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Council approves replacement server after debate over cloud vs. on‑premises and budget timing
Summary
Council approved waiving bidding and purchasing a replacement server and software at state contract price, citing an end‑of‑life legacy system and risk of shutdown. Members debated cloud alternatives, installation costs and whether to wait for a budget or grant reimbursement; staff said the new system runs SQL 2022 and will reduce near‑term replacement risk.
The Pryor City Council approved a capital outlay to replace a decade‑old city server after staff warned the current system was at end‑of‑life and could fail.
IT staff told the council the existing server runs SQL 2012 and can no longer be updated, adding that the planned replacement (quoted at state contract price on the agenda) would run SQL 2022 and is expected to last for years. The agenda listed the purchase amount as "1552551" drawn from Clerk Capital Outlay account 444‑5417; staff also said they are pursuing a cybersecurity grant that could reimburse at least part of the cost.
Council members raised several questions: whether a cloud solution would be more secure or cost‑effective, how long the new hardware would take to arrive and be installed, and whether the council should postpone action until budget adoption. Staff compared lifecycle and subscription costs and argued an on‑premises purchase would be cheaper over time than cloud subscription fees and would preserve city control of data and functionality.
A separate motion approved labor for installation by the city's IT vendor (Fiber Interactive Technology / FIT). Council discussed waiving bidding because FIT manages the city's systems and third‑party install vendors would add cost and complexity.
Next steps: IT staff will coordinate installation with FIT and pursue available grant reimbursement; staff said off‑site backups exist but advocates for the purchase called the replacement prudent to avoid operational disruption.
