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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-16-2008 - 4gORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 16, 2008 Action Age da Item No. SUBJECT: Authorization to Purchase Office Furniture and Telephone Systems for New County Facilities through NC State Contract DEPARTMENT: Purchasing and Central Srvcs. PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Pam Jones, (919) 245-2652 PURPOSE: To consider authorizing the Purchasing Director to effect the purchase of furniture and telephone. equipment for the new Animal Services Facility, Central Orange Senior Center, Justice Facility and Solid Waste Operations Center. BACKGROUND: The .Animal Services Facility, Central Orange Senior Center, Justice Facility and Solid Waste Operations Center will be completed over the next several months. In preparation for the transition to the new spaces, telephone systems and furniture must be purchased. The County has historically purchased such items utilizing State or GSA contract vendors. As the Board is aware, the North Carolina State Contract and GSA pricing are methods of cooperative purchasing that allow state and local government agencies to purchase many items such as furniture and telephone equipment through competitively bid contracts. These contracts take advantage of volume discounts much greater than a jurisdiction would experience by bidding individually. While the furnishings and phone systems for these facilities will be purchased through this type of pre-established contract, the total amounts will exceed the $20,000 signature authority of the Purchasing Director and therefore must be authorized by the Board. Should the Board choose to do so, approval of this action will authorize the Purchasing Director to complete the needed purchases without further Board action. The authorization does not include a new phone system for the Justice Facility. The Administrative Office of the Courts will purchase and install a Voice Over IP (VOIP) system to accommodate the Clerk of Court and other Court offices in the building. Since the County's CIP includes $850,000 in FY 2009-2010 CIP for replacement of the County's phone system, the Sheriff will continue to use his current phone system until that time. 2 Further, staff is exploring options for providing phone service to the Central Orange Senior Center that may not require the expenditure of new funds. For example, the County may be able to reuse a portion of the existing phone system from Emergency Services (the New Hope Road location) and forgo the need to purchase a new system for the Senior Center. The signature increase authorization is requested in the event an alternative cannot be identified and additional phone service must be installed when the new Center opens. The current Center is served by only three extensions fed from the main County switch in downtown Hillsborough. Limited phone service and features would limit the effectiveness of the new Center's operations. Phone systems for both Solid Waste Operations Center and the Animal Services Facility will be unaffected by the County's new phone system since all Chapel Hill operations are fed through a Bell South Centrex system. FINANCIAL IMPACT: A summary of the expected expenditures and the respective funding sources is listed below. Current capital project appropriations are sufficient to accommodate furniture and telephone systems for each of the Animal Services Facility, Central Orange Senior Center and Justice Facility Projects. The FY 2008-2009 Solid Waste approved budget included sufficient funding for the purchase of furniture and a telephone system. Facili Furniture Tele hone Fundin Source Animal Services Facility $ 50,000 $30,000 Capital Project Account Central Orange Senior Center $ 50,000 $25,000 Capital Project Account Justice Facilities Expansion $100,000 n/a Capital Project Account Solid Waste Operations Center $ 50,000 $40,000 Solid Waste O eratin Bud et RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board authorize the Purchasing Director to effect the purchase of furniture and telephone equipment as may be needed for the Animal Services Facility, Central Orange Senior Center, Justice Facilities Expansion and the Solid Waste Operations Center through State Contract and/or GSA vendors; and authorize the Purchasing Director to execute the needed paperwork.