Rancho Santa Fe Association to study alternative options for new servers

By Karen Billing

The Rancho Santa Fe Association board held off on approving a $55,000 expenditure for new file servers at its Sept. 5 meeting, recommending that staff pursue alternative options.

Director Philip Wilkinson questioned why the Association staff made the choice to go with an expensive physical server instead of going to a cloud system, connecting computers via the internet.

“It just seems like a lot of money for servers,” Wilkinson said.

The new servers are needed as the Association has taken on the task of scanning all property and building files — replacing bulky paper folders with electronic records. In handling those demands, the Association’s three servers have reached their maximum storage capacity, as well as nearing the end of their functional life as outdated technology.

Steve Comstock, chief financial officer, said they received bids from vendors that are all within the Dell family.

RSF Association President Ann Boon said it makes sense for the Association to take the time to look at other vendor options and explore the possibility of the cloud.

Later in the meeting, the Association approved a funding request related to the RSF Association’s and RSF Golf Club’s financial software conversion. The board previously approved $65,000 with the belief that it would be sufficient funding for the transition, however, more than $51,000 has already been expensed and there is still a lot that needs to be done, according to Comstock.

The revised project completion cost is now $80,919 and the board approved the additional capital funding not to exceed $81,000.

Director Rochelle Putnam said she was fine with approving the expenditure but wanted to make sure that the end game was known and that the Association wouldn’t just keep spending on this project.

Comstock said he believed the additional funding would be sufficient to complete the software conversion.