Commission approves sheriff's tower upgrade estimate and new 911 vehicle markings; signage vote splits 2-1

Neosho County commissioners on Jan. 13 approved an estimate to upgrade antenna and repeater equipment on a sheriff's communications tower and approved vehicle markings for county 911 vehicles — the latter measure passed on a 2-1 vote.

Laurie (Emergency Management/communications staff) presented estimate No. 1056448612 from Uplink to perform a tower climb and replace antennas, heliacs and a repeater on a sheriff-owned tower. The commission voted to approve the estimate and to pay $7,687.20 from the equipment reserve account to fund the work. Laurie said some towers are owned by third parties, requiring coordination and insurance documentation before climbing; she estimated the work would likely be scheduled in warmer months.

Separately, staff presented a vehicle-marking estimate and proposed a unified county logo for emergency vehicles. Commissioners voted to approve the signage estimate for new Neosho County 911 vehicles; the motion passed with two votes in favor and one opposed. The meeting record shows the vote count as "2 to 1." The transcript did not provide a clean dollar amount in its recording of the signage estimate; staff said the cost would be paid from 911 funds.

Commissioners discussed keeping vehicle and department logos consistent so the public can readily identify vehicles. Laurie said the department had previously paid for other equipment from the equipment reserve and would coordinate with tower owners and suppliers on scheduling and permits.

The approved tower work is intended to modernize radio communications; Laurie said the county had a new repeater ready and planned to replace connectors, climb hardware and associated components. Commissioners asked staff to confirm ownership permissions and to provide insurance documentation to tower owners before work begins.

The signage approval included instruction to complete the order and fund it from the 911 account. The motion passed despite at least one commissioner expressing concern about design or cost.

No formal legal agreement for the tower work was included in the meeting packet; staff will return with documentation and scheduling details when the vendor is ready to proceed.

Quotes attributed in the meeting include Laurie's presentation of the vendor estimate and a brief comment from a commissioner that "it's still a lot of money, I'm not underestimating that" while acknowledging the scope of the tower climb work.