Polk County plans tower replacement, school radio amplifiers with Raycom to shore up public‑safety coverage

Polk County supervisors heard a presentation from Raycom and the sheriff’s office describing plans to replace an aging radio tower and install bi‑directional amplifiers (BDAs) in school buildings that have school resource officers.

The sheriff told the board the county’s radio dispatch serves roughly 28 agencies and that the county has invested in a multi‑site radio system that now includes about 11 towers. Mike Miller, a Raycom representative, said the county has about 1,500 radios and that the system handles large call volumes — figures the presentation summarized as about 142,586 administrative calls with roughly 61,775 of those emergency calls; radios on the network average many push‑to‑talks per month, Miller said.

Miller described coverage, interoperability and cost as the principal reasons jurisdictions choose the county’s system. He said the system provides guaranteed coverage for indoor and outdoor portable radios and noted interoperability with neighboring jurisdictions and the statewide system for mutual aid. He also said the Raycom solution has historically cost less than alternatives in some procurements.

On building coverage, Miller explained that modern school and hospital construction can create “dead zones” for radio signals and that BDAs — equipment that amplifies signals inside structures — are a common remedy. The board discussed a list of roughly 18 school buildings targeted for BDAs; Miller said a per‑building estimate averaged about $60,000 in the county’s estimate. County staff said $1,000,000 to fund BDAs was already appropriated in the budget.

On the tower, Miller and county staff said the existing primary tower is structurally unsafe and likely about 50 years old; replacements and related site work are expected to cost up to $2.2 million. County staff said about $1,800,000 in 911 surcharge funds has been set aside to cover the county’s share and that the project would draw from the 911 fund so long as state action does not reallocate those surcharges. The sheriff and staff raised a concern that a state bill introduced this session could alter distribution of 911 surcharge revenue and reduce local amounts.

County staff said legal review of the Raycom amendment and related documents has been completed and that a resolution and memo are ready for board consideration at the next meeting. A project timeline presented to the board showed construction and work slated for completion in 2025–26. Supervisors asked questions about scope, which communities would benefit (Ankeny, Altoona, Pleasant Hill, Johnston, Polk City, and others were named), and about the potential for revenue from future tower co‑tenants such as cellular carriers. Raycom said the new tower would also add capacity and provide a redundant path to other regional sites, improving resilience.

Supervisors thanked Raycom and county staff for bringing a solution; staff said they will return with the resolution and contract milestones on the next agenda for formal action.