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Zion council authorizes Starcom radio purchase for consolidated dispatch
Summary
The Zion City Council approved purchase of Starcom radios for the fire department to consolidate dispatch, with the city covering the initial invoice and seeking reimbursement from the joint agency JetSpeed; the cost recorded by the council was $341,551.33 (transcript shows minor numeric inconsistencies).
The Zion City Council on Aug. 20 approved an ordinance authorizing the purchase of Starcom radios and related equipment for the fire department to consolidate dispatch onto a single statewide bandwidth.
Council members were told the radios are needed so the city's fire and police communications operate on the same frequency and that the upgrade would improve coordination and response times. Mayor (unnamed) said the city would pay the initial invoice and then submit the cost to JetSpeed, a joint agency funded by the emergency surcharge tax, for full reimbursement.
During the presentation the council stated the total purchase cost as $341,551.33; the transcript contains variations in how that number was read aloud, which are noted in meeting records. The mayor also said he had asked department heads to be present but allowed them to take the night off given the single substantive agenda item.
Commissioner Dow moved to approve the ordinance; Commissioner Quireson seconded. Roll call returned five 'Aye' votes and the measure carried. The council did not record any ‘No’ votes or abstentions in the meeting record.
The ordinance authorizes the city to purchase and pay the invoice up front and then seek reimbursement from JetSpeed. The council did not adopt additional appropriation language on the record; staff indicated the purchase had already been approved as part of JetSpeed’s budget and that the city’s payment would be reimbursed.
Next steps: staff will complete the purchase and file the reimbursement request with JetSpeed. The meeting record does not show a timeline for reimbursement or any contingency if JetSpeed were to withhold funds.
