County reports progress on radio network and morgue project; well drilling faces extra costs and delays

County staff and the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office reported progress on the county radio project and on construction of a morgue and sheriff storage facility, and discussed recent well drilling work that has encountered technical and cost challenges.

Radio system: Mike Warden of the sheriff's office reported the county received a legislative appropriation of about $1,000,000 ("a million dollars, 985,000 after Department of Commerce took their 1%"), which the sheriff's office largely applied to subscriber radios and handheld devices and has closed out. Warden said the county expects to use congressional directed spending plus local dollars this summer and to begin site installs in the fall. He described a remaining funding gap on three sites in the northeast corner of the county that he expected would require financing (he cited a rough figure of about $2,500,000 that may need USDA financing) and said excluding large site‑build items leaves roughly $3.3 million including sales tax for other phases.

Morgue/sheriff storage: Warden said crews were pouring slabs in three sections and that, once cured, structural erection will proceed; staff are reviewing pay application 6 as part of consent agenda items.

Well drilling: county staff and contractors described an ongoing well‑drilling effort that encountered thin sand and silt layers and required additional attempts. Drilling and decommissioning costs were described as significant: county staff estimated drilling and decommissioning at approximately $25,000–$30,000 per hole in some circumstances and noted earlier bids for deeper wells near higher totals; one cumulative figure discussed in the meeting was "still less than $300,000" for the overall project to date but other numbers discussed suggested higher cost scenarios depending on depth and replacement work.

Why it matters: the radio system is critical countywide infrastructure for public safety communications; the morgue/storage project is a county capital build item moving above grade; the well drilling has direct cost implications for county water projects and may affect budgets for other infrastructure work.

Next steps: staff will continue to pursue congressional directed spending release, coordinate site build sequencing, and present financing options for the northeast sites (including USDA loan options). For well drilling, staff will continue to work with drillers on site selection and will return with refined cost estimates and schedule.