TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Miguel Guardado, Information Technology Director
Liza Tamura, City Clerk
Tatyana Roujenova-Peltekova, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Approving Amendment No. 6 to the Agreement with Granicus for Civic Engagement Upgrades with an Additional Amount of $21,429, for a New Not-to-Exceed Total Amount of $1,120,717 (Budgeted) (Information Technology Director Guardado and City Clerk Tamura).
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 25-0146
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 25-0146, approving Amendment No. 6 to the agreement with Granicus for civic engagement upgrades with an additional amount of $21,429, for a new not-to-exceed contract total amount of $1,120,717.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Sufficient funds are included in the Information Technology Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget. Future years will be budgeted accordingly.
BACKGROUND:
Granicus has been providing meeting streaming services for the City since 2005 and government meeting management services since 2012. In 2018, the City signed the current contract and extended the services the following year with Amendment No. 1. The services provided include hardware, software, media streaming, meeting/voting systems, agenda (minutes) management, citizen participation, and related support services.
In 2018, after Granicus acquired Vision Internet (the City's website provider), website and Intranet management services were incorporated into the existing contract with Granicus. The additional services were memorialized in Amendment No. 2, which was approved by the City Council at the December 17, 2019, Council meeting. The amendment was succeeded by Amendment Nos. 3, 4, and 5, ultimately extending the services through December 31, 2026, and the total contract term to approximately nine years.
DISCUSSION:
Amendment No. 6 introduces new features that replace legacy meeting and media streaming platforms and services with up-to-date systems, technologies, and services to enhance civic engagement, transparency, and the government accessibility experience. The proposed change includes the transition to Operations Cloud, the new Granicus technology ecosystem subscription service, which offers more streamlined government operations, modernized software services, faster response times, and extensive support. The new platform adapts to the unique needs of the organization, enhancing the overall civic experience. The Operations Cloud introduces features such as VoteCast Web, a web-based cloud technology that enables voting from anywhere, for commissions of any size. The revamped Open Platform suite - used for communication, meetings, and agenda management - incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) to provide a more engaging civic experience and enhance government efficiency.
The proposed amendment includes upgrading the outdated webcast streaming services to SwagIt, an intuitive and comprehensive video production solution for public meetings. It updates the current 720-pixel high-definition to a 1080-pixel high-definition video resolution, providing a sharper, more detailed image that is better suited for larger screens. The new platform streams live to multiple channels, including cable access channels and the web. The system is capable of simultaneously broadcasting live to social media outlets (e.g., YouTube, Facebook) through the Social Media eXstream Plus simulcast suite. Furthermore, SwagIt software integrates with the EASE video solution to manage the public meeting stream, allowing City staff and citizens to access a searchable transcript linked to the video stream. The public can easily search the meeting transcript for keywords and find the relevant points in the meeting video. The software provides a spoken-word transcript, streamlining the creation of meeting minutes. SwagIt also includes its own closed captioning services with an accuracy rate of 98% or better.
The contract change also contains the addition of the Boards and Commissions management solution. The new feature is a browser-based system that automates the current manual procedures of filling board and commission vacancies. The new system updates the information posted on the website portal in real time, minimizing the need for staff intervention and providing visibility and transparency throughout the process. The platform securely stores applicant information, utilizing robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data.
The proposed Amendment No. 6 adds $21,429, updating the contract to a new not-to-exceed amount of $1,120,717, accumulated over the nine-year life of the agreement. The additional amount includes $20,087 in one-time fees for hardware, implementation, configuration, and training services. The increase in the Year 3 subscription services is only $1,342, as the old meeting and media streaming management modules and services are being replaced with new platforms and services at a slightly higher cost. The negotiated minor adjustment in the subscription services cost provides an opportunity to implement modern features and more up-to-date systems, ensuring government transparency, accessibility, and expanded digital government services.
In conclusion, staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 25-0146, approving Amendment No. 6 to the agreement with Granicus for civic engagement upgrades with an additional amount of $21,429, for a new not-to-exceed contract amount of $1,120,717. If the Council approves the proposed amendment, the implementation will start in January 2026.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
After analysis, staff determined that public outreach was not required for this issue.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has approved the agreement as to form.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 25-0146
2. Amendment No. 6 - Granicus