Officials outline $5.8 million plan for three new Coffey County radio towers, warn of ongoing replacement costs

Coffey County emergency management and law enforcement officials presented plans for a county-owned radio simulcast system and three new radio towers designed to improve handheld coverage in rural areas and inside some buildings.

Amber Russell, the county's emergency manager, and Sgt. Scott Farmer of the Coffey County Sheriff's Office described the multi-site system being procured through Motorola and explained the near-term payments and long-term costs.

Why it matters: County officials said current coverage leaves gaps in towns such as LeRoy, Gridley and Levo and that better coverage is critical for firefighters, EMS and deputies. The plan calls for the county to own three towers and a fiber-linked simulcast system so first responders have redundant coverage across most of the county.

Project and timeline: Farmer said the total purchase is about $5.8 million. The county has paid $1.4 million at contract signing. The project will add a 300-foot tower near LeRoy, a 200-foot tower north of Gridley (placed on higher ground so it can be shorter), and a tower near the Levo lagoon. Sites were chosen to maximize line-of-sight and access to fiber optic lines.

Farmer said Motorola has promised about 95% mobile coverage outdoors for handheld radios once the system is installed, and he said the county will pursue additional in-building solutions where necessary (for example, bidirectional amplifiers at Wolf Creek nuclear plant and other hardened facilities).

Costs and budget implications: Farmer described the payment schedule the county faces: an initial quarter payment already made ($1.4 million), a next large payment estimated in roughly 14 months (about $3.5 million), and later smaller payments tied to installation completion and final acceptance. He also warned of recurring costs once the towers are operating: routine inspections, utilities, generator maintenance, insurance, and other operating expenses. He said the county has budgeted capital improvement funds to cover the purchase and is also setting aside money for future radio replacements.

Replacement cycle and future radio purchases: Farmer noted that radio infrastructure and radios have multi-year replacement cycles and that agencies will need to budget for periodic large radio purchases. He told commissioners that car and mobile radios are typically replaced on roughly eight-year cycles and that handhelds can cost several thousand dollars each; he said Coffey County is budgeting in the capital improvement plan to smooth future replacement costs.

Ownership and potential revenue: Commissioners were told the county will own the towers and could lease space to outside companies; officials said private firms would need to demonstrate no radio-frequency interference and meet structural requirements. Officials also described the radio program's governance, including a county radio committee made up of representatives from agencies that use the system.

Next steps: Officials said leases and site engineering must be completed before tower construction begins. Commissioners were asked to continue oversight of the capital plan and reserves; officials said they will return with detailed lease and engineering agreements as the project proceeds.