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County reviews proposed AT&T tower at jail, P25 rollout updates and maintenance agreements for 911 system
Summary
Staff reported a proposal from City Switch/AT&T to place a tower at the jail with no cost to the county (a $2,000 upfront payment and $1,000 monthly rent), progress on P25 radio tower sites and 911 center equipment installations, a request for road-department herbicide support at a P25 site, and a request to renew the Motorola maintenance service
Makeisha, covering for Trey from the 911 center, told commissioners a private provider, City Switch, has approached the county to install a tower at the jail for AT&T service. "City Switch is wanting to install a tower at the jail for AT and T, and, it'd be no cost to the county. It'd be 2,000 upfront, a thousand dollars a month rental, and we would also have a spot on that for future P25 connections," Makeisha said.
On the countywide P25 radio system, Makeisha reported both tower sites are complete, work is underway with Central Alabama Electric to provide power at the water treatment plant site, propane setups are in place, and equipment is staged at both sites for installation over the next month. "Equipment inside the 911 center will be installed in the next 2 weeks. And then once they've reprogrammed all the radios, they'll begin testing that," Makeisha said.
Makeisha also said Trey requested assistance from the road department to spray herbicide at a P25 tower site to clear access and prevent vegetation from damaging infrastructure. Commission staff discussed procedure for such requests and reimbursement arrangements: commissioners noted the county needs an agreement in place and that the road department typically requires an e-mail request and reimbursement for services.
The 911 team also asked the commission to approve renewal of a Motorola maintenance service agreement and asked the chairman to sign when the contract is ready.
Why it matters: The tower proposal could provide rental revenue to the county and space for future public-safety equipment connections; the P25 rollout moves the county toward an updated interoperable radio system; vegetation control and maintenance agreements affect long-term reliability of that infrastructure.
Discussion and next steps: Commissioners asked about tower height and details the vendor will provide at the next meeting. Makeisha said more technical answers and specific tower parameters will be available for formal consideration at the next session. The road department and 911 staff will coordinate on the herbicide request and any necessary written agreement or reimbursement procedure. The Motorola maintenance service agreement will be placed on the consent/regular agenda for formal action.
