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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION Date: OS/06/2002 Item No: VIII. G. Department Approval: Manager Approved: Agenda Section: ��%�.ri�/ Consent Item Description: Replacing Data Connection to the License Center Background Approximately two years ago, the City moved its License Center Operation from the Fire Station #1 building to the strip ma111ocated north of the Public Works building and Fire Station #1. When the decision was made to move the License Center across the street, there was a minimal investment made to maintain voice and data connectivity to the City Ha11 campus and the State of Minnesota, pending the operational success of the move. Since the move, the License Center has continued to prosper and in addition to covering its own expenses, it provides approximately $160,000 in annual funding for other City functions. Discussion Items Operational changes required of State Deputy Registrars (License Center) have increased the reliance on data and Internet connectivity to perform licensing tasks. The License Center's current data connection is achieved through a wireless communication strategy that has been subject to hardware failure, and has been less reliant than is needed. Frequent and lengthy access downtime to City Hall and the State translates into lost customers, and therefore lost revenues to support both the License Center and other City operations. To ensure the future success of the License Center, a new connectivity strategy is needed. Over the past few weeks, Staff from the License Center, IT Department, and Finance Department has met to discuss the issue. We have concluded that a fiber optic connection from the City Hall Campus to the License Center provides the most reliable and long-term cost effective solution. In addition, we also concluded that it is highly likely that the License Center will remain in its current location for at least the next five (5) years. Given this projected timeframe, we believe an investment of this kind would be financially prudent. Staff is also in the process of evaluating the space needs of the License Center Operation. The preliminary findings suggest that additional space is needed to accommodate the expected growth, and to ensure that the current level of service is maintained. Staff is hoping to present a fmal report to the Council along with various alternative solutions sometime in the next few weeks. The installation of a fiber optic connection will accommodate both current and future activity levels. �