Mosaic Place is currently upgrading its “antiquated” information technology (IT) network but requires an extra $15,000 since market conditions have pushed product costs higher than anticipated.
During the June 14 regular meeting, council voted 6-1 to approve up to $15,000 so that Spectra Venue Management Services and city hall can complete the $141,000 IT network renewal project. The funding will come from accumulated depreciation in the Mosaic Place major equipment reserve fund; that fund contains more than $70,000.
Coun. Dawn Luhning was opposed.
Mosaic Place’s IT infrastructure is 10 years old and forms the largest and most complex network installation in any municipal-owned building, a council report explained. The current network does not meet the building’s needs, while it is “cumbersome” for municipal IT staff to maintain since almost all components are beyond their lifespan and replacement parts not unavailable.
“The system is antiquated and is not doing what it needs to do,” city manager Jim Puffalt told council.
City staff and Spectra have been working to address coverage issues in the building and modernize the IT infrastructure “to provide a more reliable, secure and robust experience,” the report continued.
The new equipment is from the same manufacturer that the municipality is using to replace the existing network in other municipal buildings. This allows municipal IT staff to manage the network from one centralized management system. Using this same manufacturer also helps the city save money due to common licensing and spare parts, while city staff believe the equipment will last a minimum of five years.
The municipality deferred this project for two years — even though it has been ready to go — so the time is right to complete it now, Spectra general manager Ryan MacIvor said during a presentation. The additional money required could be less, based on product costs, although that won’t be known until the wiring and conduits are installed.
This project needs extra funding since the city needs to install additional wireless access points, explained IT manager Wade MacKay. The current system was slow when installed a decade ago and does not adequately cover the building since it has 18 access points; the upgrades will increase that to 46 access points.
“And then it was the cost of the wiring itself that kind of came out of left field that made us go over budget,” he said. “Everything else was in line with what we thought. (There is) way better coverage in the building … . Everyone expects fast internet, especially for trade shows and those meeting rooms.”
While technology can be a moving target and is always evolving, the problem Luhning had with the project is council and city hall have pumped plenty of money into Mosaic Place during the past year, even though little has been happening.
It’s understandable that old systems have to be upgraded, but it seems as if the city is always “chasing its tail” with technology and attempting to catch up to today’s standards, she continued. She would be thrilled if city staff said they were on budget or needed only a small budget increase.
“I just struggle with more money to that facility,” Luhning added.
Mosaic Place might have been quiet during the last 15 months because of the pandemic, Coun. Kim Robinson said, but these upgrades are necessary to keep the city “on the cutting edge of technology” to attract trade shows and other events.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, June 28.
