Knox County CIO Trevor Ditmars told the Board of Commissioners during its March 10 meeting that his department successfully moved the City of Mount Vernon's server equipment out of the county's server room and into the new municipal center at 236 S. Main St.
The move provides the city with a dedicated data center, which Ditmars said was an improvement over previous arrangements.
"They didn't have a purpose built room for it. They just had, like, a little closet. So now they have a proper data center with the air conditioning and all that stuff, so it's ready to go," Ditmars said.
County Administrator Jason Booth described challenges in coordinating the move, saying there was confusion about scheduling and that city officials needed the work completed within three days. Booth said the IT team "jumped through some hoops" and got equipment to get the work done by the city's deadline, according to the video recording.
Ditmars also provided updates on ongoing projects related to city operations. He said departments are moving incrementally as building renovations finish and sections become available. The internet has been installed at the new location, but they are waiting for individual phones to be delivered so employees can dial direct extensions rather than use outside lines.
Additional technology upgrades were discussed during the meeting. Ditmars said the direct dial system has been integrated into the sheriff's office but is experiencing intermittent issues; his department is working with vendors to resolve them. He also reported progress on implementing a cloud-based phone system for 911 services, which will add resiliency and portability by allowing dispatch from any cell phone center. The board of elections is considering a new voter registration application, prompting a server replacement cycle currently in its planning phase, with quotes and product demos being obtained.
According to Ditmars in the video recording, recent efforts included recycling 400 pounds of electronics as part of spring cleaning initiatives and developing standard operating procedures for equipment disposal to prevent data leaks. Upcoming projects include assisting the Village of Gambier with building upgrades such as installing a new firewall, network switch, and computers.
