Sherman County approves $102,326 Motorola radio purchase, advances broader 800‑MHz encryption and dispatch upgrades

Sherman County commissioners voted Feb. 10 to buy Motorola radios for the sheriff's office and cleared a set of additional dispatch upgrades intended to improve 911 communications and data handling.

The board approved a $102,326.16 purchase of Motorola equipment for the sheriff's department “to replace the whole system,” the county said during the meeting. Commissioners also approved a motion allowing the purchase of several remaining items from last year’s carryover funds — including a HASP license key (a hardware license token), a replacement CAD (computer‑aided dispatch) server and an NCIC traffic interface — contingent on confirmation from the county auditor that budget authority exists.

Why it matters: county staff said the upgrades will let emergency services operate two dispatch sites more reliably, avoid manual transfer of a hardware license between sites, and speed routine checks of vehicle and driver records during traffic stops. County speakers also noted a federal requirement to migrate law‑enforcement radios to AES encryption, which staff said is needed to protect sensitive information transmitted over radio channels.

What was approved and planned - Motorola radios: The board unanimously approved purchasing Motorola radios at $102,326.16 for the sheriff’s department. The package includes handheld units to outfit patrol vehicles and replace aging equipment. - Carryover hardware and software: County staff presented a list of remaining carryover spending (about $41,000 available). Items highlighted as priorities were a HASP license key (described as the single hardware “brains” that allows both sites to run without physically moving it), a CAD server replacement (staff said the county replaces the server about every five years), spare radio batteries and an NCIC traffic interface to streamline checks of license plates and driver records. - Auditor check: Commissioners added an explicit condition that purchases proceed only after the county auditor confirms sufficient budget authority.

Staff details and rationale Chrissy, the presenter for the dispatch upgrade item, told commissioners the HASP currently needs to be physically moved between the main and backup dispatch sites, which is “unnerving” during an emergency. She said the HASP replacement being proposed was used/discounted from typical new prices and would reduce the need for manual hardware swapping.

A county radio technician, Vance, and staff described efforts to integrate out‑of‑county mutual aid channels (including a Kit Carson channel) so field responders can reach neighboring counties without complex patching. Staff also said encryption to AES standards was driven by federal requirements to secure transmissions and limit public access via scanner apps.

Staff noted the NCIC interface used by Highway Patrol automates a sequence that dispatchers currently perform by switching screens and copying results into CAD; installing the interface should reduce errors and improve efficiency.

Budget and procurement notes Commissioners were told the HASP hardware can cost about $20,000 new, and staff had located used units at a substantially lower price. The CAD server replacement was priced at about $19,092 in the materials presented. Commissioners asked whether the CAD replacement needed to be bid; staff said procurement was “very close” and that the replacement must meet Windows‑server specifications and host multiple virtual servers.

Next steps Purchases will proceed after confirmation from the auditor that sufficient carryover budget authority exists. Staff also said they will work with Motorola and local technicians on warranty and implementation details. The board approved the Motorola purchase and the motion adding the auditor condition passed unanimously.