Primary Department: Universal Services
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Executive Director and CIO, Sindhu Menon
Managing Department: Universal Services
Managing Department Head/Elected Official: Executive Director and CIO, Sindhu Menon
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Investment Memo
Investment Memo Type: Final Investment Memo
Project Name: Data Center Repair and Replace
Project ID (if applicable): NI039
Vendor Legal Name (if applicable):
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Achievement (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Incremental Authorization Requested: $744,346
Total Estimated Project Cost: $1,819,346 (FY26)
Request Summary:
title
Request for approval of the Final Investment Memo for Data Center Repair and Replace project for an incremental authorization for $744,346 for a total authorization of $1,819,346 for FY2026.
end
Project Description:
The Data Center Repair and Replace project is an ongoing project to optimize and enhance all aspects of the data center ecosystem to support the growing technology needs of Universal Services (US). This includes the physical critical infrastructure that supports the delivery of the application to all Harris County users, partners, and patrons. The Data Center Repair and Replace project encompasses improvements to power usage and delivery, thermal management of the data center, the physical security of the data center and hardware enclosers and any software management tools used to analyze hardware performance during the operation of the Enterprise Data Center located in Annex 18.
Anticipated Project Expenditures and Timeline:
|
Project Scope Breakdown |
Estimated Cost |
Estimated Completion |
|
Annex 18 (406 Caroline) UPS project finalization |
$225,000 |
1/2026 |
|
Purchase Enterprise UPS systems with Nickle Zinc batteries for CJC |
$405,000 |
07/2026 |
|
APC for the 406 DC maintenance in-row power distribution unit maintenance |
$50,000 |
09/2026 |
|
Design work |
$100,000 |
7/30/2025 |
|
Construction |
$1,039,346 |
9/30/2026 |
|
FY26 Total Authorization |
$1,819,346 |
|
|
Unencumbered existing project balance to carry into FY26 |
($1,075,000) |
|
|
Total |
$744,346 |
|
Justification & Alternatives:
Relocating critical electrical systems from the basement follows recommended best practices and will increase efficiencies of the power systems. Replacing and expanding the UPS at the Criminal Justic Center (CJC) or Criminal Courthouse will increase efficiencies and enhance the resiliency of the critical power systems supporting network infrastructure and critical radio hardware. The existing UPS system is over 25 years old and parts are no longer available.
Alternatives
Aside from utilizing the more efficient electrical infrastructure, utilizing the nickel-zinc battery technology will allow us to move away from the more volatile lead acid and lithium-ion battery technologies. This will more closely align US with Harris county’s overall climate action and energy conservation goals.
Anticipated Impact on Other Funds (If Applicable):
|
Fund Code |
Description |
Estimated Cost |
Funding Method (Existing or Future Budget Request Required) |
Estimated Date of Needs |
|
|
|
$- |
|
- |
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$- |
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- |
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Total |
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$- |
|
- |
County Strategic Plan Goal: 5. Minimize the impact of climate change and disasters.
County Strategic Plan Objective: R: Enhance disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and resiliency.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): R3: Strengthen the County’s emergency response function.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Decision Analysis Matrix Score (rubric on last page): 19
Previous Court Action:
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
3/22/2022 |
22-2028 |
Request for approval of PIM and Commercial Paper funding for $280,000 |
|
8/23/2022 |
22-4953 |
Request for additional incremental authorization of $495,000, FY 23 total authorization of $775,000 |
|
7/18/2023 |
23-3948 |
Request for additional incremental authorization of $775,000 for FY24 |
|
10/10/2023 |
23-5833 |
Request for approval of commercial paper funding $390,000 for a total of $670,000 |
|
8/27/2024 |
24-5144 |
Request for additional incremental authorization $775,000 FY25 |
Address: Multiple
Precinct(s): Precinct 1
|
Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
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Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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Choose an item. |
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$ |
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Other |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Current Budget |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Additional Budget Request |
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Commercial Paper |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Funding Request |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Personnel |
|
$ |
$ |
- |
Anticipated Court Date: 8/26/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 10/1/2025
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Legal funding compliance confirmed by: Paige Abernathy, Special Assistant County Attorney, 7/22/2025
Department Approval by: Heather Merkel, Director of Budget, Universal Services 8/8/2025
OMB CIP Team Approval by: William McGuinness, Director-Capital Projects & Infrastructure, 8/7/2025
________________________________________
Commercial Paper Request (For OMB use only):
Receiving Department: N/A
Project PeopleSoft ID: N/A
CP Series Description: N/A
OMB Financial Management contact: N/A
Decision Analysis Matrix scoring tool - Commissioners Court has approved the rubric below for scoring capital projects. Please complete the last two rows for OMB review.
|
Scoring option |
Strategic Plan alignment (3x weighting) |
Evidence base |
Impact on outcomes |
Cost effectiveness |
Ease of implementation |
Collaboration / partnerships |
Environmental sustainability |
Equity |
Total |
|
-1 |
Antithetical to one or more aspects of the Strategic Plan |
Evidence shows net negative impact on the intended goal |
Impact is clearly negative |
Costs expected (or shown) to outweigh benefits |
County has no/limited existing capabilities and dependencies are likely to impede |
Could negatively impact relationships with partners |
Negatively impacts environment and/or climate change mitigation efforts |
Inequitable |
n/a |
|
0 |
Does not align to a Strategic Objective |
Evidence base is not well defined or measurable |
Size of impact on one or more strategic outcomes is negligible or unclear |
Net comparison is unclear |
County has no/limited existing capabilities or dependencies are likely to impede |
Does not involve collaboration with partners |
Net neutral impact on environment and/or climate change mitigation efforts |
Does not consider equity to a meaningful degree |
n/a |
|
1 |
Aligns to a Strategic Objective but not to a Strategic Initiative |
Limited evidence-based research on outcomes; may have qualitative/theoretical support |
Outcomes are defined but without target levels and/or expected impact is moderate |
Moderate direct/indirect benefit relative to costs |
County has existing capability to implement or dependencies are unlikely to impede |
Moderately expands County leverage through collaboration with partner(s) |
Marginally positive impact on environment and/or climate change mitigation efforts |
Considers equity to a meaningful degree, but not comprehensively |
n/a |
|
2 |
Aligns to a Strategic Objective and a Strategic Initiative |
Outcomes are directly supported by evidence base or credible research supports anticipated outcomes |
Outcomes are clearly defined and include target levels; expected impact on outcomes is high |
Significant direct/indirect benefit relative to costs |
County has existing capability to implement and dependencies are unlikely to impede |
Significantly expands County leverage through collaboration with partner(s) |
Positively impacts environment and/or climate change mitigation efforts |
Considers equity meaningfully and comprehensively |
n/a |
|
Score (-1,0,1,2) |
6 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
16 |
|
Rationale |
This project ties directly to HC Strategic Plan Objective R: Enhance disaster |
This investment will maintain mission critical systems allowing continuous operations |
Loss of critical systems would have a significant impact on Public Safety operations |
Moderate direct/indirect benefit relative to costs |
County has existing capability to implement, and dependencies are unlikely to impede |
Better equipped to provide support to agencies throughout the county |
Utilizing sustainable battery technology positively impacts climate mitigation |
Meaningful and comprehensive equity |
n/a |