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Community Development Agency <br />santa-ana.org/cd <br />Item # 21 <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> Staff Report <br />February 15, 2022 <br />TOPIC: Smart Parking Meter Upgrades <br />AGENDA TITLE: <br />Agreement with IPS Group, Inc. for Modem Upgrade and Warranty for Smart Meters with <br />Credit Card-Enabled Function (Non-General Fund) <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with IPS Group, Inc. for smart meter <br />data management, modem upgrades, extended warranty, and sensors for a five-year <br />term with an option of two one-year extensions, from February 15, 2022 to February 14, <br />2027, in an amount not to exceed $300,000, subject to non-substantive changes <br />approved by the City Manager and City Attorney. <br />DISCUSSION <br />Improving the experience of visitors to various areas of the City and their ability to access <br />parking remains a priority for Santa Ana. The city’s density, along with the number of <br />people working or visiting the city on a daily basis, significantly affects traffic circulation <br />and parking availability on the existing street network and off-street parking facilities. The <br />City is continuously identifying innovative equipment and software or apps to provide a <br />streamlined parking experience. <br />In 2014, the City of Santa Ana entered into an agreement with IPS Group, Inc. for the <br />purchase and installation of approximately 593 credit card-enabled parking smart meters, <br />which also included data management of the meters. IPS Group, Inc. presented quality <br />equipment, approach, and methodology with the credit-card enabled meters, real-time <br />data, and sensors. The smart meters are now in their seventh year without full warranty <br />coverage and are in need of modem upgrades. <br />There are 575 smart meters serviced by the IPS Group, Inc. that are in need of a modem <br />upgrade. The wireless carriers, Verizon and T-Mobile, are planning to sunset the older <br />networks of 2G/3G to the new technologies of 4G/5G. The smart meters require a modem <br />upgrade to continue their functionality of all payment options (coin and credit card), along <br />with data tracking. IPS Group, Inc. provides proprietary smart meters and are the only <br />firm that can provide such upgrade.