PREPARED BY: JAMES LAUGHTER DATE OF MEETING: 02/03/2025
SUBJECT:
TITLE
CONSIDER ADOPTING RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN PABLO APPROPRIATING $29,749 FROM SUPPLEMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES GRANT FUND (SLESF 210) FOR THE PURCHASE AND PROCUREMENT OF A BRINC EXTERIOR DRONE SYSTEM
CEQA: This proposed action is not a project as defined by CEQA.
Label
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution
Body
Compliance statements
Community Policing and Strengthen Technological Infrastructure to Enhance Law Enforcement under the Public Safety Policy Area is an adopted policy item under the FY 2023-25 City of San Pablo Council Priority Workplan, effective May 1, 2023.
BACKGROUND
Funding Source
The Supplemental Law Enforcement Services (SLESF) Grant is a mandated grant as defined by California Government Code Section 30061(b)(3)(i) wherein the County remits a minimum of $100,000 annually to be spent on frontline law enforcement. These grant revenues have accumulated, with a current available fund balance of $580,366.
Following authorization by the City Council to utilize grant funds for eligible frontline law enforcement purposes, any expenditures must comply with the City’s purchasing policy.
UAS- Drone Purchase
The Police Department has collaborated with Nightingale Security to research, develop, and implement an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS-Drone) program aimed at enhancing public safety and improving response capabilities. As the infrastructure for this autonomous drone program continues to develop, the Police Department seeks an exterior drone that can be rapidly deployed by officers during critical incidents or tactical operations.
BRINC is a company specializing in drones, software, and hardware designed specifically for public safety agencies to enhance emergency response capabilities. The BRINC exterior drone system is built for rapid deployment in the field and can be operated by a police officer to provide aerial surveillance during both daytime and nighttime operations. The drone features a safety parachute, a spotlight, a public announcement system, and the ability to drop objects when needed. Manufactured in the United States, the BRINC drone system operates independently of Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) technology. The total cost of the exterior drone is $29,749.
Staff recommends that the procurement of equipment and services from BRINC be exempted from City bidding requirements because: (1) the purchase involves specialized services combined with equipment and products, in which the City acquires and installs equipment but must also retain specialized services for consulting on use, training, installing, maintaining, and servicing the products (San Pablo Municipal Code section 3.16.110(B)); and (2) the unique software attributes discussed above support the use of sole source agreements (San Pablo Municipal Code section 3.16.110(C)).
Further competitive bidding requirements may be dispensed if the public interest is better served by doing so, as where competitive bidding would not produce an advantage (Graydon v. Pasadena Redevelopment Agency (1980) 104 Cal.App.3d 631; Los Angeles Dredging Co. v. Long Beach (1930) 210 cal.348.). The exception may be invoked where the product or service contracted for is of unique value and may not be obtained elsewhere (Hodgeman v. City of San Diego (1942) 53 Cal.App.2d 610, 618).
Acquisition pursuant to the specialized services and equipment exception and sole source justification are met because the goods and services required to satisfy the agency’s specific operational needs in rapid deployment of an exterior drone with certain specifications is only developed and available for purchase from BRINC, which is the sole developer and vendor of the proprietary BRINC drone system.
FISCAL IMPACT
Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Grant Fund (210) has an available fund balance of $580,366. Staff requests authorization to utilize available grant funds, in the amount of $29,749, for the purchase and procurement of the BRINC exterior drone system (210-2110-46300).
PUBLIC SAFETY STANDING COMMITTEE
On December 4, 2024, staff presented the BRINC exterior drone purchase to the Public Safety Standing Committee (Councilmembers Pabon-Alvarado & Xavier). The funding sources for this procurement were initially identified from the JAG grant program and the Supplemental Law Enforcement Services (SLESF) grant fund. The committee recommended this procurement request be forwarded to the City Council for formal approval. Due to a recent grant notification update, the awarded JAG funds are not available for drone purchase; therefore, this procurement request will be funded solely by SLSEF grant funds (210-2110-46300).
ATTACHMENTS
Att. A - Resolution
Att. B - BRINC Quote