Motorola Solutions and partner Ancom presented a proposed countywide radio and mobile‑video package to the Barron County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 20 that vendors said would modernize patrol radios, body‑worn cameras, in‑car video and evidence‑management systems and preserve interoperability with Wisconsin’s statewide systems.

The presentation said the fully bundled package — radios (Apex Next), a combined remote speaker/video microphone (SVX), Motorola V700 body cameras and M500 in‑car video systems plus an unlimited cloud evidence library — would be financed with a vendor buy‑down that vendors described as a 2.49% interest rate. Presenters gave a financed total “about $1,700,000” after the buy‑down and said the financing structure would require board acceptance by a mid‑December deadline to secure the rate. County staff later brought a separate motion to appropriate $3,000 for a legal opinion on constructing a general obligation note tied to the proposed lease payments; the motion passed.

Why it matters: county officials and presenters framed the package as both a safety and operational investment. The radios would operate on current WISCOM (VHF), the county’s existing Tait system and future WISCOM‑2, vendors said, and the mobile‑video systems include features intended to speed evidence redaction and improve situational awareness for dispatch and officers in the field.

What vendors told the board: Chad Olszewski, identified as Motorola account executive for the region, described hardware features the company highlighted: a metal endoskeleton for durability, multi‑band capability (VHF/700/800 and optional UHF), LTE/Wi‑Fi as fallback to address indoor dead spots, improved audio processing, “smart locate” mapping and remote programming. Bill Pritchard (described as Motorola mobile video manager) and Sid Sanaki (Ancom Communications) participated in the presentation and fielded technical questions.

The SVX device combines a remote speaker microphone and a body camera, vendors said, reducing the number of items an officer must carry while preserving audio and low‑light video capture. The V700 body camera and M500 in‑car system were shown and described as rugged, with removable batteries and dual‑resolution recording. Vendors said the evidence library and AI‑assisted redaction/transcription would cut evidence‑processing time from hours or days to minutes in many cases.

Costs and ongoing fees presented: vendors provided detailed cost elements during the presentation. Key figures presented to the board included:
- An initial financed amount cited at roughly $1,582,622.40 and a total estimated cost after financing of about $1,700,000. Vendors said Motorola had agreed to buy down the interest rate to 2.49% if the county accepted the offer by the deadline discussed at the meeting.
- The financing was described as a five‑year finance arrangement with the first payment deferred until 2026, effectively a six‑year cash schedule. A first‑year payment shown on a slide was $340,556.45.
- Ongoing smart‑applications costs were estimated at roughly $400–$450 per radio per year starting in year six for four smart services; evidence library and central services were shown as an estimated $85,855 (presenters labeled this an estimate).
- Presenters stated an installation cost for squad cars performed by Ancom; in the presentation that figure was given as $7,070,000 (as stated on the slides shown to the board).

Questions from supervisors and staff: board members asked about dead spots inside buildings, the ability to use Wi‑Fi/LTE as an alternative to towers, encryption and whether the system could translate short spoken phrases in other languages. Vendors said encryption would secure radio traffic and that the radios could be configured to use private Wi‑Fi or LTE to reduce coverage gaps. Staff and deputies said the AI‑assisted redaction tools could save many hours of work in the records/evidence office, though one deputy said redaction times vary widely depending on the recording. The sheriff’s office and vendors also discussed spare batteries, battery life estimates (about eight to ten hours depending on conditions) and the practicalities of replacing aging single‑band radios.

County finance and next steps: county staff presented budget context slides that showed how a Motorola payment could be covered in the short term from fund balance and then levied beginning in 2027 if the board chose to proceed. County staff asked the board to appropriate $3,000 to Quarles & Brady to prepare a legal opinion that would allow staff to construct a general obligation note to underlie the lease payments; Supervisor Marv Thompson moved the $3,000 appropriation and Supervisor Randy Cook seconded. The motion passed 27 yes, 2 absent (the board was told the legal opinion would help confirm the lease payments as county general obligation debt and exempt from levy limits). The board discussion included a request to reserve a possible special meeting on Monday, Dec. 8 to consider the full Motorola package if the legal opinion and final documents can be completed in time.

What the board voted on at the meeting: the $3,000 appropriation for the legal opinion was approved by the required supermajority (27 yes, 2 absent). No final purchase or financing authorization for the Motorola package was made on Oct. 20; staff told the board a future vote would be required.

Supporting voices and presenters: the record of the Oct. 20 meeting shows supervisors and sheriff’s office staff engaged in technical follow‑up; multiple supervisors voiced support for improved communications and video capabilities while asking for clarification on costs and long‑term maintenance.

Looking ahead: staff advised the board that if the board wants to secure the interest buy‑down offered by the vendor, a decision would need to be reached before the vendor’s stated December deadline. County staff also said the legal opinion and documentation would be required before returning the matter to the full board for a final decision.