CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the award of RFP 19-041, City Council Chambers Audio Visual Upgrade, Installation and Support, to Sound Incorporated for an amount not to exceed $604,798 and for a five-year term
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DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office
SUBMITTED BY: Linda LaCloche, Communication's Manager
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
The audio-visual system within Council Chambers plays an important role in Naperville's promotion of government transparency. Regular broadcasts of City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission and Transportation Advisory Board meetings allow citizens to connect to their elected and appointed officials by seeing and hearing deliberations on City issues in real time. The system also provides internal and approved external users of Council Chambers the ability to hold relevant meetings and events for the benefit of the public.
The audio-visual system within Council Chambers was last upgraded in 2012, and much of the equipment in the room has now reaching the end of its usable life, with manufacturers no longer supporting this older model equipment. In addition, in the years since this upgrade, audio and visual technology has evolved considerably, and the room is not optimized to integrate use of more current technology. As the recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted, the ability to incorporate web conferencing technologies more seamlessly into the broadcast experience is critical.
Due to the age of the equipment, ongoing issues are common with both the audio and video components of the system. From an audio perspective, feedback in the Chambers and placement of the existing speakers compromises the listening experience. The ability to remotely turn on and off microphones failed over a year ago, which plays a role in these ongoing feedback concerns as well as requiring a staff member to turn off the mic at the podium during City Council meetings. A second phone line for remote dial-ins to meet...
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