Council approves GovPilot renewal and authorizes competitive contracting for cybersecurity services

Clark Township council approved renewal of a contract with GovPilot for cloud-based government-management applications and authorized the use of competitive contracting to secure expanded information-technology and cybersecurity services.

The council voted to renew GovPilot for $92,106.38, the cloud platform used for online applications and case management (permit applications, dog licenses, "report a concern" items, inspections). The contract was procured through a cooperative purchasing vehicle, the business administrator said.

Council members then authorized a competitive contracting process to identify professional IT and cybersecurity services. Business Administrator Jim Ulrich and council members described increasing ransomware and phishing threats and outlined the township's goal to obtain advanced monitoring, 24/7 threat detection, penetration testing and other services not available under a single state contract. Ulrich said moving to higher cybersecurity standards could materially reduce insurance exposure and deductibles for cyber incidents.

Why it matters: the administration said stronger cybersecurity controls are both a risk management and budget concern. Ulrich and staff noted that the township's current insurance and indemnity terms include cost-sharing arrangements that can be reduced or eliminated by meeting advanced security requirements. The council discussed the potential for surrounding municipalities to piggyback on any resulting cooperative procurement, which the administration said could create economies of scale and a revenue stream for the township.

Next steps: the administration will draft competitive-contracting specifications and solicit proposals for cybersecurity services; the council indicated it will consider allow other municipalities to piggyback on the agreement where appropriate.