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IT director recommends camera, storage and switch upgrades as hardware prices rise
Summary
Story County IT director reported many security cameras are end-of-life and proposed replacing ~75 cameras with a hybrid cloud model, advised a county storage array (SAN) refresh because equipment is end-of-life, and warned of rising hardware costs tied to memory and storage demand.
Colin Gers, Story County’s IT director, told supervisors the county’s non-Justice Center security cameras are largely on older, end-of-life systems and proposed a consolidated replacement: a new camera system with a five-year license/support arrangement and hardware refresh across roughly 75 cameras. Gers said that approach would provide hybrid cloud recording options, remove the need to maintain an on-site backend for every camera, and make it easier to add cameras in the future.
Gers acknowledged coordination questions about ownership and monitoring: some treasurer’s-office cameras historically linked into the Justice Center system and the board asked staff to consult with the treasurer and sheriff before changing camera arrangements. He suggested a phased approach (replace the end-of-life/discontinued models first) if the board prefers to spread costs.
On broader infrastructure, Gers warned of rising costs driven by memory and storage demand connected to AI workloads. He estimated vendors have warned of 30–45% price increases by midyear for RAM and related components; he used conservative estimates in the budget and said a county storage array (SAN) is at end-of-life and will need refreshing in an upcoming cycle. Gers also said the county will likely have to migrate away from current VMware licensing once the renewal ends, citing sharply higher future costs and reduced vendor support for smaller customers.
Gers provided line-item estimates for switch replacements (three switches at about $8,000 each, total $24,000) and other device refreshes (desktops, laptops, loaner laptops). He said the DOT will reimburse the county for seven treasurer desktop replacements under an existing program, subject to per-machine reimbursement caps.
Supervisors asked Gers to provide a prioritized, phased procurement plan and vendor quotes, and to identify which equipment can be delayed if necessary. No formal procurement decision was made at the work session.
