TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve the Agreement for Information Security Assessment Services and the Statement of Work With CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP and the City of North Port, Florida, in the Amount Not to Exceed $35,000.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve the Agreement for Information Security Assessment Services and the Statement of Work with CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP and the City of North Port, Florida, in the amount not to exceed $35,000.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve the Agreement for Information Security Assessment Services and the Statement of Work with CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP and the City of North Port, Florida, in the amount not to exceed $35,000.
• Pros:
o The cybersecurity assessments will help identify vulnerabilities; configuration weaknesses; and potential security gaps before they can be exploited by attackers, reducing overall organizational risk.
o Receiving an independent third-party cybersecurity assessment provides an objective evaluation of the City’s current security controls.
o The engagement includes final reports with findings and recommendations that can help prioritize remediation efforts and improve long-term cybersecurity maturity and may support future budgeting and cybersecurity planning efforts.
• Cons: Staff have not identified a disadvantage to approving the use of this Contract.
Option 2: Deny the Agreement for Information Security Assessment Services and the Statement of Work with CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP and the City of North Port, Florida, in the amount not to exceed $35,000.
• Pros: Staff have not identified an advantage to denying the use of this Contract.
• Cons:
o Without an independent third-party assessment, the City may have limited visibility into the effectiveness of existing cybersecurity controls and security monitoring practices.
o Delaying these assessments may increase future remediation costs if vulnerabilities are exploited before they are identified and corrected.
o The City may face increased operational, financial, and reputational risks associated with a cybersecurity incident or service interruption.
o Failure to conduct proactive cybersecurity testing may limit the City’s ability to align with industry best practices, cybersecurity standards, and evolving regulatory expectations.
o The City may miss the opportunity to prioritize cybersecurity improvements and future budgeting efforts based on validated assessment findings and recommendations.
Background Information
The Information Technology Division is seeking to engage CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP (CLA) to provide a series of cybersecurity assessment services designed to evaluate and strengthen the City’s security posture; identify potential vulnerabilities; and support compliance with industry standards and best practices.
The scope of services includes the following:
Ø External Penetration Test and Vulnerability Assessment
Ø Internal Penetration Test and Vulnerability Assessment
Ø Microsoft 365 Security Assessment
Ø Remote Social Engineering/Email Phishing Assessment
Ø Wireless Network Security Assessment
These assessments are intended to identify risks related to unauthorized access; system vulnerabilities; configuration weaknesses; employee phishing susceptibility; and wireless network security.
Upon completion of the assessments, CLA will provide final reports summarizing findings; observations; and recommendations to assist the City in improving cybersecurity controls and reducing organizational risk.
The Agreement for Information Security Assessment Services and the Statement of Work with CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP and the City of North Port, Florida, in the amount not to exceed $35,000 has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
The Agreement for Information Security Assessment Services and the Statement of Work with CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP and the City of North Port, Florida, in the amount not to exceed $35,000 are exempt from public records pursuant to Florida Statutes Section 119.0725 and therefore are not attached to this agenda item.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Good Governance
Financial Impact
The total cost of this Agreement is not to exceed $35,000 and has been included in the adopted Information Technology Division of the City Manager’s Department budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, account number 001-0710-516.31.05. The Statement of Work fees and expenditures total $31,395 with the support fees of 5%, $3,605 is for the travel reimbursable expenditures.
Procurement
This security assessment is being procured in accordance with Chapter 2 - Administration, Article VIII - Procurement, Section 2-410 - Alternative Forms of Procurement of the Code of the City of North Port, Florida. This procurement was competitively quoted with three vendors and CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP was the vendor selected.
Attachments: Exempt from public records pursuant to Florida Statutes Section 119.0725.
Prepared by: Eric Ryan, Information Technology Manager
Vicki Edwards, Senior Business Administrator
Aaron Bourquin, Infrastructure and Communications Manager
Department Director: Kaitlyn Griffin, MPA, Performance & Accountability Officer