To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Philip Savino, Director and CIO, Information Technology
Prepared By:
prepared
Rachelle Wagner, Project Management Office Manager, Information Technology
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presenter
Presenter: Philip Savino, Director and CIO, Information Technology
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Subject:
title
1:00 PM *Waiver per the Purchasing Policies for a Contract with Countywide Content Management System (CMS) and Related Services - Granicus LLC
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this Study Session is to request approval from the Board of County Commissioners for a waiver per the Arapahoe County Purchasing Policies to authorize the County to enter into a contract with Granicus LLC for a new Content Management System (CMS) and associated implementation and maintenance services. Staff seek BOCC direction to proceed with awarding the CMS project to Granicus under this waiver, based on operational need, the underperformance of the previously awarded vendor, and strategic alignment with County Information Technology’s contractor consolidation priorities.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Good Governance - Leverage technology to improve governance and service delivery.
Background and Discussion: In late 2022, the County Purchasing Manager, in collaboration with a cross-departmental stakeholder group, issued a competitive RFQ via BidNet Direct to identify a modern, accessible, and scalable Content Management System (CMS) for Arapahoe County. The evaluation criteria included: Operations, Maintenance & Required Services Application Functionality, Analytics & Reporting Implementation & Training References Accessibility & Security. The County received 24 submissions. Granicus received the highest score during the initial evaluation due to the strength of its technical capabilities and implementation resources. The four top-scoring vendors were invited to present. Following presentations, evaluators selected a smaller firm, believing that individualized attention would lead to greater long-term success. Granicus placed a close second overall. Over the subsequent two years, the awarded vendor consistently failed to meet County expectations, including missing critical deadlines and underperforming on implementation activities. During this same period, the County’s partnership with Granicus expanded and strengthened through successful deployments of: Legistar (primary agenda management system), Boards and Commissions, Send Agenda Communications, and Open Forms (implemented in 2022). The Open Forms procurement included four pages of negotiated, County-favorable contract terms approved by the County Senior Attorney. These terms positioned the County much more advantageously than the State Internet Portal Authority (SIPA) cooperative contract used for Legistar and Boards and Commissions. Granicus has since built a unified Government Experience Cloud, offering an end-to-end suite of modules including CMS, forms, legislative management, and resident communication, supported by more than 280 million active opt-in subscribers nationwide. These integrations support improved resident engagement, digital service delivery, and a continued shift toward self-service. In 2025, County IT Executive Leadership identified vendor consolidation as a strategic priority to improve performance, reduce fragmentation, and strengthen negotiating leverage. Selecting Granicus for the CMS project advances this strategy by consolidating multiple digital service tools under a single, proven vendor with substantial implementation capacity and a strong presence in Colorado. Additionally, the negotiated Open Forms contract allows the County to support superior implementation and ongoing optimization, an advantage that is not available through the SIPA cooperative contract. While SIPA could meet policy requirements, it is not tailored to the County’s terms and conditions and does not maximize long-term value.
Alternatives: The Board has the following alternatives:
1. Alternative 1 - Approve Waiver per the Purchasing Policies and Award to Granicus (Recommended): Under this option, the Board would authorize contracting with Granicus through this waiver. This approach enables consolidation of key digital service platforms under a single, proven vendor; ensures alignment with existing systems such as Legistar, Boards and Commissions, and Open Forms; and supports the County’s strategic direction toward vendor consolidation and improved operational efficiency. The primary consideration is the need for formal approval of this waiver.
2. Alternative 2 - Issue a New Competitive Solicitation: This option would initiate a new procurement process. While compliant with standard competitive procedures, it would introduce delays of six to twelve months, risk repeating prior vendor performance issues, and disrupt progress toward modernization objectives. It may also reduce the strategic benefits achieved through consolidation with Granicus.
3. Alternative 3 - Utilize the SIPA Cooperative Contract: Using the SIPA cooperative would eliminate the need for a waiver; however, the SIPA terms are not tailored to the County’s needs and limit the ability to negotiate service levels, accountability, and implementation requirements. This option does not advance the County’s contractor consolidation strategy and may not provide optimal long-term value.
Fiscal Impact: The CMS project is fully funded in the approved 2026 budget and has been authorized by the IT Steering Committee to begin in early 2026. Ongoing licensing and maintenance costs have been incorporated into future operating budgets and will replace the current recurring costs associated with the existing vendor. This request is not expected to generate direct cost savings; rather, it enables Arapahoe County to utilize County-negotiated terms.
Alignment with Strategic Implementation Strategies: N/A
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommend approval of the Waiver per the Purchasing Policies and authorization to execute a contract with Granicus LLC for the Countywide CMS project.
Concurrence: Information Technology Department, Communications Department and Finance Purchasing Division