Bob Foos
Webb City’s protection against cyber threats is being improved with the help of a grant.
On Monday, the City Council approved a $211,293 project to:
• Purchase one computer server for City Hall, the police department and fire department to be installed at City Hall.
• Purchase a cybersecurity management portal and maintain it for three years.
• Purchase eight network switches to connect all city departments.
• Migrate the city’s internet domain from webbcitymo.org to webbcitymo.gov.
• 25 tablet computers for the police department.
• 12 tablet and five laptop computers for the fire department.
The council voted to accept a $147,905 grant from the Missouri Department of Public Safety to pay over two/thirds of the cost and match it with $63,388 in city funds.
The installation will be done by Stronghold, the city’s internet technology contractor.
There was more spending approved by the council.
The police department was allowed to accept a no-match grant in the amount of $12,132 to purchase 28 electronic language translators. Police Chief Don Melton applied for the grant through the the Missouri Department of Public Safety’s Local Violent Crime Prevention program.
A 16-year-old sewer camera system will be replaced. The council approved wastewater director William Runkle’s plan to accept the bid of $98,383 to purchase a new system from EJ Equipment, of Troy, Ill.
To make that system easier to use and last longer, the council approved Runkle’s plan to house it in a van, as opposed to a utility trailer as it has been. A 2016 Ram ProMaster cargo van will be purchased from JE Auto for $24,000. That was the lowest of four quotes received for comparable vans.
The fire department is replacing its door access control system. Fire Chief Andrew Roughton said the old system is 16 years old, and its access code is known by many former employees and students. Netwatch, of Carterville, will provide the system and install it for $3,257.
As the controversy over whether a data center is built on the southwest side of Joplin, Jim Dawson (4th Ward) asked if it would lower the level of water that Webb City’s wells draw from.
City Administrator Carl Francis said he is not worried about that possibility. For one thing, he said the water table didn’t drop when Carterville’s second water well began pumping.
Missouri American would supply water to the data center. And although Webb City relies on Missouri American as a backup source, Francis said the city has been increasing its pumping capacity in order to only open the valve to buy water from Missouri American if there’s a problem with Webb City’s system keeping up with demand.
The data center issue will next be discussed by the Joplin City Council at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Corley Auditorium of Webster Hall on the campus of Missouri Southern State University.
In other action, the council:
• Approved second (final) reading of an ordinance placing tax liens on properties where the city is owed money, typically for mowing expenses.
• Accepted first reading of a bill to rezone a half block at 201 E. Aylor St. from R-1 (single family residential) to R-3 (multi-family residential). Brian Philliber’s request was advanced to the council by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
• Was informed that Optic Communications, of Columbus, Kan., is planning to install fiber in the city’s right-of-way. Socket is said to be almost finished installing conduit for fiber throughout the city.