DSRP network, audio-visual vendors selected

DRIPPING SPRINGS — The city is looking to improve the network and audio-visual quality at Dripping Springs Ranch Park (DSRP).

At the March 21 meeting, Dripping Springs City Council unanimously approved city staff to negotiate and enter contracts with recommended vendors, Felix Media for audio-visual and UniVista for networking. Based on the submitted proposals, the city is anticipating the total cost of the project to be $312,000.

Between what has been budgeted for improvements and equipment in the FY 2023 DSRP budget, there is adequate funding to cover these proposals, according to the agenda documents. While a future budget amendment may be necessary to reallocate each expenditure to the appropriate line items, the funding is available.

DSRP operates with the original audio-visual equipment, but the sound quality has diminished and does not extend throughout the entire facility.

The building addition on the north side did not include audio, so the system needs expansion to include audio for paging and events. The main event room needs the ability to host city council and Planning & Zoning Commission meetings over a live stream.

The current ability of the Ranch Park network includes one firewall and two wireless access points, limiting coverage to the large event room and vendor hall. This proposal will enable wireless connectivity throughout the facility and RV areas with the ability to host 500 users.

“What we are hoping to do, in summary, is create a foundational core to build on,” said Jason Weinstock, IT director. “We broke it down into two categories, expanding network coverage, which means Wi-Fi access for the entire building. Right now, there are only two access points for the large event room and vendor hall … The other side of it is for audio-visual and that’s mostly for the speakers, the sound system [and] paging capabilities. This will be throughout the entire facility as well.”

Mayor Bill Foulds said that they are dealing with a tin building that has poor insulation and loud walls, questioning if the new sound system will work with the acoustics already in place.

“I don’t want to drop this much money unless we are confident that it’s not going to be reverb all over the place and we are not going to hear it,” Foulds said.

Weinstock said the vendors are confident that the sound is going to be “very good.”

“Again, as you said, it’s still a tin can and the soundproofing has not been addressed. But that is something that we hope to come back to at another time to look at,” Weinstock responded. “We kind of wanted to take care of what we can within what we budgeted ourselves and get us on par with the improvements that need to happen first to build a foundation for the future.”

Weinstock is hoping that the timeline will be three to four months.