Item - 2024.GG18.25

The General Government Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Chief Technology Officer to negotiate and execute a non-competitive contract with Esri Canada Limited to purchase proprietary Geographic Information System software licences, cloud subscriptions and related maintenance, commencing from the date of award for a three (3) year period, for up to the total amounts set out in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the Chief Technology Officer, and the Chief Procurement Officer.

2. City Council adopt the confidential instructions to staff in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the Chief Technology Officer, and the Chief Procurement Officer.

3. City Council directs that Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the Chief Technology Officer, and the Chief Procurement Officer, remain confidential at this time as it pertains to criteria to be applied to negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the City of Toronto and be made public at the discretion of the Chief Procurement Officer following the execution of the contract authorized by recommendation 1.

The purpose of this report is to request City Council authority to negotiate and enter into a non-competitive contract with Esri Canada Limited for the provision of proprietary Geographic Information System software licences, cloud subscription and related maintenance. Technology Services sought initial City Council authority in April 2024 (2024.GG11.10) to support continuity of Geographic Information System services while it completed work to assess future staff capability requirements and long-term Geographic Information System capability goals. With the assessment now complete, Technology Services is returning to General Government Committee to seek the authority for those future staff capability requirements, ensuring continuity of service. Further, the City of Toronto is in the process of negotiating an enterprise agreement with the supplier as the supplier is changing its service offering to one that assigns one license to a named user (the current model allows for one license to be assigned to multiple users).  The enterprise agreement for the service offering aims to secure competitive, fixed pricing.

Mapping City data through Geographic Information System allows City staff, Councillors, and residents to visualize trends and patterns, making it easier to identify areas needing infrastructure upgrades or track environmental changes over time. It also improves public engagement by helping residents access City facilities and programs while allowing City staff to allocate resources better and manage assets for more efficient service delivery and maintenance.

With a growing emphasis on visualizing data through maps, this report requests authorization to secure a new contract with the supplier, ensuring operational stability and supporting growth across City divisions for three (3) years from 2025 - 2027.

City Council approval is required in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 195- Purchasing, where the current request exceeds the Chief Procurement Officer's authority of the cumulative five-year commitment for each supplier, under Article 7, Section 195-7.3 (D) of the Purchasing By-Law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax allowed under staff authority as per the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 71- Financial Control, Section 71-11A.