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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The reissue of the Request for Proposals for an annual maintenance contract of the city&#8217;s camera surveillance system drew five responses, more than double the number from the first try.</p><p>City administrator Ted Wampole said the next step is to review them and determine which companies will be brought in for interviews.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re hoping to set up the review for some point next week,&#8221; Wampole said Wednesday.</p><p>Because the RFP did not ask for a cost estimate that information will be discussed during the interviews. The goal is to negotiate a professional services contract to maintain the nearly 290 cameras throughout the city, the hardware supporting the system and the monitors in the control center at police headquarters. City council would have to sign off on the no-bid deal with the city.</p><p>Just two companies responded to the first RFP issued in October. It was reissued last month with the hope of attracting more attention.</p><p>Wampole was encouraged with the five responses and with the chances that city would be able to swing a better deal than the $25,000 annual contract with Platinum Networks that expired at the end of 2016.</p><p>The city continues to contract with Platinum Networks for system maintenance on a month-to-month basis. The service costs $2,750 a month or, at that rate, $33,000 a year, Wampole said.</p><p>The system, previously operated by the nonprofit Hawkeye Security Solutions Inc., was built with more than $3.6 million in federal and state grants. Hawkeye funded the operation through contracts with the Wilkes-Barre Area School District and the Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority. But those agreements were not renewed. Hawkeye dissolved in December 2015 and transferred its assets to the city.</p><p>The system has not been fully operational since the city took over and the control center, with its wall of monitors that show video feeds from the cameras, has not been staffed.</p><p>&#8220;Right now it&#8217;s not generating any revenue,&#8221; Wampole said.</p><p>The city has been using money from its general fund budget to operate the system, Wampole said. The aim is to find some type of revenue source to entirely cover the expenses, he said.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Better response to Wilkes-Barre’s camera system RFP could lead to better deal