Elkhart County approves multiple IT appropriations for fiber, courthouse network and software licensing

Elkhart County commissioners on July 7 approved a series of information-technology appropriations to support the countywide fiber project, connect the new courthouse and address software-licensing and hardware needs.

County staff said the items are largely one-time expenditures related to the countywide fiber/wide-area network (WAN) project. Approved items included $60,000 for system-integration support services and $18,900 for a maintenance contract tied to the WAN; $5,100 for an Internet cabinet and fiber contract for the WAN; $3,650 for Internet service for the WAN; $12,267.40 for telephone-network connection services for the new courthouse; and $75,000 for on-the-shelf hardware replacements to reduce ongoing support-contract costs.

Separately, commissioners approved an additional appropriation of $150,004.94 to purchase a Microsoft server license with three years of software assurance; county staff described this as required following an audit gap. Commissioners approved the requests unanimously.

County staff said buying replacement parts to stock on the shelf will reduce annual service-contract fees and that the WAN components are one-time expenses tied to connecting buildings and the new courthouse; the county does not expect repeated similar appropriations annually.