Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the It Equipment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
West Allis committee approves $94,385 computer purchase and budget transfers to replace staff equipment
Summary
The Administration Committee approved a resolution to buy new computers and tablets for city staff totaling $94,385.07 after IT director explained higher laptop costs, police monitor replacements and Surface Pro purchases for Public Works and staff.
The Administration Committee approved a resolution to purchase computer equipment for city staff in the amount of $94,385.07, following a presentation from Tony Warkachesky, the city’s information-technology director.
Tony Warkachesky told the committee that the city follows a five-year replacement cycle and that this year’s planned replacements increased because many laptops purchased in 2020 remain in use. "I am Tony Warkachesky, the IT director for the city of West Dallas," he said at the start of his remarks (transcript spelling corrected to West Allis). Warkachesky said the city will buy 81 devices this year: 46 desktop PCs and 35 laptops, and that laptops now cost about $1,100 each while desktop PCs cost about $600 each.
Warkachesky outlined three additional requests that pushed the purchase total above the IT department’s annual $50,000 allocation: a $3,000 monitor upgrade for the police report-writing room, about $20,000 for roughly 10 Microsoft Surface Pro devices for Public Works fleet and inventory staff, and one additional Surface Pro for a staff member. He said funding for the police monitors and the Public Works Surface devices would come from other department accounts identified in the resolution and that he planned to cover remaining differences through budget transfers within IT.
A committee member confirmed this would be a series of transfers rather than drawing on reserves. Warkachesky said contingency funds would remain for emergency repairs and that some funding for the Surface Pro purchases came from unspent salary dollars in certain departments.
A motion to approve the resolution passed without recorded opposition. In committee discussion members supported the move to more mobile devices and accepted the budget-transfer approach.
Clarifying details recorded during the presentation: Warkachesky said the city replaces computers at five years, plans to buy 81 devices this year (46 PCs, 35 laptops), estimated laptop unit cost ~$1,100, desktop PC unit cost ~$600, police monitor upgrade cost ~$3,000, Public Works Surface Pro package ~$20,000, and that the total contract/resolution amount was $94,385.07. He also warned that hardware costs are rising and that the IT replacement budget will likely need to be higher next fiscal year.
The committee recorded the resolution as approved and advanced it according to committee procedure.
