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Midway council considers radios versus phone push-to-talk app for public works
Summary
Public works requested $10,000 for radios; council suggested pilot testing push-to-talk phone apps and one shared on-call phone rather than full radio rollout. Staff to include findings in budget work.
Midway City Council discussed a public works request for $10,000 in the upcoming budget to provide radios comparable to county emergency services equipment.
Staff reported current public-works communication costs include about $2,000 per year for city-provided phones and $6,500 per year in reimbursements to 10 public-works employees (about $25 per pay period), for a subtotal near $8,425. The radio subscription option was described as roughly $10,000 per year in recurring fees, with radios maintained/replaced by the vendor.
Councilmembers discussed trade-offs. Several members noted radios provide push-to-talk group coverage and interoperable channels with emergency services, but smartphones with push-to-talk apps can mimic many of those features at much lower cost; council asked staff to pilot a push-to-talk app for about four weeks to see if it meets operational needs. Members also suggested maintaining limited on-call phones (e.g., one flip phone rotated among staff) if needed for callouts.
One councilmember recommended keeping at least one base radio at City Hall if a radio system is later adopted. The council asked staff to include replacement/maintenance planning for IT and communications in budget materials. No formal purchasing motion took place; the council directed staff to test phone-app options and return budget-ready numbers for the tentative 2026 budget.
