Reno County commissioners to weigh five-year copier lease costing more than current deal

Reno County commissioners on Wednesday, Sept. 23, will weigh a five-year copier lease with Access Systems estimated at $51,446 a year — about $6,556 more than the county now pays — or a one-year renewal instead. The recommendation from County Administrator Randy Partington is the first business item at the commission's 9 a.m. regular session in the Veterans Room of the Reno County Courthouse, 206 W. 1st Ave., Hutchinson. Access Systems bid $30,964.44 a year in lease costs and an estimated $51,446.26 including usage, against the $26,319.72 lease and $44,890.41 total the county pays current vendor 360 Document Solutions of Wichita, according to Partington's memo.

The memo states the county rebids copier and printer machines for all department locations every five years and received nine bids from eight companies; the bid summary shows proposals were due at 4 p.m. Sept. 14. The request for proposals was sized on estimated countywide volume of 964,236 black-and-white copies and 540,620 color copies a year, and the bid summary lists Access Systems' per-page charges at $0.0033 for black and white and $0.032 for color, against $0.003 and $0.029 under the current 360 contract, with toner included but staples billed at $74 for three 5,000-count cartridges.

The new bid also covers machines the current contract does not: "For the new 5 year bid, we do have 3 additional machines that were added," Partington's memo states. The memo does not break out how much of the higher annual cost comes from those three machines.

Staff laid out three options: authorize staff to negotiate and sign with Access Systems, table the item for further review, or extend the current agreement with 360 Document Solutions for a year and run the bidding process again in 2027.

The memo calls Access Systems the lowest bid received. But the bid summary lists 360's alternate proposal — keep the existing units and renew 12 months at $699.95 a month — at $8,876.04 in annual lease costs and $34,039.26 in total estimated annual cost, the lowest total on the sheet. The summary lists 38 machines for each proposal and does not say whether the renewal would cover the three added machines.

In its written clarifications, 360 said that if the county chooses another vendor, it will issue a return authorization and the existing equipment must be returned by the county or the new vendor.

On the consent agenda, Automotive Director Ron Brubaker is asking commissioners to declare two 2020 Ford Interceptor SUV Hybrid Sheriff's Office patrol units surplus for sale at auction and to authorize the county administrator to sign the titles. The two units, with 128,706 and 141,465 miles, went into service July 30 and Aug. 5, 2020, and "have been replaced one year later than scheduled due to budgetary requirements one year ago," Brubaker's memo states.

Their 2026 replacements are already in service, both are hybrids that do not meet the needs of any other county department, and sale proceeds return to the special equipment vehicle fund. The county reported in July that it saved $395,000 by buying a used landfill compactor rather than a new one.

The rest of the agenda includes a discussion of the McNew and Mills Road project, for which the packet contains no staff memo, scope or cost, and an executive session for confidential attorney-client consultation with the county counselor on litigation related to USDK Case No. 25-1293-EFM-BGS. Public comment on items not on the agenda is limited to five minutes per item. Routine business includes vouchers, monthly department reports and the financial report.

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