County approves purchase of networking switches to secure dark‑fiber backbone; $885K equipment quote and financing options discussed

IT staff told the court that hardware for the county’s dark‑fiber network must be purchased now to preserve vendor pricing and achieve full encryption from end to end. The equipment quote shown to the court totaled approximately $884,778.24; staff said bulk purchase saves an estimated $334,000 versus buying later and that vendor price increases anticipated next year could further raise costs. Several financing options were presented: an outright one‑time payment (no financing cost), a five‑year purchase with financing charges (~$128,598 in interest), or a lease (highest finance cost). County staff recommended buying now to avoid equipment inflation and to provide the necessary switches for the dark‑fiber build.

Funding and procedure: Staff said they expect to identify excess general‑fund cash positions by fiscal‑year end and will present a budget amendment before September to place the expense in a capital line. If year‑end funds are insufficient, staff discussed the option of temporarily using bond proceeds and reimbursing as appropriate. Commissioners approved pursuing the procurement and asked staff to return with a budget amendment and financing recommendation.

Why it matters: The switches are a central cybersecurity control for encrypted communications over the new dark fiber. Staff argued that delaying procurement risks significantly higher costs and could jeopardize vendor lead times and the county’s deadline tied to the existing internet contract. The court approved moving forward and directed staff to prepare the budget paperwork.