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AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH AT&T ENTERPRISES, LLC FOR TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES AND INSTALLATION
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To the Honorable Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District:
I. Recommendation
Pursuant to Chapter XI, Section D.1.b.(2)(e) of the Code of the Chicago Park District, it is recommended that the General Superintendent and CEO or his designee enter into a contract with AT&T Corporation (AT&T) to provide telecommunication services and installation to park sites owned by the Chicago Park District.
II. Contract Information
Company: AT&T Enterprises, LLC
208 S Akard Street
Dallas, TX 75202
Company Type: Term Agreement
Majority Interest: AT&T Wireline Holdings, LLC 100%
Contract Amount: Not-to-exceed $1,780,000 for the initial term
Contract Period: Three (3) year initial term with two (2) additional two (2) year extension options
Scope of Services: To provide telecommunication services and installation to park sites owned by the Chicago Park District.
Compliance Goals: The Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) participation for this contract meets the compliance goals of 25% MBE participation and 5% WBE participation. The proposal for this authorization includes 25% MBE participation and 10% WBE participation.
III. Budget and Financial Information
Budget Classification: IT Capital and Operating
Fiscal Year: 2025-2028 Funding for successive fiscal years shall be allocated through the annual budget process
Source of Funds: 001.8230.8230.623015.00001.01.01.00001
IV. Procurement Information
Pursuant to Chapter XI, Section D.1.b.(2)(e) of the Code of the Chicago Park District, advertisement and competitive sealed bidding may be suspended if the public interest is better served and in cases where it is unlikely that multiple proposals would be submitted in response to requests for proposals. These conditions exist as the Chicago Park District aims to bridge the digital divide by expanding broadband access throughout the city with parks serving as community anchors offering free Wi-Fi to the surrounding communities. The Department of Information Technology conducted an internal solicitation from vendors able to effectively deliver such services based on the provider's infrastructure and alignment with Park District requirements and selected the providers offering the best value. The Purchasing Department has accepted the response.
V. Explanation
The Department of Information Technology network currently connects 276 park and office locations districtwide through various providers. The network provides connectivity to the internet which allows the Chicago Park District employees to access email, shared files, enterprise applications, as well as public access to register for our programs, and public Wi-Fi use of the internet.
Today, there is an increased demand for reliable and secure high-speed broadband in our fieldhouses and remote offices due to the expansion of the free public internet access as part of the Chicago Recovery Plan (CRP) Wi-Fi Broadband Initiative. This network currently supports a multitude of Chicago Park District business applications such as video surveillance for security, life-safety alarm systems, building automation for facility management, digital signage for marketing, Voice over IP (VoIP) telephones, and faster access to enterprise cloud applications. Challenges facing this demand include low-speed access, aging carrier infrastructure, and over-subscription of existing circuits.
In order to acquire the best network solution, the Department of Information Technology conducted an internal solicitation from vendors of the City, State, and the Chicago Park District namely, AT&T, Comcast, and Windstream. The selection of sites was based on the provider's existing infrastructure that matched Park requirements including technology type, service speeds, budget, timeline, service type, equipment, maintenance & support, reporting & monitoring, and contract terms.
AT&T currently provides internet connectivity to approximately 118 Chicago Park District sites. As part of this proposed agreement, the Chicago Park District will add additional sites with speeds ranging from 100Mbps to 1.5Gbps as required.
Our network will be updated to fiber optic infrastructure. AT&T is being used for the multi-year Chicago Recovery Plan (CRP) Wi-Fi Broadband Initiative. AT&T has been a valuable, responsive partner who has delivered reliable and favorable results over the years.
Detailed specifications
• To provide telecommunication services that include data transport and internet egress service guaranteeing 99.99% up-time with minimal latency of data packets traveling across the network, private fiber, and the construction necessary to extend the service from the provider's central office to park buildings.
• The telecommunications internet service provider shall meet or exceed the following requirements.
o Network - Shall have (a) reliability, 99.99% uptime with redundant failover safety measures, (b) security, network should be capable of having zero-trust network access and blocking various cyber threats, (c) performance, network uptime and providing the bandwidth needed to meet the demand, (d) versatility, as technology evolves, the network must be able to evolve with it, (e) elasticity, to address special events, the network needs to provide bandwidth on-demand, (f) speed, capability of transporting broadband speeds up to 1.5Gbps, and (g) monitoring and alerting functionality.
o Dashboard - Must be able to monitor the network in real-time to; (a) proactively manage the network, (b) ensure that the Service Level Agreement (SLA) is being met, and (c) capture data analytics to gain a better understanding of how the network is being utilized by the public.
o Maintenance and Support - Shall (a) be in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days, (b) be kept at a business enterprise class level, and (c) have a dedicated engineering liaison.
o Service Delivery - Shall (a) be completed within 30 business days, (b) provide detailed as-built documentation, and (c) provide acceptable test results.
VI. General Conditions
1. Conflicts: The agreement shall not be legally binding on the Chicago Park District if entered into in violation of the provisions of 50 ILCS 105, the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act.
2. Ethics: The agreement shall contain a provision requiring compliance with Chapter III of the Code of the Chicago Park District (“Governmental Ethics”).
3. Contingent Liability: Any agreement lawfully entered into for a period of more than one year shall be executory only for the amounts for which the Park District may become liable in succeeding fiscal years pursuant to 70 ILCS 1505/17(i). The agreement shall contain a clause that any expenditure beyond the current fiscal year is subject to appropriation in the subsequent fiscal year budget.
4. Economic Disclosure Statement (“EDS”): Contractor is submitting a full and complete EDS prior to execution of the contract.