SR-06-25-2013-3WCity Council Meeting: June 25, 2013
Agenda Item: -J'—"\&/
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Martin Pastucha, Director of Public Works
Subject: Contract Modification for Maintenance and Support Services for Santa
Monica Airport's Aircraft Noise Monitoring System
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a second modification to Contract No. 9057 (CCS) in the amount of $143,103
with Exelis Inc., a Virginia -based company, to provide maintenance and support
services for the Santa Monica Airport's (Airport) noise and operations monitoring system
(NOMS); purchase of flight track data; and to provide public access to flight track data
through June 30, 2015, with two one -year options to renew in the amount of $221,180,
for a total amount not to exceed $606,543 over an eight -year period, with future year
funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Executive Summary
Recent changes to the policy of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the
release of flight track data to the airport industry, free -of- charge, prompted staff to find
an alternative FAA approved source to procure the data. This change by the FAA
prompted staff to review the Airport's current NOMS maintenance contract with Exelis
Inc. that expires in June 2014, and the current contract for public on -line flight track
display service, WebTrak, with BrGel & Kjaer's which expires in August 2013. Staff
recommends modifying the current contract with Exelis Inc., which expires in June
2014, to continue providing maintenance and support of the NOMS system through
June 2015. Additionally, staff recommends Exelis Inc. to provide the flight track data
through its on -line public access flight track display system, WebScene, as of
September 2013. Exelis is the only FAA approved third party source that can provide
reliable and accurate flight. track data to the airport industry. All the aforementioned
services under this contract modification would extend through June 30, 2015 with two
additional one year renewal options through June 30, 2017.
Background
On April 28, 2009 Council approved contract No. 9057 (CCS) as a sole source with Era
Corporation for $242,261 for maintenance and support services for the Airport's NOMS.
In October 2010, the contract was assigned to ITT Corporation following the acquisition
of Era Corporation by ITT Corporation. On January 12, 2011, ITT Corporation
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announced that it was in the process of creating an independent publicly- traded
company named Exelis Inc. effective October 2011. Exelis (and its predecessors) have
been providing maintenance and support services for the Airport's NOMS for the past
24 years, since the inception of the Airport's noise management program. The Santa
Monica Airport uses flight track data to correlate flight tracks with noise events for the
Airport's NOMS and to provide flight track information to the public through the on -line
flight track display service, WebTrak. The City contracted with Bruel & Kjaer in August
2010 as a result of the Airport Commission's recommendation to provide to the public
near real time Santa Monica Airport flight track information on the Airport's website.
On January 31, 2013, staff received formal notification from the FAA that the current
Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) for the release of flight track data would be
terminated effective September 1, 2013. The notices also stated that if the City wished
to continue to receive flight track data it would have to be procured through an FAA -
approved third party source. All airports in the United States that had comparable
MOUs received a similar notice. This change by the FAA prompted staff to review the
Airport's current NOMS maintenance contract with Exelis Inc. that expires in June 2014,
and the current contract for public on -line flight track display service, WebTrak, with
Bruel & Kjaer's which expires in August 2013
Discussion
NOMS Maintenance and Support Services
NOMS monitors noise levels of arriving and departing aircraft to ensure compliance with
the Noise Code. Raw data, in the form of noise events, are gathered from the Airport's
system by Exelis Inc. for processing and correlation with flight track data for graphical
presentation, and secured storage. Exelis holds sole proprietary rights over the
hardware and software currently used in the Airport's NOMS. Making the change to an
alternative NOMS provider would require that the current system be replaced. The cost
of such change far surpasses the maintenance costs associated with the current
system.
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Vendor Selection for Flight Track Data
In April 2013, staff solicited proposals from the only three known companies that have
an internet based service application that uses Exelis flight track data technology and
allows the public to perform flight track inquiries and submit online noise complaints
directly from the system. The three companies were Broel & Kjaer, Exelis, and
Bridgenet. The three proposals were evaluated on price, ability to perform the requested
services, system integration, and continuity of data. Exelis is the best bidder because
their internet -based service application provides the continuity of data in the most cost -
effective manner. Modifying the current contract with Exelis Inc. to provide flight track
data instead of renewing the existing contract with Bruel & Kjaer would save the City
approximately $20,000 over the next two years.
This contract modification with Exelis Inc. would allow for the purchase of flight track
data for continued use in the noise monitoring equipment and public access to flight
track data after the FAA terminates the release of flight track data to airports in
September 2013. ITT Corporation (parent company of Exelis Inc.) won a competitive
bid with the FAA in 2007 to replace radar as the primary surveillance method for
controlling aircraft. Flight track data from Exelis Inc. is the most accurate, reliable and
supported in the industry and would be easily integrated with the Airport's current noise
monitoring software. Modifying the current contract with Exelis Inc. to provide
maintenance and support services for NOMS; provide flight track data; and provide
public access to flight track data through June 2015 with two one -year renewal options
through June 2017 would ensure staff's ability to correlate noise events with flight tracks
to identify Noise Code violations; conduct investigations of aircraft operations to identify
aircraft deviations of the Fly Neighborly Program; and provide public access to flight
track data.
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Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
Staff has remaining contract authority for the initial Contract No. 9057 (CCS) of $51,358.
The contract modification to be awarded to Exelis Inc. is $143,103 (FYI 3-14 $23,321
and FY14 -15 $105,782), with two one -year options to renew in the amount of $221,180
for FY2015 -17, for an amended contract total not to exceed $606,543. Funds are
included in the proposed FY2013 -15 budget in division 33431; contract will be charged
to account 33431.555060, pending Council budget approval. Future funding is
contingent upon Council approval.
Following is a breakdown of costs for this contract modification and renewal options:
"Includes an initiation fee of $14,154.
Prepared by: Bob Trimborn, Airport Services Manager
Stelios Makrides, Airport Operations Administrator
Approved:
A4
Martin Pastucha
Director of Public Works
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Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager
FY2013 -14
FY2014 -15
FY2015 -16
FY2016 -17
NOMS Maintenance &
Support Services
Included in
current
contract
$81,062
$83,494
$85,999
Flight Track Data
$14,000
$14,420
$14,853
$15,298
Online Flight Track
Data Display Service
$23,321
$10,300
$10,609
$10,297
TOTAL
$37,321
$105,782
$108,956
$112,224
"Includes an initiation fee of $14,154.
Prepared by: Bob Trimborn, Airport Services Manager
Stelios Makrides, Airport Operations Administrator
Approved:
A4
Martin Pastucha
Director of Public Works
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Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager
Reference:
Contract No. 9057 (CCS)