By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

In a brief meeting Monday, the Ellis County Commission approved a renegotiated contract with Nex-Tech for phones at county buildings.

According to County IT Director Mike Leiker, the county has used Nex-Tech’s phone system for two and a half years and the contract is up at the end of 2017.

Leiker said under the new contract, the county will get all-new equipment at a lower monthly rate. Under the proposal, the county will get new desktop phones and new routers and switchers. According to Leiker, the new phones offer better sound and performance.

The contract approved Monday is for 60 months. The county will pay $4,611 per month for the cloud phone system and $488 a month for the traditional phone system.

In other business, Commissioners Dean Haselhorst and Marcy McClelland, County Attorney Tom Drees, Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes met in an executive session with Attorney David Cascio to discuss ongoing litigation. No action was taken.