Spokane council adds CAD software purchase to tonight's agenda and approves amendment

City staff briefed the Spokane City Council on a proposal to purchase new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software and asked the council to add the item to the evening's agenda so it could be acted on immediately. Steven Williams, a city presenter, described the system as "the nerve center of what we do," linking the phone system, 311 portal and first responders.

The council moved to suspend the rules and add the CAD item to tonight's agenda. Council President Wilkerson then moved adoption of an amendment reflecting post-procurement negotiations; council members approved the motions by voice vote. Staff said the amendment represents a savings of $313,179 compared with the original contract amount.

Why it matters: The CAD upgrade underpins emergency dispatch and the city's ability to share incident information between callers and first responders. Staff told the council that the amendment was needed to replace the original contract amount with the negotiated figure before formal approval.

Details: Williams said the CAD software "connects us with the phone system, with the citizens and then out through to the first responders." Staff described the procurement as a standard purchase with an executed amendment to correct the contract cost. Councilors asked for clarity on the dollar figures and reserve impacts; the council approved the same-night addition and the amendment by voice vote.

Next steps: With the rules suspended and the amendment adopted, the CAD item will remain on tonight's formal agenda for final action and procurement documentation will be updated to reflect the negotiated price.