Austin Approves $20M in Technology Investments

The Austin City Council has approved nearly $20 million in technology contracts, contract increases, cybersecurity funding and required city matches.

The council took action during its July 23 meeting on investments spanning data analytics, payment processing, cybersecurity, municipal court systems and technology supporting Austin’s electric, water and transportation operations.

The largest item authorized two contracts totaling as much as $10 million for electric protective devices used by Austin Energy to protect against reverse power flow. Techline Inc. and KBS Electrical Distributors Inc. received contracts with two-year initial terms and three possible one-year extensions.

Austin Technology Services (ATS) received authorization for a contract of as much as $1.8 million with Porter Burgess Company, doing business as Flair Data Systems, for data visualization, analytics and integration licenses, maintenance and support. The agreement has a one-year initial term and two possible one-year extensions. The city has $420,000 available in the current ATS budget, with later spending dependent on future appropriations.

Council members also authorized two cybersecurity grants providing a combined $348,000 from the Governor’s Public Safety Office. Austin will contribute $87,000 in required matching funds from the ATS operating budget.

One grant provides $60,000 for role-based cybersecurity training, accompanied by a $15,000 city match. The other provides $288,000 for a network threat management program and requires a $72,000 match. Both grant periods run from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026.

Austin Water received approval for another $1 million under its contract with Control Panels USA Inc. for supervisory control and data acquisition equipment, software installation and support. The increase brings the contract’s maximum value to $4.2 million. The city has $300,000 available in Austin Water’s capital budget for the work.

The council added $3 million to Austin’s contract with Paymentech LLC for credit and debit card processing and extended its potential term to six years and three months. The amendment raises the contract ceiling to $14.66 million.

That item was the only technology proposal to draw separate comment during the consent vote. Council Member Marc Duchen said the city had recently awarded another citywide contract that was expected to process certain transactions but was later found unable to do so. He said the situation raised concerns about contractor accountability and voted against the Paymentech amendment.

Austin Energy also received approval for a $270,000 increase to its contract with Force 5 Inc. for an electronic visitor management system. The amendment raises the contract’s maximum value to about $1.1 million.

The council authorized another $68,000 in IT professional services from Radiant Compass Advisory for Austin Municipal Court’s case management system. The increase brings that contract’s maximum value to $146,000.

Austin Transportation and Public Works received authorization for two contracts totaling as much as $3.04 million for terminal block cabinets from David-Tehoungue Ltd. Co. and Ear Telecommunications LLC, doing business as Eartc. The contracts have two-year initial terms and three possible one-year extensions. The published action record does not describe the cabinets’ intended use.

The $20 million total counts the maximum values of newly authorized contracts, increases to existing contracts, state cybersecurity funding and required city matches. It does not include the full ceilings of contracts that were already in place before the July 23 action.