Saint Helena signs three-year IT services contract with Apex Technology Management

The City Council approved a three-year professional services agreement with Apex Technology Management to provide managed information-technology services, cybersecurity monitoring and systems support.

Under the contract, Apex will provide 24/7 monitoring, a remote help desk, network and server management, cybersecurity defenses, data backup and disaster-recovery planning, and a virtual CIO function to help the city plan future IT needs. The contract total is capped at $787,006.26 over three years, with the first-year amount listed at $250,005.42.

City staff said the city issued a request for proposals in the fall and received 10 responses. After interviews, staff recommended Apex; the selection panel included an external reviewer with IT experience.

Apex representatives described the company’s municipal-government specialization and their cybersecurity arm, Cyber 74, which performs penetration testing and advanced security services. Apex said it will conduct an initial technology assessment and propose a prioritized road map for upgrades and cost-saving opportunities.

City Attorney Walsh said two contractual items were still being finalized in consultation with Apex: a repayment of the onboarding fee if the city terminated the contract inside the first 12 months (Apex had waived onboarding fees if the contract continued beyond one year) and the form of the indemnity clause. Walsh recommended the council authorize the contract while allowing him to finalize indemnity language that fairly apportions risk; council included that direction in its approval.

The contract covers the library’s on-site infrastructure as well as other municipal systems. Staff said the vendor will overlap with the incumbent contractor for a one-month transition and that a separate cybersecurity penetration test (the most intensive level of testing) can be scoped with Cyber 74 if the city asks for that additional service.

Council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to execute the agreement, with the city attorney authorized to finalize the limited contract language described above.

Quotes: “[Apex] will do a full analysis and look for a way to reduce our costs overall for IT services,” Director Mandy Kellogg said during the presentation.

“Apex’s first goal …would be get you to a safe, secure, and stable standpoint,” Apex representative George Vasudakis said, noting the firm’s experience serving municipal agencies.

Ending: The agreement establishes a three-year outsourced IT management relationship with an emphasis on cybersecurity and a planned initial assessment; city staff will return if additional projects or cybersecurity contracts are scoped beyond the base managed services agreement.