At the December Crawford County Commission meeting, Tim Meiker of Crawford County Communications asked commissioners for authorization to solicit bids for a radio console to be installed at the City of Pittsburg dispatch center.

Meiker described the procurement as part of a multi‑year effort to improve interoperability between county and city radio systems and provided a project estimate of $132,001.79. He said staff recommends a lease‑purchase approach and asked the commission to authorize seeking bids from local banks. Commissioners discussed possible funding approaches, noting 911 reserves that staff described verbally as roughly $180,000–$200,000, and considered financing options to preserve reserves while proceeding with the purchase.

Commissioners asked staff to go out for bids and return with detailed proposals once bids are received; the commission recorded an authorization and a second. Commissioners and staff discussed possible repayment terms referenced informally as three to four years during the discussion and said final repayment schedules will depend on bids and lease terms.

What’s next: Staff will solicit bids from local banks, gather financing terms, and return to the commission with specific proposals once the solicitation closes.