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Council approves $43,491 for probation officer handheld radio replacements
Summary
Allen County Council approved $43,490.96 to purchase four handheld radios for probation officers, funded through probation user fees rather than county general funds; officials said older radios are no longer supported by the vendor and unit lifespans are expected to be seven to ten years.
The Allen County Council approved an appropriation of $43,490.96 from the probation fund to purchase four handheld radios for probation officers, the county’s chief probation officer said.
Eric Zimmerman, chief probation officer, told the council some of the department’s radios are aging and no longer supported by the vendor. "We went and got an estimate from the same, on the same bid spec as the sheriff received. We're looking to buy 4 radios," Zimmerman said, requesting $43,490.96 and adding that the purchases will be paid from probation user fees rather than county general funds.
Council members asked whether the vendor would hold current prices into next year and whether it made sense to buy more units now to avoid price increases; Zimmerman said he would check pricing and, if necessary, return to council to request additional purchases. Zimmerman estimated the radios' useful lifespan at seven to ten years and said the department currently collects probation user fees under statutory ranges and is at the maximum allowable fees.
A motion to appropriate $43,490.96 for equipment from the probation fund passed on a voice vote recorded as "Passes 5 0 2."
