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Coldwater BPU approves 5‑year Merit Networks circuit for $61,050 to add redundancy
Summary
Board approved a five‑year, fixed‑price Merit Networks contract ($61,050) to create a physically separate backbone route and reduce single‑path failure risk after an earlier outage; staff said this contract is cheaper than their existing MetroNet arrangement.
The Board of Public Utilities voted to approve a five‑year contract with Merit Networks for $61,050 to add a redundant internet backbone path for the utility and city services.
Bob presented the procurement background, explaining the May 2021 contract with CTS (now MetroNet) had run month‑to‑month since May 2024 and that a prior outage earlier this year revealed response shortcomings. Staff solicited quotes from Cogent, MetroNet and Merit Networks; while Cogent offered competitive pricing, its route overlapped staff’s existing Aspen path down the US‑12 corridor. Merit Networks offered a distinct I‑94 corridor path and multiple egress points out of state, providing diversity and true redundancy, Bob said. He recommended the Merit contract because it is both cheaper than MetroNet and provides the physical separation the utility seeks.
Board members asked about contract term and price; Bob confirmed a fixed 5‑year price. The board moved to approve the Merit contract on a voice vote.
Next steps: staff will finalize the contract and implement the Merit circuit to provide redundancy for critical communications.
