To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sheriff’s Office
Staff Name and Phone Number: Christine DeMiguel 565-2881
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Appointment of Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority Director
End
Recommended Actions:
Recommended action
Appoint Russel Holmes as Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Director for an indefinite term until a re-appointment is required.
end
Executive Summary:
Due to personnel changes within the Sheriff’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office is requesting the Board appoint Sheriff’s Office Telecommunications Manager Russel Holmes as Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Director and reaffirm Sheriff’s Office Information Systems Manager Justin Riedel as the Alternate Director. The term of this appointment is indefinite or until a re-appointment is required. This Director appointment fills a vacancy left by prior Director, Vince Hurst, who vacated the position of Sheriff’s Office Telecommunications Manager.
Discussion:
On May 24, 2011, the Board entered into an Agreement to establish the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority, a Joint Powers Authority, to collaborate with local agencies in developing a broadband based public safety communication system. At that time the County entered into this Agreement, Sheriff’s Office Detective Sergeant Dennis Smiley was appointed as the first Sonoma County Director.
Sonoma County became one of the founding members of this Joint Powers Authority whose purpose is to assist in developing, operating, and ultimately controlling a secure wireless broadband network dedicated to interoperable public safety agency communications and a public access point-to-multipoint broadband network focusing on use by and through community institutions such as hospitals, schools, and libraries. Members of the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority include City and County of San Francisco, City of Oakland, City of San Jose, Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma and “hub” cities in the East and South Bay. Each member jurisdiction has an appointed representative (Director) to the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority.
Initially the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority intended to develop these communication systems with Motorola Solutions Inc. through a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant administered by the United States National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The Bay Area Wireless Enhanced Broadband project was created to coordinate with county and city governments and Motorola Solutions Inc. to develop this nationwide network. In December 2013, the project was terminated due to uncontrollable issues preventing parties from meeting the grant requirements. Although this project ended, it did not end the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority. The Authority remains financially sound with sufficient operating and reserve funding to continue operations. Sonoma County has continued its membership with this Joint Powers Authority to continue to pursue potential opportunities to remedy telecommunications coverage gaps in our public safety system and to increase interoperability.
In August 2018, the current appointed Director representing Sonoma County, Vince Hurst, vacated the Telecommunications Manager position. The Alternate Director, Justin Riedel has been serving until a successor is appointed.
As the appointing authority for Sonoma County’s participation in Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System, the Board of Supervisors appoints a Director and Alternate Director by providing written notice to the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority Chair. The Board previously approved appointing Sheriff’s Office members to sit on the Board because of their requisite telecommunications expertise and background knowledge of public safety communications systems. Accordingly, the Sheriff recommends Sheriff’s Office Telecommunications Manager Russel Holmes to succeed Vince Hurst as Director, and Sheriff’s Office Information Systems Manager Justin Riedel to continue as Alternate Director. As the Sheriff’s Office Telecommunications Manager, Mr. Holmes is recommended to fill the Director vacancy due to the technical complexity of the communications systems that will be developed by the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority Board. He has been working with military telecommunications systems and dispatch centers for over twenty years and has an extensive background with telecommunications networks.
There is no costs or fiscal impact of this action.
Prior Board Actions:
The Board approved membership in the Joint Powers Authority named Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System in April 2018 and named Vince Hurst as Director at that time.
Prior to April 20, 2018, the approved membership in the Joint Powers Authority named Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System in June 2011 and named Detective Sergeant Dennis Smiley as Director at that time
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 18-19 Adopted |
FY19-20 Projected |
FY 20-21 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
|
|
To: |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are no fiscal impacts associated with this action.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A - I Step) |
Additions (number) |
Deletions (number) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Sample Letter
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Joint Powers Agreement to Establish the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System (BayRICS) Authority