Council authorizes one-year managed IT contract with Iowa Solutions Inc.; staff flags onboarding and monthly costs

Windsor Heights — The City Council authorized a one-year managed IT services contract with Iowa Solutions Incorporated following an RFP and interview process, staff said at the Aug. 19 meeting.

Staff told the council the city had used its prior provider (Aron) for about 15–16 years and sought proposals from about 10 vendors with a fiscal presence in the metro. After interviews, Iowa Solutions was recommended for its lower annual cost and a proposed model that includes a dedicated technician on-site every two weeks for roughly four hours, improved AV support, and upgraded backup and off-site storage.

Staff said the recommended contract is a one-year agreement at approximately $44,000 annually, with one-time onboarding costs of about $8,000 that include firewall and service changeover and additional hardware costs to be covered from the ERP/hardware budget. Staff also estimated reoccurring managed services at about $3,700 per month and noted the contract comes in slightly under the city’s existing IT budget line (just over $50,000) but that total first-year costs (including server upgrades and onboarding) could push the fiscal-year cost closer to $60,000.

Council members asked whether onboarding and hardware were included in the $44,000; staff clarified the $44,000 is recurring contract cost, while some onboarding and hardware expenses are additional. Staff said the one-year term gives flexibility to revisit vendor choice and that an alternate lower-hour package (10 hours per month) could be selected in future years if operations stabilize.

The council moved and carried authorization for the agreement on roll call. Staff said they will manage onboarding and any necessary budget amendments to cover one-time costs.

Next steps: Staff to finalize contract, manage onboarding, and move forward with planned upgrades and access-point ownership.