The City's computer network plays an ever-increasing role in the provision of services provided by nearly all departments.  The data center that holds the City's servers is a critical part of that network.  Servers produce an enormous amount of heat and are designed to be run at relatively cool temperatures.  As a result, most data center require their own cooling systems.

The cooling system for the data center was installed in 1993 and consists of two units that have been run on a rotational basis so that one is ready to be a back-up in case of a failure.  One unit has failed completely and repair is no longer a feasible option.

Cooling technology has advanced significantly in the past 20 years, so the replacement unit will be much smaller and much more energy efficient.  However, the original design of the Police Facility did not fully contemplate the need for unit replacement and repairs.  Specifically, the piping that runs between the units in the basement and the condensing units on the roof top is enclosed in a three-story chase.  Those pipes also require replacement.  With the understanding that other repairs and eventual replacement of the remaining 20-year old unit will be needed, staff recommends expanding the scope of the project to include the creation of maintenance access points to the chase to significantly reduce future maintenance costs.

Staff has been working with a data center mechanical engineering firm, Parallel Technologies, to create specifications for a data center cooling system that is appropriately sized for the City's anticipated future data center usage.

Parallel solicited quotes from three vendors with the following results:

Staff recommends the City Council approve an agreement using the City's standard agreement form with Horwitz, Inc. in the amount of $33,520.00 for the Apple Valley Data Center Cooling Project and authorize the Mayor and Clerk to sign the appropriate documents.