help the City answer the questIon
"What are the CIty's telecommUnICatIOn goals and what does the conunumty want from a local
mformatlOn mfrastructure (LU)')"
RFP and Consultant SelectIon
In July 1996. staff Issued an RFP to consultmg firms and mdustry affilIates After a competItIve
process Wl.th 10 firms respondmg. 3 finalIsts \vere selected for mtervrews ''''lth an mter-departmental
reVIew panel composed of representatIves from Fmance. InformatIOn Systems and CIty Manager" s
Office. and a subject maner expert, the CIty of Los Angeles TelecommumcatIons Manager The
panel selected Media ConnectIOns Group (MCG) because of their expenence m mumcIpal
telecommUnIcatIons planmng, and expertIse m proVldmg management servIces to
medIa/telecommUnICatIOns mdustnes mcludmg eqmpment deSIgn and manufactunng, cable
teleVISIOn. telephony and broadcastmg Media ConnectIons Group has prepared the "Yhlpitas, San
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Jose and Palo Alto plans and proposes a methodology whICh IS consIstent ~WIth that suggested by thc
InternatIOnal CIty/County Management ASSOCiatIOn (leMA) and the NatlOnal ASSOCiatIOn of
TelecommumcatlOn Officers and Advlsors0lATOA)
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The recommended planmng methodology Involves a four pronged approach to development of the
Master Plan FIrst, Media ConnectlOllS Group wIll assess the City's eXIstmg telecommumcatlOlls
mfrastructure mcludmg duectlon of a nght of way analysIs Second, WIth the assIstance of an
advIsory commumty task force, MCG \\111 assess CItYWIde telecommumcatlOn needs Thud, MCG
wIll IdentIt'y vanous telecommumcatlOns systems or platforms stemmmg from the analyses
.evaluatmg advantages and dIsadvantages as they apply to Santa Momca Fma11y. the consultant
\-\'111 prepare a financIal analYSIs/models to determme what partnershIp opporturutles eXIst for pubhc
and pnvate lllltlatIves, mumcIpal ownershIp alternatrves. or contmued rehance on thud party
net\vorks :VICG \\111 recommend goals and an Implementatlon strategy to address the communIty' s
future telecommumcatlOn needs
The recommended approach Illvolves formatIOn of a staff comnurtee and a CouncIl appomted
commumty task force The staff commlttee WIll asSIst III the assessment of the CIty'S functIOnaL
day-to-day telecommurucatlOns operatIOns. plannmg. zonmg and regulatory structures, and conduct
of a nght-of-\yay mventory The adVISOry commuruty task force WIll be composed of up to 9
members representmg the School DIstoCt. College. the Clty's HOSPItalS. 2 communIty members and
3 md ustry experts Staff antICIpates Counell LiaIson partlclpatlon
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Re2:lOnal CoordmatIOn
To realIze the benefits of consohdatlDn of resources, and to enhance the bargammg posItIon of CItIes
WIth regIOnal telecommUnICatIOns provIders, staffhas been \vorkmg "Vlth WestsIde SummIt CItIes
to plan a TelecommUnICatIOns conference The purpose of the conference IS to provIde munICIpal
polley makers and managers Vilth InfonnatlDn about emergmg technologIes and the Impact they \\~ll
have on our commumtIes The conference IS scheduled for January 10, 1997 at the Mlrarnar Sheraton
In Santa ~10mca
Budl!et and FmancIaI Imoact
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Sufficient budget authonzatIOn IS aVaIlable at account 01-700-274-00000-5506-00000
RecommendatlOn
Staff recommends that CouncIl authonze the CIty ylanager to negotIate and execute a contract WIth
~1edIa ConnectIons Group In an amount not to exceed $115,000 for preparatIOn of a
TelecommumcatlOns :\1aster Plan.
Prepared by Kathryn Vemez. Semor )..1anagement Analyst
Jory \Volf, Manager ofInformatlOn Systems
MIke DennIs, F mance DIrector
CraIg Perkms. DIrector of EnVlIonmental and PublIc \Vorks Management
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