Midway City Council awards network contract to Cash Valley Electric after debate over lease model

The Midway City Council voted to award a network build‑out and Wi‑Fi refresh contract to Cash Valley Electric, approving a subscription‑style agreement staff said will cover installation and ongoing maintenance for city buildings and Town Square.

A city presenter told the council the RFP sought vendors to redo cabling and Wi‑Fi for the office building, community center, town hall, Town Square and the links between those buildings. "We had two proposals submitted ... IT Now, who is our current managed service provider, and then Cash Valley Electric, CVE," the presenter said, noting the two bids were evaluated under the RFP's weighted criteria.

The bids differed in structure and price. Cash Valley Electric quoted about $33,000 for installation plus $20,000 in annual subscription and maintenance; IT Now's proposal showed roughly $225,000 in upfront installation with an annual support fee near $5,000. The presenter summarized the practical difference: under CVE's model "you don't own the equipment ... it's called a subscription" and replacements or repairs are covered as part of the annual fee. An IT staff member added, "We're really paying for the service," saying that the subscription model keeps equipment current without the city shouldering replacement costs.

Council members pressed staff on coverage and infrastructure details. Staff said the project would hardwire each building on the core block and add wireless access points to provide reliable coverage across the Square — which staff and council members said should address connectivity problems during Swiss Days and other events. Staff also clarified that any cabling installed as part of the project (fiber, CAT‑6) would become Midway City's cabling, and that the city could consider burying lines if it elected to do so at installation time.

The presenter noted limitations: the city's fiber optic line serves the immediate town‑square block but does not extend to all city properties. Other sites, such as the public‑works lot and the cemetery, currently use alternative providers including Starlink and a regional broadband provider; the current RFP does not extend service to those remote sites.

Council members discussed lifecycle and multi‑year costs, with one member observing that technology can become outdated over five years and that a subscription approach reduces large upfront capital expenditure. Staff shared the RFP scoring, saying CVE scored highly on qualifications while IT Now provided a stronger work process narrative but did not submit references in the proposals.

After discussion, the chair moved to award the network build‑out contract to Cash Valley Electric; a council member seconded the motion. Council members called and recorded their votes; the motion passed with council members voicing support and staff prepared to proceed with contract execution.

Later in the meeting the council approved a motion to enter a closed session "for the purpose of potential litigation." The motion was seconded and the body voted in favor; staff members began closing the meeting room doors.

Next steps: staff said they will finalize contract paperwork with CVE and coordinate scheduling and configuration work for the core block and Town Square. The exact implementation schedule, contract term and procurement documents were not specified in the public discussion.