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Public works seeks approval to buy network switches for traffic system; funds from road-use reserve
Summary
Public works asked council to approve a purchase from CDW for modern network switches, licensing and firewall support to enable remote access to traffic cabinets; staff said the items are unbudgeted and would be paid from the road-use fund.
Tom Jordan, traffic and road lighting manager, and Tara Walker, deputy public works director, presented a proposal to replace end-of-life network switches at Marion's traffic intersections and add licensing and firewall protection.
Jordan told council the current switches are 10'15 years old and out of warranty; new switches would permit remote access to traffic cabinets, allow staff to retrieve camera footage without travelling to cabinets, and prepare the system for future traffic-management software. He said the proposed purchase price for hardware, licensing and support is approximately $49,000.
Budget and funding
Councilors asked whether the purchase was budgeted. Jordan and Walker said the purchase is unbudgeted and staff recommends funding it from the road-use fund, which staff described as having adequate reserves. The expenditure was presented as a maintenance need tied to operations and safety.
Next steps
The purchase will be presented as a resolution for approval on the council's Thursday agenda. No formal vote was taken at the work session; staff requested council direction and answered operational questions about per-intersection deployment and security benefits.
Ending: Staff said the upgrade would support remote diagnostics, faster repairs and future traffic-management improvements.
