Agenda - 02-03-2009 - 6d - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 to purchase information technology goods and services. This procedure provides flexibility in procuring these potentially complex contracts. The RFP was issued following this Statute which allows for award to be made to the "best overall" proposal. Thirteen potential vendors were sent the RFP and it was advertised in the Durham Herald and on the County website. From the RFP, three vendors responded. The stakeholder departments and Purchasing met extensively with each of the three responding vendors. The vendors' responses and functional demonstrations were evaluated against the functional requirements. On the basis of the analysis of the responses, the departments of Tax Assessor, Revenue and Information Technologies are recommending the County pursue a solution which uses the Patriot Systems' of Boston, Massachusetts AssessPro product and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners' (NCACC) North Carolina Property Tax System (NCPTS) product, administered by Intelligent Information Systems, Inc. (IIS) of Durham, North Carolina. These two software applications together represent a solution that is the lowest risk and highest benefit among the various responses received and best overall solution for Orange County. Because of the broad scope, cost and complexity of implementing a new Land Records and Taxation system, the departments of the Tax Assessor, Revenue, Purchasing and Information Technologies seek approval to begin detailed contractual negotiations with the two vendors. Further, the stakeholder departments request to contract with a firm specializing in technology contracts. The County Attorney's Office is prepared to provide an initial level of review in upcoming negotiations, but since contracting for information technologies is notoriously complex with high risk factors, and critical deadlines have been defined for optimal project launch, staff believes specialized consulting will mitigate the inherent risks of such a critical project. The legal consultant, working with staff and the County Attorney, will ensure the contractual obligations of the vendors are clearly delineated and legally enforceable. The Information Technology Advisory Committee has discussed and will continue to discuss the PIMS project. The Committee reviewed a status report with the recommendation of a specialized legal counsel. The members of the committee in attendance concurred with these needs in order to proceed with the project. Recently, the Committee evaluated the sustainability of the legacy system and concurred with the Chief Information Officer's assessment that the legacy system is not supportable. In order to implement this system properly, the timing of the conversion must be carefully planned in between property revaluation cycles. Any further delays of the replacement of the legacy system will cause the implementation to coincide with the next revaluation cycle, causing considerable disruptions in the Tax Assessors' office. The firm of Barry Strock Consulting Associates, Inc. (BSCA) is uniquely qualified for performing these consulting services. Specializing in local government technology contract development, BSCA has significant experience in North Carolina County government tax and land records systems. Further, the firm is familiar with the vendors Orange County has selected and has a detailed understanding of the technical challenges that other, less experienced vendors would devote resources to achieve. Further details and costs of implementing the Property Information Management System will be determined on the basis of the negotiations and submitted for Board approval at a future date.