Legislation Details

File #: 26-2493    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Contract - Amendment Status: Passed
File created: 4/6/2026 In control: Commissioners Court
On agenda: 4/16/2026 Final action: 4/16/2026
Title: Request that the County Judge execute an amendment to a sole source exemption agreement with Electronic Transaction Consultants, LLC to decrease funds by $10,500,000 to remove training and staff augmentation services and reduce the limit of appropriation for Back Office Enhancement & Augmentation Toll Collection System (BEATS) for the Toll Road Authority, Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: Exempt - Sole Source.

Primary Department: Purchasing

Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Kimberly J. Williams, JD

 

Secondary Department: Toll Road Authority

Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: Roberto Trevino  

 

Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA

Type of Request: Contract - Amendment

 

Project ID (if applicable): N/A

Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Electronic Transaction Consultants, LLC

 

MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A

MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A

Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal:  Exempt - Sole Source

 

Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):

Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.

 

Request Summary (Agenda Caption):

title

Request that the County Judge execute an amendment to a sole source exemption agreement with Electronic Transaction Consultants, LLC to decrease funds by $10,500,000 to remove training and staff augmentation services and reduce the limit of appropriation for Back Office Enhancement & Augmentation Toll Collection System (BEATS) for the Toll Road Authority, Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: Exempt - Sole Source.

end

 

Background and Discussion:

On October 23, 2018, the County entered into an agreement with Contractor to provide services related to a Back Office Enhancement and Augmentation Toll Collection System (BEATS) for the Department (the “Master Agreement”).

On February 11, 2020, the Parties amended the Master Agreement to provide additional functionality to the In-House Collection Project to be compatible with the proprietary BackOffice Toll Collection System previously designed and implemented by Contractor for the Harris County Toll Road Authority.

On June 30, 2020, Harris County Commissioners Court approved the Second Amendment to the Master Agreement to add additional funds to pay for continued enhancements and upgrades to the In-House Collection Project to perform Administrative Hearing and Litigation Modules be compatible with the proprietary BackOffice Toll Collection System previously designed and implemented by Contractor for the Harris County Toll Road Authority.

On August 24, 2021, Harris County Commissioners Court approved the Third Amendment to the Agreement to add additional scope for On-Demand Training, Staffing and Support to be utilized on an as needed basis to support HCTRA and supplement training and triage of customer issues.

On August 2, 2022, Harris County Commissioners Court approved the Fourth Amendment to the Agreement to add additional scope for the migration of Central US Interoperability (CUSIOP) databases, hardware, applications and services to the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), modify payment schedule of On-Demand Training, Staffing and Support to be utilized on an as needed basis to support HCTRA and supplement training and triage of customer issues and add additional funding.

On August 8, 2023, Harris County Commissioners Court approved the Fifth Amendment to the Agreement to add five (5) one (1) year renewal options.

On May 22, 2024, Harris County Commissioners Court approved the Sixth Amendment to the Agreement to add funding and to revise the CPI-U to CPI-W and cap the annual adjustment at 4%.

The County and Contractor now desire to amend the Master Agreement for the seventh time (“Seventh Amendment”) for the purpose of removing augmentation staff positions and resetting the limit of appropriation.

 

Expected Impact:

Not having these services in place would risk impacting the revenue stream.

 

Alternative Options:

As these are proprietary systems, this vendor is the only one who can efficiently provide these services. No other solutions are recommended for this identified need

 

County Strategic Plan Goal:  N/A

County Strategic Plan Objective: N/A

Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1):  N/A

Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2):  N/A

Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A

Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A

Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A

Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A

 

Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:

 

Prior Court Action (if any):

Date

Agenda Item #

Action Taken

10/23/2018

21.d.15

Original ESA approval for Back Office Enhancement and Augmentation Toll Collection System (BEATS) executed by Commissioners Court

8/13/2019

18.d.18.b

Renewal No. 1

2/11/2020

21.d.11.b

Amendment No. 1 increased funding for additional scope

6/30/2020

24.c.13.a

Amendment No. 2 increased funding for enhancements and upgrades

8/11/2020

19.c.12b

Renewal No. 2

8/24/2021

287

Renewal No. 3 and Amendment No. 3 added additional scope for on- demand training, staffing and support

8/22/2022

238

Amendment No. 4 increased funding for additional scope and modified the payment schedule of the on-demand training, staffing and support service

8/23/2022

314

Renewal No. 4

8/8/2023

291

Amendment No. 5 added five (5) one-year renewal options

8/29/2023

361

Renewal No. 5

5/16/2024

21

Amendment No. 6 increased funding for additional services

10/29/2024

326

Renewal No. 6

8/7/2025

345

Renewal No. 7

 

Location:

Address (if applicable): N/A

Precinct(s): Choose an item.

 

Fiscal and Personnel Summary

Service Name

Back Office Enhancement & Augmentation Toll Collection System (BEATS)

 

 

Current Fiscal Year Cost

Annual Fiscal Cost

 

Labor

Non-Labor

Total

Recurring Expenses

Funding Sources

 

Existing Budget

 

 

 

 

Revenue - TRA

$

$-10,500,000

$-10,500,000

$

Choose an item.

$

$

$

$

Choose an item.

$

$

$

$

Total Existing Budget

$

$-10,500,000

$-10,500,000

$

Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form)

 

Choose an item.

$

$

$

$

Choose an item.

$

$

$

$

Choose an item.

$

$

$

$

Total Additional Budget Request

$

$

$

$

Total Funding Sources

$

$-10,500,000

$-10,500,000

$

Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only)

 

Labor

Non-Labor

Total

No. of Grant Years

Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item.

$

$

$

 

Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item.

$

$

$

 

Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total)

$

$

$

 

Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new Position Control Numbers (PCN)s)

 

Current Position Count for Service

-

-

-

-

Additional Positions Request

-

-

-

-

Total Personnel

-

-

-

-

 

County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only)

CAO Reviewer Name and Title

 

CAO Review Completion Date

Click or tap to enter a date.

 

Anticipated Court Date: 4/16/2026

Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.

 

Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item

 

Contact(s) name, title, department: Nicole Stuttz, Chief of Staff, Harris County Toll Road Authority, Gisselle Zapata, Sr. Contract Manager, Purchasing

 

Attachments (if applicable): Letter, Amendment