Submitted By: Tye Chighizola
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Presentation By: Tom Duncan
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Department: Growth Management
STAFF RECOMMENDATION (Motion Ready):
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Approve a five-year renewal agreement with Avail Technologies, Inc. to provide system maintenance and support to SunTran’s intelligent transportation system in the amount of $239,778
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OCALA’S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Operational Excellence, Quality of Place
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND: In 2015, the city purchased the Avail software and hardware to support SunTran’s intelligent transportation system. It allows riders to track the location of the buses using the “myStop” application and provides information about possible route delays. The fare payment system enables the collection, analysis, and reporting of ridership data, helping staff improve bus routes to better serve the public and prioritize the most popular transit stops.
The software provides paratransit, American Disability Act (ADA), and National Transit Database (NTD) reporting information necessary to comply with Federal and State regulations. The fleet maintenance feature includes automatic vehicle health monitoring and tracking, real-time warnings, and fault alerts that help to avoid unexpected breakdowns, as well as planning and prioritizing preventative maintenance.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: The Avail system is an integral part of SunTran, and the maintenance/support agreement is necessary for its continued use. The current five-year agreement expires on November 30, 2024.
A policy exception was approved on September 19, 2024 by the Procurement and Contracting Officer.
As a political subdivision of the state of Florida and public transit agency, the City of Ocala's SunTran program is authorized to make purchases subject to the terms and conditions of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Public Transit Office's Transit Research Inspection Procurement Services ("TRIPS") Contract No. TRIPS-21-APTS for intelligent transportation systems/technology solutions for public transit agencies.
FISCAL IMPACT: The five-year renewal agreement costs $239,778, with the first-year payment of $46,808. The remaining four payments will be $45,733 in Fiscal Year 2026, $47,035 in Fiscal Year 2027, $49,395 in Fiscal Year 2028, and $50,807 in Fiscal Year 2029. The annual payments will be made through grants from the Federal Transit Administration and Florida Department of Transportation for the operation of SunTran and city and county matches. The annual payments will be paid from grant account 494-060-490-544-54-46010.
PROCUREMENT REVIEW: This renewal agreement is in compliance with the City’s procurement policy.
LEGAL REVIEW: This Agreement will be reviewed and approved for form and legality by City Attorney, William E. Sexton.
ALTERNATIVE:
• Approve with changes
• Table
• Deny