Object to Radio Sole Sourcing? Talk Fast

Anyone who has an opinion on whether the state of Illinois should sole source a $208 million radio lease with Motorola for the next 10 years should be prepared to talk fast during a hearing next Tuesday in Chicago. The conditions for appearing in person at the Central Management Services (CMS) hearing include pre-registration, three minutes of testimony with the possibility of more time, no substantive questions of the hearing committee, and termination of any testimony that’s abusive or irrelevant. The CMS has already proposed allowing the sole source deal for Motorola to continue owning, operating and maintaining the radio network, and leasing it back to the state. According to paperwork filed by the CMS, sole sourcing to Motorola is justified by, “compatibility of equipment, accessories, replacement parts or service.”

The STARCOM21 network is used by nearly 15,000 subscribers from state agencies, many local public safety agencies and various non-governmental entities.

The CMS said it has examined alternatives, but that Motorola’s wide-area monthly rate of $76 per subscriber is a “reasonable…starting point for negotiations to maintain the same level of service.” Other comparable systems in the U.S. cost from $70 to $80 montly for the same coverage, the CMS says. Right now, the state is paying $53 a month per subscriber, the same rate since the system debuted in 2001. The CMS estimates that another radio vendor duplicating the current system could take four to seven years to build, and even with competitive bidding, Motorola may chose not to participate.

Download (pdf) and read the state’s answer to questions on the sole source justification form here, and the official hearing notice here. Also download (pdf) the public comments submitted by the executive director of one comm center in Illinois, which focus on the issues and questions raised by the state’s decision to sole source.