Ancram board to solicit bids to replace 23-year-old phone system and upgrade building locks

Town staff and board members reviewed an initial, out-of-date quote for replacing the town hall phone system and discussed moving from physical keys to key-fob or keypad access. The supervisor said the existing system is roughly 23 years old and experiencing voicemail failures and phantom calls; the town's current phone bill was cited at approximately $900 per month.

The board asked staff to solicit additional quotes, explore state-approved vendors, and include the upgrades in next year’s budget. The supervisor said a facilities contact from the county would visit to assess the town hall and that the town may coordinate procurement through New York State contracts. "Any technology that's 23 years old needs to be replaced," one member said; staff will return with cost comparisons and procurement options.