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Council reviews West Central Technology phone-system proposal, defers decision
Summary
Council members reviewed a proposal to replace the town’s aging landlines with an internet-based phone system from West Central Technology. Staff presented estimated monthly savings of about $280 but noted substantial up-front network hardware costs and possible service reliability concerns; the council asked staff to gather references and deferred action to a future meeting.
The council discussed a proposal to move the town’s hard landlines to an internet-based phone system from West Central Technology, which staff said could cut monthly phone costs but would require upfront network hardware upgrades.
Staff summarized the offer and said the vendor’s configuration would shift telephone traffic over the internet and provide mobile app access so employees could use their cell phones as desk phones during office closures. Council members asked about contingency plans if the internet goes down, whether critical alarm lines would be affected and whether cellular alarm alternatives had been explored. Staff said alarm lines would not be migrated as part of this phone-system change and that they were researching cellular alarm options.
Staff estimated the change could reduce monthly phone-line costs by roughly $280 and noted an approximate 18-month payback period driven by initial hardware and installation expenses. The proposal would also consolidate library and office lines onto the same system and could eliminate a separate maintenance-shop landline because staff could run an extension via the app. Staff flagged that the vendor’s quote is time-limited and that references from nearby towns (including a town that already switched systems) would be helpful to evaluate reliability and downtime history.
Council members requested additional vendor references and local user experience, and asked staff to verify backup options and alarm compatibility before any decision. The council took no final vote and deferred further action until staff can collect references and provide additional technical and cost details at a later meeting.
