The Municipality of Meaford will be moving to a new, upgraded phone system after a power outage on the evening of Tuesday, May 11th caused technical issues that can't be repaired.

The current Municipal phone system, which has been in place for over 15 years, uses technology whose parts and support are no longer readily available. The Municipality has been working towards the necessary server and internet upgrades in order to replace and modernize the phone system. Last week's power surge caused a system break that has disabled the transferring of calls to direct extensions, or providing voicemail boxes for staff.

"We are working through our emergency purchasing process to buy a new phone system that can get us up-and-running again" said Bradey Carbert, Manager of Assets and IT. "We don't have a timeline yet of when we may have full service again, but we appreciate everyone's patience as we work to upgrade our telecommunication services."

In the meantime, customer service staff are answering incoming calls to 519-538-1060 during business hours to respond to and direct inquiries, with after-hours and emergency service available by calling 1-888-525-7024. Inquiries can also be made through the Municipal website at http://www.meaford.ca/reportaconcern.

source: media release, Municipality of Meaford