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Additional ARPA Funds Allocated
Buena Vista City Council last week agreed to appropriate an additional $30,000 in American Recovery Plan Act funds for improvements being made to the Municipal Building.
This latest allocation in ARPA funds brings to $50,000 the amount earmarked for making information technology improvements. This work includes moving equipment out of the elevator shaft so an elevator can be installed and upgrading network wiring to support switching to a voiceover internet-protocol phone system.
Other work planned includes removing all existing network and some existing telephone cabling, running new network wiring for both computers and new VOIP phones, remodeling two rooms in the basement for a server room and an IT office and HVAC upgrades to cool and dehumidify the server room.
City Council member Todd Jones asked if precautions had been taken to safeguard the equipment in the basement against flooding, which has caused extensive damage in the basement on previous occasions.
Tom Roberts, director of community development who is overseeing these improvements, said the server is to be on a rolling rack so it can be moved to an upper floor in the event of water seeping into the basement. He also noted that the previous flooding events occurred prior to the construction of the floodwall, which is supposed to protect the city from river flooding.
Police Chief Wayne Handley pointed out that city officials had recently undertaken flood preparedness training to address such issues as Jones was raising.
After this most recent allocation, Buena Vista’s remaining ARPA fund balance stands at $2.1 million. To date, Council has allocated $343,000 in ARPA funding for capital improvements of the Municipal Building.
Other ARPA-funded improvements made recently at the Municipal Building include reconfiguring and remodeling the general district courtroom and replacing the roof. A new HVAC system is also being installed.
