To: Board of Directors
From: Marc Shorr, Information Technology Director
Report Title: Purchase Order with Wordly, Inc.
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent or designee, on behalf of the Chief Information Officer, to execute a Purchase Order with Wordly, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $55,000, subject to Wordly’s terms of service, for AI-powered translation and interpretation services for use at Board of Supervisors meetings for the period of September 2, 2026, through September 1, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of this product is included in the department’s FY 26-27 budget (100% User Departments).
BACKGROUND:
The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) is assisting the Board of Supervisors with the renewal of Wordly small software subscription. Wordly is an existing solution currently utilized by the County to provide secure, real-time interpretation and translation services for public-facing events, including Board of Supervisors’ meetings.
Wordly provides remote, simultaneous translation across dozens of languages without the need for human interpreters, making it significantly faster, more scalable, and more cost-effective than traditional solutions. The platform supports in person, virtual, hybrid, and webinar formats, enabling attendees to listen or read captions on their own devices in their preferred language. Organizers also could display translated content on monitors or screens within the meeting space.
Key features of Wordly include:
• Simultaneous real-time translation
• Optimization for public and high-visibility events
• Two-way multilingual communication
• Secure, scalable deployment architecture
• Accessibility and language equity compliance.
These capabilities are essential to meeting County language access requirements and ensuring equitable participation in public engagement activities. Wordly remains the only platform that provides this combination of security, accuracy, compliance readiness, and operational flexibility necessary for the County’s public-facing needs.
Wordly’s terms of service include a limitation of liability clause that requires the County to hold the company harmless from indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages. If liability is found, it is limited to the amount paid for the products or services.
The purchase was procured through a sole source approved by Purchasing on June 16, 2026.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If not approved, the County, as a public entity, may encounter difficulties to continue providing language-access expectations for Board meetings and other public-facing events, potentially affecting participation and accessibility for residents whose primary language is not English.