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Howard County approves $171,600 E911 console refresh and contracts tower generator maintenance
Summary
The Howard County commissioners approved replacement of Zetron dispatch consoles with a five‑year service contract totaling about $171,559 and a separate $2,220 maintenance agreement for tower generators to keep dispatch and 911 infrastructure operational during outages.
Howard County commissioners approved an emergency communications upgrade and related maintenance on dispatch infrastructure during their meeting.
The county approved purchase and a five‑year service contract for Zetron dispatch consoles, which the sheriff said is a routine replacement. “We need to purchase a refresh of the Zetron consoles and a 5 year service contract for dispatch,” the sheriff told the board, and the commissioners voted to approve the purchase. The sheriff gave the total cost as $171,558.92 and said the work and service contract will be paid from an E911 equipment line (12‑22, line item 32160) in E911 funds.
Separately, the county approved a maintenance agreement with Evapar for generator upkeep at county communications towers so radios and dispatch systems will operate during power outages. Commissioner Stonestreet described the Evapar agreement as “just an agreement between Howard County and Evapar to do their maintenance on the generators at the towers,” and said he preferred professionals to handle in‑depth generator work for 911 sites. The maintenance contract cost was presented as $2,220; commissioners voted to approve the agreement and authorized county signature.
Why it matters: the approvals fund hardware and ongoing service that support the county’s E911 dispatch capability. County staff said the Zetron consoles are on roughly a five‑year replacement cycle and that the E911 equipment line will cover the purchase. The generator maintenance contract was presented as a short, professional maintenance arrangement for critical 911 infrastructure.
Details and procedure: the sheriff said the Zetron refresh includes hardware and a five‑year service contract; the quoted total was $171,558.92 and the payment source identified was the E911 equipment line. Commissioners made and seconded the motion to approve both items; each vote was recorded as “all in favor.” The Evapar maintenance contract requires a single county signature, which the board authorized. No public remonstrance or legal conditions were recorded during these agenda items.
Next steps: the county will proceed with procurement and signature steps to implement the console replacement and the generator maintenance contract. The sheriff said the service contract will last five years, after which the county expects another refresh.
