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Home My WebLink AboutCS 16/00' 13 2 `,�� oF p�c'� � 9 �� REPORT TO COUNCIL FROM: Gillis A. Patcrson DATE: July 31, 2000 Dircctor, Corporatc Scrvices & Trcasurcr REPORT NUMBER: CS IG•00 SUBJECT: Recreation Complex — Fibre Optics Communications Connections RECOMMENDATION: Thc Rcport CSIG-00 of thc Director, Corporatc Scrviccs & Trcasurcr bc rcccivcd and that: l. the Dircctor of Corporate Sen�iccs & Trcasurcr bc authorizcd to undcrtakc to arrangc for the installation of fibrc optic cabling bctwccn thc Civic and Rccrcation Complexcs including conncctions in both locations and re cabling in thc Rccrcation Compicx with thc total wst not to excccd 570,000.00; 2. that thc cost of thc work aulhoriud unJcr RccommcnJution I abovc be chargcd to thc Contingcncy Accoimt of Au Z000 Curtcnt E3udgct of thc Ciry of Pickering; and, 3. Ihc appropriatc officials of thc City of Pickcring hc givcn authoriry to givic effcct thcrcto. � ORIGIN: Dircctor, Corporatc Scrviccs & Trcasurcr AUTHORITY: Municipal Act, R.S.O. 1990, as amendcd 2000 Curtcnt Budget FINANCIAL IMPUCATIONS; The 2000 Currcnt Budget for the City of Pickerin; contained a Contingency Account provision for this sort of expenditure. EXECUTIVE SUb1MARY; Communications bctwccn thc Civic nnd Rccrcation Complcxcs has bccn of poor qualiry, dcteriorating ovcr thc last fcw ycars duc to ngc of cquipmcr.t nnd incrcascd uscagc. This spring wc suffcrcd n significant brcukdown, complctcly Jisrupting data proccssing, accounting nnd thc rcgistrntion process, Thc cquipmcnt is no tongcr munufucwrcd Qurcforc uscd cquipmcnt wns purchascd in Southcm Onturio. Portions of thc comtnunications systcm, should tl�cy fail, cunnot �• � Rcport to Council CS 16-00 Datc: July 31, 2000 Subject: Rccrcution Complex — Communicntions Disruplion p��e Z 13 3 bc rcplaced. Thc system could still fnil again at anytimc. Thc only long tcrm solulion is to install modcm equipment that can bc maintained. Given the importance of thc communications betwecn the two Complexes it was dcemed dcsircable and nccessary to put the maucr beforc Council at this timc. BACKGROUND: The inilial problem resulted when a thin-wire hub at the Rccreation Complex malfunctioncd. That in itsclf should not have poseJ a significant problem, cxcept for the fact thc hub has not been manufacturcd for about four ycars. A replaccment hub was initially located in Taiwan and thcn anothcr was located in Califomia. Finally onc was secured in southem Ontario. The Ontario company has a branch of(ice in Ihe Caribbcan that recently phased out this oldcr equipmcnl, and fortunately lhey still had the old cquipment in storage. Howcvcr, Ihe replacemcnt hub was not of thc same qualily as Ihe hub that malfunctioncd which resultcJ in wcakcr data transmissions between thc two buildings. This new problcm was finally resolved by installing two data switches that act as signal boostcrs. The next problcm encountcrcd was thc Pcrsofl wircicss communications systcm uscd betwcen thc Civic nnd Rccrcation Complexes. Thc Pcrsoll systcm actually transmits thc data bctwcen the two buildings. Oncc again thc cyuipmcnt is no longcr manufacturcd and no longcr supportcd by thc company. MCS, thc nchvorking company Ihat assistcd thc City in resolving thc communicalions Jisruption, could nol find Icchnical support sWff lhal wcrc familiar with thc Pcrsoft product. What should haee becn a simplc replacemcnt of a computcr dcvice turned into a situation whcrc communications bchvccn thc two buildings was disruptcd for two wccks. Evcntually, B&B Cabling was also callcJ in to assist with thc restoring of communicalions. Furthemiore, the Uiin-wire tcchnology used within Ihe Rccrcalion Complcx is old and is also no IongcrsupporteJ. Thc to�al cost of thc temporary solution was approxintalcly SG,000. A pertnanent solution necds to bc implcmcntcJ bcforc thc syslcm fails again. Thc Ciry was fortunatc on this occasion, as thc disruption did not occur during a busy program rcgistration period. If it had, thc Ciry could havc faced a situation of rcvcnuc loss and bcing put in thc position of providing poor customcr servicc. If thc hub or another piece of oldcr cquipment fails in the future and replaccmcnt equipment cannot bc located, thc communications disruption would likcly be much grcatcr than two wceks. Solution: Thc first phasc of thc proposcd solution consists of rcplacing thc PcrsoR wircless communications with fi6cr optic cabling. Fibcr oplic cabling would providc the lwo sitcs wilh a secure and dependable melhod of communications, as well as providing enough bandwidtli for both data and voicc communications. Thc fibcr optic cabling would nlso allow for thc climination of thc vcry old nctwork server locatcd at thc Rccreation Complcx. To install the fibcr optic cabling, conduits would necd to be burrowed (trenchless tunncling) bchvccn thc two buildings which grcatly incrcascs thc cost of the proposal. The proposed conduit would huve a diameter of four inchcs to allo�v for additional cables if nccdcd in thc fuwrc. Two pull boxcs would bc installcd to allow for easy reach lo olhcr parts of thc City should thc City wish to cxpand thc fiber optic nctwork bcyond thc Recrcation Complex. Thc sccond phasc would bc thc re-cabling of thc Rccrcation Complex to replacc the Ihin-wirc tcchnology. The Civic Complcx was reccntly re-cnblcd with fibcr optic and it is past timc for thc Rccrcation Complcx to bc upgraded. Thc complction of both phnses would provide thc City with a modem communications link bctwcen the two buildings. An addcd fcaturc would bc if thc Ciry replaces thc nging Civic Complcx telcphone systcm, thc fibcr optic conncction would nllow Rccrcution Complcx stnff to utilizc thc ncw systcm, thus climinaling thc nccd for thc Rccrcation Complex's phonc systcm. �i 3� RepoR to Council CS 1G-00 Datc: July 31, 2000 Subject: Rccrcation Complcx — Communications Disruption Pagc 3 The projccted cost of both phases is identificd below. All identifieJ costs includc taxcs. Phasc 1 Install fiber optic cabling bctwcen Civic anJ Rccrcation Complexes $50,290 Connect fiber optic cubling into Civic Complex's computer room 2.845 $53,135 Phnsc 11 ' Rc•cable Recreation Complex 15,480 Contingency ��g? Projected Project Cost 570.000 I am asking that the above project be approvcd as an emergency expenJiture with funding to be from the Contingency account of the 2000 Curtent Eiudgct. If approveJ, we would like to have the new cubling system in placc by Scptcmbcr I, just prior to the busy fall rcgistration timc. Arrangements including installation rcquircs 4— 6�vecks working timc. I should also mcntion that no acwal trenching wiU takc placc. Tunnclling undcr thc roads anJ thc Civic Complcx Park will bc used. ATTACHMENTS: Not Applicable Appro��cJ / Gndorscd By: /l/% �� — � Gillis A. Patcrson Dircctor, Corporatc Scrviccs & Trcasurcr GAP:vw Attachmcnt Copics: Dircctor, Operations & Emcrgency Scrviccs Manager, Infortnation Syslcros Recommended for the considcration of Pickering City Council , �, .. � N /0 omas J. ui , Chicf Admin ' c iccr