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Council moves to replace firewall and switches, approves new clerk computer after NextStep briefing
Summary
After a technical briefing from NextStep, Cherry Valley approved replacement of core network equipment (firewall previously approved; switch replacement approved at $873) and authorized replacement of the city clerk’s desktop used for water billing; vendor costs and warranty risks were discussed.
The Cherry Valley City Council voted to proceed with replacement of critical network hardware and to replace the city clerk’s desktop computer after an in‑meeting briefing from Shelley Marqueis, IT sales director for NextStep.
Marqueis told the council the city’s firewall will reach end-of-support in July 2027 and the current switches are at port capacity. She presented options: renew existing licensing (short-term, quoted combined licensing ~$425.95) or replace equipment now (vendor-quoted firewall $1,582.95 and a 24‑port switch priced at approximately $873, plus applicable taxes and shipping). Marqueis said replacing the firewall carries a three‑year license as part of the device purchase.
Council reaffirmed last month’s decision to replace the firewall and then moved to replace the city’s switches (motion recorded during the meeting). Marqueis also flagged that the city clerk’s desktop (which hosts the CenterPoint water‑billing system) is out of warranty; the vendor provided MSRP and a discounted offer in the council packet. Council approved replacing the clerk’s computer and directed staff to pay the appropriate portion from water funds where practicable.
Officials said the replacements are meant to avoid a potential security gap and to prevent an outage that could take down cameras or the city network if older equipment fails. Staff will proceed with procurement consistent with the vendor pricing and the council’s direction.
The council’s action covers three near-term items: complete the previously authorized firewall replacement, proceed with the switch replacement now to expand port capacity, and replace the city clerk’s desktop with the vendor’s recommended machine.
