City finance staff urged the committee to consider a three‑year cybersecurity Copilot program from DataServe to help Sunbury meet state requirements in House Bill 96.

The presenter described the proposal as a bundled service that begins with a full risk assessment and includes policy and procedure review, ongoing staff training, endpoint and network protections, data‑backup and recovery planning, and incident‑response preparation — services staff said are required for the state's cybersecurity program deadline on Jan. 1, 2026. The presenter said DataServe is SOC 2 certified and cited local references; a conference presenter (Andy Volnick) was noted as an advocate who had recommended DataServe.

Staff described the typical Copilot cost at $12,600 a year but said DataServe offered a discount to $9,600 a year for three years if the city signs up before the end of the calendar year. Staff said some existing spending (about $8,000 to a current vendor for training) would be replaced rather than layered, making the change roughly budget‑neutral in their view.

Committee members asked whether the city is currently compliant with House Bill 96. Staff said Sunbury would not be compliant without a written, approved program but that the city likely has time to develop a written policy and present it to council; another member described the DataServe option as the "easy button" to compliance because it would fill gaps staff cannot cover alone. Staff also confirmed the city has cyber insurance and said DataServe would assist in completing the insurer’s lengthy security questionnaire.

What happens next: members indicated support to pursue DataServe as a replacement vendor and staff confirmed the cost is included in the draft budget; the committee did not vote on a contract at this meeting.