Council approves manual control upgrade for water truck fill station, citing SCADA security concerns

A council member moved and the council approved a manual electronic control for the city's water truck fill station as part of broader SCADA-system improvements.

The motion — recorded in the transcript as to "approve, the manual electronic control for the water truck fill station in the amount of $15.55 50" — was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote with all present members recorded as voting in favor. A separate discussion during the meeting noted that some SCADA components have previously operated outside the city firewall and that the city has "received several indications that that equipment had been compromised," Mayor Robert Jenkins said.

Council members said the manual control would let staff fill trucks without hunting for a hydrant and would integrate the fill station into the city's more secure SCADA environment. One council member urged bringing the systems integrator for a future presentation so the council could prioritize items and separate immediate needs from larger, higher-cost projects.

The mayor characterized the purchase as part of a broader cybersecurity concern: "we've also had security breaches on that system," he said. Council discussion flagged additional upgrades such as security VPNs and tighter integration with the existing SCADA platform.

The purchase motion was brought by a council member and seconded by Council member Charles Davis; the roll-call votes were recorded on the transcript with each present member recorded as voting "aye." The council did not assign implementation follow-up during the meeting beyond an offer to invite the integrator to a future work meeting.