Council approves buying city computers to replace leases after multi-year review

City staff presented a multi-year review of desktop and laptop leases and recommended purchasing the equipment outright rather than renewing leases. The council approved the purchase proposal at the Sept. 17 meeting.

Deputy Administrator/City Clerk Candy Seppala explained that the city had been leasing computers and monitors and that the three-year lease payments previously totaled $3,831.83 per month (about $137,946.02 over three years). Staff compared leasing versus buying and presented a purchase quote from Insight that included additional rugged laptops ("Toughbooks") and docking equipment for field mechanics and the fire department. The final purchase figure discussed during the meeting was presented as approximately $177,000; staff said that amount included additional Toughbooks and equipment compared with the prior lease package.

Councilors asked about a replacement schedule; staff said the city will stagger future replacements so departments that need higher-performance machines (for finance or engineering tasks) can be prioritized and machines moved between departments on a multi-year schedule.

Action: council approved the purchase recommendation and directed staff to implement a staggered replacement schedule.