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Richland County staff outline options to replace SunGraphic mail service; commissioners weigh lease vs. purchase
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Summary
County staff told commissioners they are considering buying or leasing postage meters from Quadient or Pitney Bowes after the vendor handling mail reported losing roughly $3,000 a month. The board was warned the vendor contract ends May 6 and that in-house processing would shift more work to county staff.
The Richland County Board of Commissioners on March 24 heard a staff presentation on replacing the county's outsourced mail service after the current vendor said it could not continue at existing rates.
"They were losing approximately $3,000 a month in postage," Rachel Troyer, a Central Services staff member, told the board as she summarized vendor outreach and options. Troyer said staff solicited proposals from Pitney Bowes and Quadient and that Quadient submitted the clearest pricing.
Troyer outlined two procurement paths: purchase or lease. The meeting transcript shows a quoted purchase price of $21,973.25 for four postage machines, plus metering/maintenance costs the presentation listed as $8,784, for a three‑year total shown as $33,205.25 for the machines (postage and supplies would remain additional costs). Under a 60‑month lease option quoted in the materials, Troyer said the county would pay roughly $9,883.56 per year for the machines. Troyer also said the machines could reduce postage by about four cents per stamp and include integrated scales and label printing.
Clerk Stacy Kroll, who worked the five‑year spreadsheet shown to commissioners, said buying the machines could produce a roughly $5,976 advantage over renting for the machines alone in a five‑year comparison, but she stressed that the spreadsheet did not include postage or supplies. "That's just the machines," Kroll said in the meeting.
Commissioners and staff debated trade‑offs. Supporters of purchase said ownership can be cheaper over time; supporters of leasing stressed regular upgrades and the county's experience with leased copiers. Troyer warned of operational costs and timing: the vendor currently did two daily mail pickups, while the U.S. Postal Service delivers once daily, meaning county staff might need to transport outgoing mail if the county takes mail processing in‑house.
Troyer told the board the county's current contract with SunGraphic is scheduled to expire May 6 and that receiving and training on machines can take one to two weeks, so staff recommended a decision be made soon but said no final decision was required at the March 24 meeting.
The board did not take a formal vote on procurement at the March 24 session; commissioners asked staff to refine the cost comparisons and noted service reliability and maintenance as key considerations going forward.
What happens next: Staff will return with clarified pricing and a recommended procurement path and schedule to ensure continuity of mail service before the vendor contract expires.
