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Motorola apologizes for delays; Bedford County sites nearly complete, generators set for summer
Summary
Motorola Solutions told the Bedford County Public Safety Committee that the county’s Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN) build is about 99% complete for the originally contracted sites, apologized for missed deadlines and outlined a summer timetable for additional generator installations and UPS equipment.
Kate Sowell, program director for Motorola Solutions, told the Bedford County Public Safety Committee that the vendor failed to complete integration on schedule but has repositioned staff and resources and expects the originally contracted sites to be online imminently.
Sowell said the original Phase 1 contract — sold to Bedford County about two-and-a-half years earlier for roughly $5 million — covered six sites (Gills Chapel, Lynch Hill, Rippie Ridge, Union Site, Eagleville and Hawthorne Hills). "I am embarrassed to be standing in front of you today, and I do want to be able to acknowledge specifically to the mayor that Motorola did fail to complete their integration in a timely fashion," she said.
Sowell outlined site-status details: Gills Chapel and Lynch Hill are complete; Rippie Ridge is 99% complete with civil and technical work closed; Union Site and Eagleville have civil and technical work closed (Eagleville will not receive a county-funded generator); Hawthorne Hills had lines, antennas and equipment installed and was scheduled for microwave installation and testing the week of 04/21, with an expectation that the site would be "on air" before April. She said a second phase of work will add backup power at several sites and additional equipment requested by the county.
For Phase 2, Sowell said Hawthorne Hills will receive a Generac-supplied generator and an automatic transfer switch (16-week lead time, expected delivery in early July) and that Hawthorne Hills will also receive UPS equipment. Rippie Ridge and Union Site will get a generator and automatic transfer switch but not UPS, because existing infrastructure at those locations makes UPS unnecessary. Civil crews will install generator pads at those sites.
Sowell also said the state TACN program has provided cost relief to Bedford County in the form of a reimbursement that has already been coordinated with the mayor and local finance staff. She acknowledged previous project management failures at Motorola and said she took over the account; when asked when Motorola recognized the problems, she said it was "truth be told" when she stepped in and that previous project staff were no longer with the company.
Sowell described short-term measures taken to accelerate completion, including reassigning equipment from other states and working closely with civil contractors and local officials. She said Motorola will notify the mayor and county project managers when the Hawthorne Hills link is on air.
No formal vote or county directive was recorded on the Motorola presentation during the committee meeting; the item was an informational update and timeline report from Motorola Solutions.
