02-25-2002 CC - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item No. 6H Type of Business: CA WK: Work Session; PH: Public Hearing; CA: Consent Agenda; CB: Council Business City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Greg Lee, Director of Public Works Item Title/Subject: Resolution No. 5719 Approving the Purchase of Windows Based Computer Software to Operate the HVAC System at the Community Center Meeting Date: February 25, 2002 Background: The Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning System (HVAC) at the Community Center is currently monitored and adjusted by a computer. Staff has recently installed software that allows access to this computer from computers at the Public Works Building. This is very convenient and saves staff hours by allowing them to monitor and adjust the system without actually being on site. When the HVAC computer system was purchased, the software was Dos based and was somewhat outdated. Dos has limitations running on the City’s computer network and is very cumbersome to use. The company that supplied the software now has a new Windows based program to replace the Dos version. The new Windows program would allow staff to view the entire system in a graphical interface. It should also be noted that the Windows version would run better with the City’s existing network. Due to a new software release promotion the cost of the upgrade is currently set at $2,025. However this price is only good thru February; after that the software returns to its normal cost of $6,000. The cost to upgrade at this time would be a substantial savings versus upgrading at a later date. The existing Dos based software is not very user friendly. Several screens need to be opened from the main menu screen to navigate through the system. The screens are layered on top of each other and you have to switch between them to see information on another piece of equipment. The windows version will allow staff to see everything from one graphical representation of the equipment that is being monitored. The new software is a point and click environment verses typing in commands and remembering key strokes. The new software is designed to run on computers that use Windows as the operating system. The computer at the Community Center is running on the Windows NT operating system, so there are no compatibility problems with the upgrade.