Columbia County commissioners approved a slate of routine items by voice vote, including a memorandum of agreement for the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), authorization to begin negotiations on a communications tower RFQ, appointments to the Value Adjustment Board and an appropriation from federal forfeiture funds for law-enforcement equipment.

Staff explained the IPAWS memorandum of agreement integrates the county's Alert Columbia notifications (operated on the Everbridge platform) with the federal IPAWS system so residents receive emergency alerts on cell phones and other devices. A motion to approve the agreement passed by voice vote.

On RFQ 2025L for the Suwannee Valley Communications Tower, staff said seven firms responded and two failed to meet requirements; the county recommended starting negotiations with top-ranked firm Omnicom Communications. The board approved the ranking and authorization to negotiate.

The clerk’s office requested appointments to the Value Adjustment Board; the board approved adding Tom Autumn and Kevin Parnell (Commissioner, District 1) to the panel.

Finally, staff presented a request to appropriate $43,120 from the Federal Forfeiture Fund for the sheriff’s use to buy SWAT helmets and to replace a vehicle for the Drug Task Force. The board approved the appropriation by voice vote.

Votes were recorded by voice; the transcript did not include member-by-member roll-call tallies for these items.