Agenda - 02-03-1998 - 9g - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda Item No. ~ ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 3, 1998 SUBJECT: Authorization to Purchase Phone System for Southern Human Services Center DEPARTMENT: PURCHASING AND Public Hearing: No CENTRAL SERVICES Budget Amendment Reqd? No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: None PAM JONES, ext. 2650 Telephone Number- Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 967-9251 Mebane 227-2031 Durham 688-7331 PURPOSE: To consider authorizing the Purchasing Director to purchase a phone system to support the departments at the new Southern Human Services Center. BACKGROUND: The Southern Human Services Center was completed and officially transferred to the County effective January 29, 1998. The Chapel Hill offices of the Department of Social Services, Health Department clinics, Housing and Community Development, Child Support Enforcement and the satellite Sheriff s office will be located in this building. These departments have heretofore addressed phone needs in a variety of ways. Housing and Community Development and the Sheriff satellite ofi:tce have used standard direct dial business phone lines; DSS and Health have both had direct dial phone lines through the Southem Bell central office's ESSEX system. The ESSEX system is billed on a per fine basis. Heretofore, each worker has had a separate line through the ESSEX system. With the upcoming deregulation of telephone service and the subsequent increase in line charge, it behooves us to minimize the number of lines coming into the facility. In addition, both DSS and Health currently route all calls through a central answering location, so operationally the additional lines to individual desks would have been ineffective. The cost benefit analysis of installing additional ESSEX lines to accommodate the additional personnel in the new building or using limited ESSEX lines and routing them through an on-site key system showed the key system to be the better long term