Coldwater IT director presents first annual review, outlines grants, KPI reporting and cybersecurity policy shift

Pat Poole delivered the first annual IT department review to the board, saying no board action or additional funding was requested at this meeting.

Poole outlined the IT mission to support city and utility operations and improve service for Coldwater ratepayers. He listed accomplishments (roughly 180 completed projects with about 70% finished), staffing improvements (team now fully staffed after turnover), and the launch of an IT steering committee to better align IT priorities with senior leadership. Poole said one of his priorities is consolidating an overgrown set of SOPs—about 50 items growing from an earlier nine‑tenant program strategy—into a concise cybersecurity policy planned for 2026 that will align to controls and staff handbooks.

He reviewed grants: staff applied for roughly $700,000 and were awarded six or seven grants totalling about $500,000, noting most are subscription‑based and spend should be managed through August 2027; one award is a one‑time purchase. Poole also described KPIs and ticketing metrics (about 1,800 tickets closed year‑to‑date) and routine testing of backups and replication as evidence of resilience.

Board members asked about penetration testing; Poole said one grant will fund penetration testing on a rotating basis through August 2027 and that pen tests will alternate with vendor assessments within the steering committee’s cadence.

Next steps: Poole will complete grant paperwork and return with a cybersecurity policy for board review in 2026.