Coffey County’s technology director briefed commissioners on plans to replace the county phone system and to publish a request for proposals (RFP).

Brad said the county has saved funds in a technology reserve and will use that money to fund a countywide phone replacement across seven locations, including the courthouse, the jail, the shop, annex, road & bridge, weeds and recycling. He estimated about 200 phones would need replacing; unit prices could range widely depending on features.

Why it matters: The existing phone system and handsets are decades old, staff said, with some units acquired around 2002. Replacing the system is intended to reduce maintenance issues and ensure jail and dispatch interoperability; commissioners discussed trade-offs between fully internet-based phone systems and hardwired/internal-server options and asked for proposals prioritized on best value rather than strictly lowest price.

Next steps: Brad will assemble proposals, send them to known vendors and send the RFP documentation to the clerk for publication; he expected to return with pricing in about a month and to finalize a plan before the county jail opens.

Ending: Commissioners agreed to the RFP approach and to evaluate proposals for best value; Brad will report back with estimates and recommended timelines.