Richland County radio system delayed by site-acquisition and carrier sign-offs; partial service possible

Richland County officials were told the county’s nine-site public safety radio upgrade is running behind schedule because of unresolved site acquisitions and delays from the commercial carrier involved, US Cellular, though parts of the system may be usable before final completion.

County staff gave the update during the board’s meeting, saying the county has three problem sites — Quarry Road, Richland Center and Boas — where agreements or regulatory steps are not yet finalized. The presenter said one landowner who had negotiated with the county for the Quarry Road site later withdrew, and the Richland Center and Boas sites remain dependent on US Cellular’s contract and approvals.

The delay has put the radio vendor and parts of the civil work into a partial hold. County staff said tower foundations have been poured at several sites, generators were delivered last week and shelters are under construction, but work at sites lacking signed agreements cannot proceed. The county’s civil contractor is working where allowed and has an internal schedule, which staff said they will share with supervisors on request.

“Site acquisition is normally something that we’re already past at this point,” a county staff member said, adding the schedule likely would have been months sooner if agreements had been in place in July or August.

Mike Windle, the city and county attorney, described an additional complicating factor at Richland Center: the physical tower is owned by US Cellular while the ground under it is city-owned, and US Cellular has sought to tie renegotiation of a lease to other county agreements. Windle said the county has attempted to press US Cellular for signatures but has seen slow responses from the carrier.

County staff said the project’s radio vendor is ready with equipment but is awaiting FCC licensing steps for one site and release from civil work. The presenter estimated the system could start to come online in pieces and gave an optimistic earliest full-completion estimate of June or July, but noted that partial functionality could be used earlier once enough sites are active.

Staff also discussed project finances: the county currently holds contingency funds for the program but cautioned that the contingency should not be reduced until the outstanding sites are secured. The presenter said building a new site from scratch could cost roughly $400,000 or more and that the board should avoid reallocating contingency until site control is resolved.

Supervisors asked for an updated civil-work schedule; staff agreed to provide the contractor’s working Excel schedule. Supervisors also requested continued pressure on US Cellular to finalize contract paperwork.

County staff said they will continue to push for signatures and regulatory clearances and will report back with an updated timeline and the civil contractor’s schedule.