Agenda Item Wording:
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Authorization to purchase batteries for the Visalia Emergency Communications Center - Authorize the City Manager to bypass the public bidding process and enter into a sole source purchase agreement with Eaton Corporation to replace the uninterruptible power supply batteries that service the City’s data center and appropriate $67,270 from the General Fund.
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Agenda Date: 11/02/2026
Prepared by:
Jaime Salazar, IS Supervisor, 559-713-4121, jaime.salazar@visalia.gov
John Howison, IS Manager, 559-713-4122, john.howison@visalia.gov
Renee Nagel, Finance & Technology Director, 559-713-4375, renee.nagel@visalia.gov
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to bypass the public bidding process and enter into a sole source purchase agreement with Eaton Corporation to replace the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) batteries that service the City’s data center and appropriate $67,270 from the General Fund.
Summary:
The Visalia Emergency Communication Center has a full building battery backup system that provides temporary backup power for critical technology and dispatching equipment during power interruptions. Staff recommend replacing the batteries as a preventive maintenance measure to maintain dependable backup power and reduce the risk of unplanned system shutdowns, service interruptions, and potential data loss.
Background Discussion:
The Visalia Emergency Communication Center houses technology infrastructure critical to supporting City and Public Safety computer systems and services. Reliable electrical power is necessary to maintain the availability of these systems and the services they support. The UPS batteries provide temporary battery power when utility power is interrupted, allowing connected equipment to continue operating for a limited period until the building generator provides backup power. Battery capacity declines with age and use, reducing the available backup runtime and increasing the risk that connected equipment will lose power during an outage.
The City maintains an active maintenance agreement with Eaton Corporation to monitor and provide maintenance to the building’s UPS system. The contract with Eaton excludes the replacement of the batteries within the UPS system.
Eaton’s annual UPS maintenance report submitted in 2026 recommended replacement of the system’s batteries. Based on this recommendation, staff propose replacing the batteries as a planned maintenance activity to maintain reliable backup power and reduce the likelihood of unexpected downtime. The project will replace the batteries within the existing UPS system. Replacement batteries will meet the UPS manufacturer’s specifications.
Staff are requesting a sole source to Eaton Corporation as they are the original manufacturer of the UPS system and were involved in the original design. Eaton has performed yearly preventative maintenance on the system and are the only vendor certified to replace the batteries. Installation will be coordinated with Eaton and City IS staff to minimize disruption to data center operations. The work will include proper recycling of the removed batteries and testing of the UPS system following installation. The typical lifespan of these batteries is 4-5 years; the existing batteries were installed in September 2022.
Fiscal impact including annual maintenance and operating costs:
The one-time cost to replace the UPS batteries which include freight, installation, testing and disposal of the old batteries is $67,270. The purchased batteries will be added to fixed assets to depreciate over 4 years for future replacement. The overall UPS system has an annual maintenance of $18,000 that is on-going and in the department’s operating budget.
Prior Council Action:
None
Alternatives:
Forgoing the replacement of the batteries could put the City’s computer infrastructure at risk for down time and possible data loss if the current equipment were to fail.
Recommended Motion (and alternative motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize the City Manager to bypass the public bidding process and enter into a sole source purchase agreement with Eaton Corporation to replace the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) batteries that service the City’s data center and appropriate $67,270 from the General Fund.
Deadline for Action: 11/02/2026
Attachments:
Battery Quote.pdf
Strategic Goal: Indicates which City Strategic Goal(s) this item supports. Select all that apply.
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