Commissioners debate phased IT onboarding for fairgrounds and libraries; $35,000 quote for multi‑site connection discussed

Commissioners reviewed competing IT needs for the county library system and fairgrounds and discussed a phased plan to onboard key fair properties — prioritizing the indoor arena to establish a point‑to‑multipoint link to the courthouse and then expanding to the Agriplex as funding allows.

Library and fair representatives explained device counts (staff and public computers across Wheatland and outlying branches) and per‑device licensing costs. The board discussed a vendor quote that aggregated onboarding for multiple buildings (figure discussed in the meeting was roughly $35,000 for several buildings), and commissioners suggested splitting or phasing the work so the indoor arena could be completed first. As a short‑term contingency, committee members said the sales committee would consider temporary cloud hosting during the annual sale so buyer payments could be accepted online for a limited period if the network onboarding is not completed in time.

Commissioners suggested using existing fair funds or general fund appropriations to cover immediate needs if urgency is confirmed; otherwise the board favored a phased approach across fiscal years. The county will ask for a clearer written quote breaking out equipment and labor, confirm which buildings are highest priority, and return to the budget discussion at the afternoon session.

Next steps: staff to obtain detailed quotes that separate hardware, licensing and labor costs, and to report back with prioritized building list and a recommendation on funding source and timing.