PORT ANGELES — The city of Port Angeles will spend more than $100,000 for a new sound and recording system in City Council chambers and a portable system to be used in a conference room.

Council members unanimously approved the expenditure of $100,726 after a discussion about options Tuesday night.

The current sound system is more than 20 years old. Failures are frequent, and recordings can be difficult to understand, said Yvonne Ziomkowski, city finance director.

One of the city’s recording systems still uses a cassette tape player.

Life expectancy over

“It’s beyond its life expectancy,” Ziomkowski said.

Underscoring the need for a new microphone, recording and conferencing system, at Tuesday’s meeting, the telephone conference system partially failed during a discussion with state Department of Ecology representatives.

“In the conference room, we need a bigger can and a longer piece of string,” Councilman Max Mania said.

The council was given three options:

■ Council room only, for $91,207.57.

■ Council room and downstairs conference room, for an additional $9,519.75.

■ Council and downstairs conference room, plus an upstairs small conference room, for an additional $2,925.27.

All members of the council agreed the chambers needed to have a new sound system.

However, they disagreed on what additional areas, if any, should also be upgraded.

“It makes sense to me to get it all done,” Deputy Mayor Don Perry said.

“My focus is on the chamber,” Councilman Brad Collins said.

“I’d like to stay at $91,000,” he added.

The council compromised and voted unanimously for systems in the council room and the downstairs conference room.

They rejected upgrades in the small upstairs conference room.

The system is expected to be installed in time for the first September council meeting.

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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.