County phones, network get $1/2 million upgrade

BY STACI WILSON

More upgrades are underway at the county courthouse complex. A new telephone system and the purchase and installation of computer network infrastructure come with over a half million dollar price tag.

Commissioner Michael Giangrieco said he had needed to be convinced the new systems cost “this much” but he added, the courthouse had not been rewired in the past 25 years.

The commissioners approved the purchase of a phone system for courthouse, county office building, the magisterial court office in Montrose and the Chenango Street building for $96,383, to be paid out of the county’s general funds, as will the cost of a five-year maintenance agreement for the phone system at about $85,000.

The purchase of cabling and fiber wiring for the network infrastructure at a cost of nearly $229,000 will be paid with Act 13 funds. Also coming out of the county’s impact fee monies will be the installation of that wiring at a cost of nearly $227,000.

Commissioner Alan Hall said that although the expenditures were considerable, the county expects to realize about $35,000 in savings on its telephone bill. “It will pay for itself in seven years,” he said.

Mike McGrady of MCM Consulting has been working with the county for the past several months on the phone system and networking project.

The commissioners are also moving forward to protect the courthouse against future lightning strikes.

In late August, a lightning strike disabled the communications center while a flash flood event was occurring. The same strike is also believed to have taken out the courthouse telephone service.

ACE Lightning Protection Inc., of Pittsburgh, was approved for the design and review of a lightning protection package for the courthouse.

The commissioners also approved the construction of a retaining wall to extend the level area on the northwest side of the parking lot located in the rear of the parking lot. The new generator and chiller will be placed in that area. The work will be completed by Ken Rauch Excavation of Montrose at a cost of $14,000.

There is also work to be done on the courthouse façade.

The commissioners opened the one bid it received for the repair to the columns on the front of the courthouse. The bid for the work came in at $117,500.

Giangrieco said the capitals on the columns were rotted out.

The bid will be turned over to the county engineering firm to review to make sure it meets all of the work specifications.

Three Weil-McLain 68 boilers will be sold, as is. Bids are due in the chief clerk’s office at 4 p.m. on Oct. 7. The bids will be opened for review at the Oct. 8 commissioners’ meeting.

The boilers will be replaced with natural gas units.

The Tax Claim Bureau was exonerated from collecting delinquent taxes on a Lenox Twp. property. The trailer that had been located in Homily Trailer Park was deleted by the Assessment office as demolished in August 2013. Total amount of 2012 and 2013 delinquent taxes to be exonerated is $345.56.

The commissioners approved placing $2 million in a six-month certificate of deposit, dated Sept. 25, at Peoples’ Security Bank & Trust at an interest rate of .8 percent.

Audience member Vera Scroggins quipped, “Why not put it under a mattress?” referring to the interest rate.