TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Approve and Authorize the City Manager to Execute the Whelen Master Cloud Services Agreement and Customer Certification for Mobile Broadband Priority Service with Whelen Engineering Company, Inc., for CORE+ / Whelen Cloud Platform services, Including Integration with Verizon Frontline Mobile Broadband Priority (MBP) and Five (5) Years of Connected Service at No Charge.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the Whelen Master Cloud Services Agreement and Customer Certification for Mobile Broadband Priority Service with Whelen Engineering Company, Inc., for CORE+ / Whelen Cloud Platform services, including integration with Verizon Frontline Mobile Broadband Priority (MBP) and five (5) years of connected service at no charge.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the Whelen Master Cloud Services Agreement and Customer Certification for Mobile Broadband Priority Service with Whelen Engineering Company, Inc., for CORE+ / Whelen Cloud Platform services, including integration with Verizon Frontline Mobile Broadband Priority (MBP) and five (5) years of connected service at no charge.
• Pros: Allows the North Port Police Department to enhance communication reliability, operational efficiency, and officer safety using advanced cloud-based fleet technology and prioritized network access for five years at no cost.
• Cons: Commits the North Port Police Department to a fixed five-year contract with Whelen Engineering Company that includes limited termination options and no early termination.
Option 2: Deny the approval and authorization of the City Manager to execute the Whelen Master Cloud Services Agreement and Customer Certification for Mobile Broadband Priority Service with Whelen Engineering Company, Inc., for CORE+ / Whelen Cloud Platform services, including integration with Verizon Frontline Mobile Broadband Priority (MBP) and five (5) years of connected service at no charge.
• Pros: Allows the North Port Police Department flexibility by avoiding a long-term contractual obligation.
• Cons: Prevents the North Port Police Department from implementing enhanced connectivity, automation, and advanced fleet management capabilities, resulting in reduced communication reliability during critical incidents and missed opportunities to improve both officer and public safety.
Background Information
CORE+ is a cloud-based vehicle communication platform that enhances connectivity, operational efficiency, and safety across the department’s fleet. Integration with Verizon Frontline MBP provides prioritized network access during emergencies and high-demand situations, ensuring officers maintain critical communication capabilities when standard networks may be congested. The platform also enables remote vehicle management, over-the-air updates, and centralized system control, reducing manual maintenance, minimizing downtime, and keeping officers in service.
Additional features such as geofencing automation and real-time vehicle system control improve situational awareness, reduce human error, and support safer, more precise responses. The agreement provides long-term value through a five-year subscription term beginning upon equipment activation, allowing for predictable costs while including ongoing updates and support. The combination of Vehicle Safety Gateway (VSG) hardware and cloud-based services creates a scalable, future-ready solution that can adapt to the department’s evolving needs without significant additional infrastructure.
The system enhances data access, tracking, and integration, supporting informed decision-making and consistent fleet performance, while establishing a clear framework for compliance, data management, system security, and accountability. Overall, this agreement enables the North Port Police Department to strengthen communication reliability, improve operational efficiency, enhance officer and public safety, and modernize fleet operations, ensuring the department is equipped with the tools necessary to effectively carry out its public safety mission.
Whelen Engineering Company, Inc. is the manufacturer of the equipment and does not sell directly to end users. The equipment will be provided to the City at no cost through Whelen’s authorized distributor, Lightning Wireless Solutions, which is a City vendor. Lightning Wireless Solutions will install the Vehicle Safety Gateway (VSG) equipment as new North Port Police Department vehicles are built. Installation will be performed at the distributor’s facility in Sarasota, Florida, with any necessary retrofits performed at the distributor’s facility or onsite at the City’s request.
The Whelen Master Cloud Services Agreement and Customer Certification for Mobile Broadband Priority Service with Whelen Engineering Company, Inc., for CORE+ / Whelen Cloud Platform services, including integration with Verizon Frontline Mobile Broadband Priority (MBP) and five (5) years of connected service at no charge has been reviewed by the City Attorney and it is legally correct to form.
The Whelen Master Cloud Services Agreement and Customer Certification for Mobile Broadband Priority Service with Whelen Engineering Company, Inc., for CORE+ / Whelen Cloud Platform services, including integration with Verizon Frontline Mobile Broadband Priority (MBP) and five (5) years of connected service at no charge was provided to the City Clerk’s Office on August 14, 2026, for signature, subject to City Commission Approval.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Safe Community
Financial Impact
There is no financial impact associated with the initial five-year term of the agreement, as Whelen Engineering Company, Inc. will provide the equipment and five years of connected CORE+ / Whelen Cloud Platform services at no cost to the City. At the conclusion of the initial five-year term, the cost for continued service would be $15 per vehicle. The North Port Police Department currently has approximately 180 vehicles equipped with Whelen products; therefore, if the City elects to renew the service or enter into a new agreement with Whelen at the conclusion of the initial term, the estimated cost would be approximately $2,700 per month, or $32,400 annually, based on the current fleet and stated rate. Any future renewal or new agreement would be subject to the City’s approval and applicable procurement requirements and funding availability.
Procurement
The procurement was conducted in full compliance with the established Code of the City of North Port, Florida, to Chapter 2 Administrative, Article VIII Procurement, Section 2-407 - Sole Source Guidelines.
Attachments:
1. Whelen Master Cloud Services Agreement
2. Customer Certification
3. Procurement Documents
Prepared by: Chelsey Rodgers, Senior Business Manager
Jamie Ebershoff, Executive Assistant
Department Director: Todd R. Garrison, Chief of Police