Scott D. Edson

The Finance Committee meeting included several key administrative and discussion items. Discussions focused on system updates and an update on the After Action Report from the 2025 Wildfires. In administrative matters, the committee reviewed and prepared to recommend approval of the Draft LA-RICS Operating Revenue Surplus and Shortfall Fund Distribution Policy to the Board of Directors, which outlines procedures for fund allocation and establishing an interest-bearing account for surplus funds. The committee also reviewed and prepared to recommend approval of the proposed Fiscal-Year 2025-26 Operating Budget, totaling over fifty-eight million dollars ($58,060,000). Furthermore, the committee considered the proposed 2026 schedule for Finance Committee Regular Meetings, which will generally occur on the fourth Thursday of each month.

The Board meeting addressed the operational status of the LMR network, which reported no service interruptions in October, with progress noted on restoration work at site Frost Peak (FRP) and expected completion of electrical service work at site Burnt Peak (BUR1). Significant progress was reported regarding regional System-of-Systems interoperability, advancing toward true interoperability using the Hub-and-Spoke model, enabling ISSI connectivity for several key entities. The Board approved several administrative matters, including a Sole Source Agreement with PV Communication, Inc. for consultant services, and Amendment No. 133 to the agreement with MSI to cover fire remediation, utility power work at site BUR1, and CADi interface connectivity enhancement. An amendment with Gencore Candeo, LTD. Dba The Genesis Group was approved to integrate a Genesis CAD interface, improving interoperability features. Finally, the Board accepted the 2024 State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) funds totaling $1,120,000 to replenish the revolving fund used for final system acceptance. Outreach efforts highlighted progress in programming regional channels for nearly all agencies and ongoing work toward establishing direct ISSI connections with the City of Long Beach PD, LAPD, CHP, and Cal OES, as well as discussions for connectivity with adjacent counties like San Bernardino and Riverside.

The key discussions during the meeting centered on several administrative matters and reports. The Board considered approving Amendment No. 135 to Agreement No. LA-RICS 007 with Motorola Solutions, Inc. (MSI) to incorporate a Change Order for permanent power infrastructure installation work at the GRM site, increasing the Maximum Contract Sum by $149,186. Approval was also sought for Amendment No. 5 to extend the Professional Services Agreement with SD Edson, Inc. for Executive Director services until March 25, 2027. Furthermore, the Board was asked to approve Amendment No. 38 to the agreement with Jacobs Project Management Co. to revise hourly rates for the Grant Analyst position without increasing the contract maximum. Finally, the implementation of an operating revenue surplus and shortfall fund distribution policy was recommended for approval. Reports included updates on LMR network operations status, which detailed recovery from storm damage, generator runtime statistics, and delays in road access for certain sites. The Outreach Update covered the rollout of the ESChat application and coordination efforts for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics.

The Joint Operations and Technical Committees meeting addressed several critical areas concerning regional interoperability. The primary discussion focused on achieving System-of-Systems interoperability using the Inter-RF Subsystem Interface (ISSI) to link various P25 systems, including LAPD, LAWA, POLA, City of Long Beach, and Cal OES, enabling automatic roaming capabilities. An alternative interoperability option, the cloud-based Critical Connect Platform from Motorola Solutions, Inc. (MSI), was also discussed, noting its advantages in avoiding direct physical connections but presenting risks related to reliance on external cloud outages. Operational considerations for both ISSI and Critical Connect, such as dispatch center patch initiation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) revision, were reviewed in preparation for major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics. In network status reports, it was noted that the digital trunked voice system had no unplanned outages over the last four months, though some individual channel outages occurred on the analog system due to utility power issues at remote sites, which are being addressed. Security enhancements, including camera and door access controls, were reported complete. The committees also approved the 2026 schedule of meetings and discussed the transition of Operations Lead duties.

The primary focus of the meeting included administrative matters and reports concerning the Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems. Key actions involved approving Site Access Agreements with several member agencies, including the County of Los Angeles and the Cities of Arcadia, Azusa, Claremont, Covina, Monterey Park, and Vernon. Furthermore, the Board considered approving Amendment No. Nine for the LMR system agreement with Motorola Solutions, Inc., which involved increasing the Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Operating Budget for grant-funded expenditures. Discussion also centered on the status of site access agreements, environmental review processes (CEQA/NEPA/SHPO), and addressing concerns raised by the LA County Firefighters Union regarding cellular installations at fire stations.