4.3. SR 02-18-2003MEMORANDUM
Item 4.3.
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Mayor and City Council
Lori Johnson, Finance Director
February 18, 2003
Authorization to Advertise for Bids for a Telephone System
As part of the public safety and city hall building projects, staff has been evaluating new
telephone systems. The current telephone system ten years old, and, although it works well
under the current circumstances, it is not a viable option for the new facilities. It can't be
expanded to accommodate expected future growth, and, more important, since it is outdated
it is no longer being sold.
IT Coordinator Bob Pearson is heading up this project with help from the main users of the
system who have been involved in vendor demonstrations and have been providing input on
the design and specifications of the new system. Although we hoped to utilize the State's
Cooperative Purchasing Program for this purchase, after researching the systems that are
available, we have determined that it is in the City's best interest to request bids.
Finally, the current building schedule states that the new telephone system needs to be
installed and operational at the end of April. Bid results will be presented to the Council for
approval in late March so that equipment can be ordered and installed by the end of April
before city hall employees move into their temporary location. Installation at offsite
locations and the public safety building will follow sometime after since the police will not
be moving until June. The police will use the old system until that time. Also, the cost of a
new phone system is included in the building project budgets, and we expect that bids will
be within the budgeted amounts.
Action Requested
The City Council is asked to authorize staff to request bids for a telephone system for the
new public safety facility, city hall, and all offsite locations connected to the main telephone
system.
s :\COUNClLXLori\phonebids.doc