06-14-1999 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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To; From: Date: Subject: Ron Moorse, City Administrator Lin Vee, City Clerk April 19, 1999 r^uiiuiu Request for Purchase of Replacement Microfiche Reader/Printer Background The maintenance agreement has expired on our Bell & Howell, Compact 4000 microfiche reader/printer and we must determine if it should be renewed. It was purchased in January of 1988 for $2,917.00, with a projected use of 10 years. Our maintenance contract is $389.00 per year for emergency service only. The prints produced from the machine have been of very poor quality in the last few years. Some of this may be attributed to poor quality in the original microfiche image. The service technician has indicated that replacing a number of parts on our existing machine will produce a better print, but was unable to guarantee that the prints would be "as good as a new machine". Until the parts are actually ordered and installed, there would be no way to determine that replacing the parts would solve the current problem of poor print quality. Although document imaging and computerized filing is the direction that the City will be moving towards in records management, it will be several years before a system is in place and microfiche files converted to computerized images. Our existing machine is 10 years old. It would be reasonable to expect a new machine to provide at least 10 years of service, while replacing parts on our existing machine would be less predictable. Replacement Machine Last December Rick Verio of Bell & Howell demonstrated an ABR-2000 Bond Reader/Printer in our oflBce. The ABR-2000 is similar to our existing machine and produced significantly better prints when compared to the same print on our existing machine. Attached are sample documents to show the difference in print quality. Exhibit A is fi'om our existing machine; Exhibit B is from the ABR- 2000. Cost Comparison Attached are quotes from two companies. Bell & Howell and Document Management Solutions. Since Bell & Howell holds the government contract, their price is significantly less than Document Management Solutions for a comparable machine. A new machine is estimated to save 3 '/a - 4 cents per copy because of improved technology. The plain paper, dry toner printing process requires fewer supplies and produces higher quality prints. Following is a summary of estimated costs. Replacement parts for our existing machine $ 800.00 Bell & Howell-ABR-2000 Bond Reader/Printer $2,913.00 Document Management Solutions-Alos Z40 Reader/Printer $4,095.00