City OKs Purchase of 250 Computers for $295,000

(Correction: The original story stated that the city is replacing 256 computers. In fact, it is replacing 265 computers.)

Mission Viejo just upped its computing power.

At its Nov. 7 meeting the City Council approved the purchase of 250 Dell PCs for $295,000.

Because of city staff reductions, the machines will replace the 265 computers already in use by city's full-time and part-time employees. 

Fifty-two of the new PCs are earmarked for library patron use.

Mission Viejo’s current computers systems, purchased in March 2006, had an expected life span of three years. However, to cut costs, staff used them for six years, according to a staff report.

In council chambers, Jackie Alexander, city director of the information technology, said that the PCs city employees use are showing their age.

“They can’t run Windows 7,” Alexander said. “These older systems have been experiencing a very high level of failure.”

She added that the older computers run Windows XP, and Microsoft stopped providing technical support for that operating system in April 2009.

In a unanimous vote, with Mayor Pro Tem Frank Ury absent, councilmembers voted to approve the purchase.

Each computer will have an Intel Core-I7 processor, considered one of the higher-end processors.

Because of the rapidly changing computer market, Alexander said, prices could dip lower and eventually cost less than the $295,000 budgeted.

"We did investigate pricing,” she said. “Dell gave us the best price.”

And, Alexander added, the city negotiated for an even further price decrease from what they originally wanted.

To get the cost down more, Mayor Dave Leckness joked, “Tell them their price is too high.”

According to city staff, no formal bidding process was required because the contract piggybacks off another governmental agency, an exception allowed under section 3.12.290 (6) of the city’s municipal code.  

Here’s where the computers are headed

Administrative Services: 17
Animal Services: 18
City Clerk:  4
Mission Viejo TV: 1
City Manager:  4
City Council: 1
Community Development: 15
Library Staff: 41
Library Patrons:  52
Public Services:  19
Orange County Sheriff Department: 3
Public Works: 14
Recreation and Community Services Department:  34
Information Technology:  9
Checkout Pool: 6
Replacement Spares:  12     

Other business

• Councilmembers voted to ask City Public Services to remove weeds from a number of parcels of land that, according to city staff, are not in compliance with the city’s code.
• The city honored members of the Capistrano Valley High School Varsity Girls Tennis team. Headed by Coach Terri Machado’s, Capo Tennis has reached the CIF playoffs for the last three years.
• Mayor Leckness administered the attorney's oath to resident Thomas Colby, who recently passed the State Bar of Wisconsin. With his wife and friends looking on, Colby thanked the yayor and council for the swearing-in ceremony.

The next City Council meeting takes place 6 p.m.. Nov. 21 in Council Chambers at 200 Civic Center Drive. The council will meet for close session at 5 p.m.