The Fairbanks North Star Borough finance committee on July 17 approved a contract with SHI International Corporation in the amount of $330,617.31 to migrate the borough’s electronic records management system from a software-as-a-service model to a platform-as-a-service model.

Blake Moore, Digital Services director, told the committee the migration is intended to reduce operating costs and improve performance. “The goal is to stay in the cloud, but move from software as a service to platform as a service,” Moore said. He said moving platforms will require buying licenses and consultant services now but estimated annual operating costs should drop below $200,000 in the coming year once migration is complete.

Staff said the contract will be executed using a pre-competed OMNIA Partners cooperative purchasing agreement in compliance with Title 16 procurement rules; the contract was presented as OMNIA Partners IT Solutions Products and Services contract number 2024056-02.

Assemblymembers pressed staff on funding verification, noting a copied amendment in the packet that changed fund language to “projected to be available.” Moore said the contract had been appropriated in the budget ordinance and routed prior to July 1; the funds became technically available on July 1.

Assemblymember Wilson asked why the project did not go to a new competitive bid. Moore replied that the borough is not changing the underlying records-management product but is moving that product to a different cloud deployment model, and that staff had researched alternative products before settling on the current solution.

The motion to approve was called and recorded in roll call with all present members voting yes.