Shelton staff report civic‑center UPS failure and seek supplemental funding to replace system

Public‑works staff reported that the civic center’s existing uninterrupted power supply (UPS) — the battery backup that preserves servers and communications during power transitions — failed during a recent outage and did not protect equipment as intended. Assistant Public Works Director Aaron Nitsch said an internal building power issue caused a fast transition that damaged at least one server tied to 9‑1‑1 functions. Staff said the project was originally budgeted at roughly $80,000, with $15,000 already spent on architectural/design work, leaving about $65,000 for construction. The vendor pricing through a state roster (Presidio) returned a figure of approximately $113,000, leaving a shortfall that staff proposed to cover initially out of facilities budget with a later supplemental budget request. “This is an important project,” Nitsch said; “we’d like to proceed with this project with the caveat that we will be doing a supplemental budget to cover the rest of the expense.” Council moved to place Resolution No. 1396‑0725 (authorizing the city manager to enter into a purchase‑services agreement and purchase order to replace the civic‑center UPS) on the Sept. 2 action agenda; the motion carried. Why it matters: The UPS supports 9‑1‑1 connectivity and SCADA controls for water and sewer systems, so a reliable backup is critical to public safety and municipal operations. Staff said the new system will use newer battery technology and be smaller than the existing 18‑year unit. Budget and process: Staff said they will proceed with vendor procurement and funding from the facilities budget, then seek a supplemental budget amendment later in the year to cover the gap. Council members expressed unanimous support for prompt replacement given the public‑safety implications. Next steps: Place Resolution No. 1396‑0725 on the Sept. 2 action agenda and proceed with purchase and installation pending supplemental‑budget approval.