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City unveils $1M‑a‑year Technology Replacement Plan to refresh computers, servers and lab gear
Summary
Billings staff presented a Technology Replacement Plan that schedules roughly $1 million a year in replacements (56% capital, 44% O&M) including laptops, desktops, network switches, lab equipment for water testing and placeholders for major radio/software upgrades.
Billings — City IT leaders presented a Technology Replacement Plan (TRP) that aims to replace aging hardware and key specialized systems proactively to reduce service risk and improve cybersecurity.
Interim‑turned‑permanent IT Director Jeff Sprock and application manager Damon Combs told the council the plan focuses on replacing items before failures create service outages. The FY2027 TRP totals just over $1,000,000, split roughly 56 percent for capital and 44 percent for operations and maintenance. Planned replacements include approximately 63 office PCs, about 62 laptops, tablets, network switches, several servers and laboratory equipment used for water‑quality testing. The plan also contains placeholders for major software replacements and future radio system upgrades, which could create higher spikes in later years.
Council members asked about lifecycle decisions, whether O&M costs will vary year‑to‑year, and cybersecurity posture. Staff said O&M is fairly consistent (major variances come from the number of lower‑priced items purchased in a given year) and that the city is completing a cybersecurity audit with an outside firm and has updated an administrative order that includes an AI policy and pilots of generative tools.
Staff said replacements follow a committee process that inventories assets, assesses end‑of‑life and operational impact, and redeploys suitable hardware internally to reduce waste. Council requested additional line‑item detail on high‑dollar replacements and options to smooth projected spikes tied to radio or enterprise software modernization.
