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Bourbon County earmarks ARPA dollars for radio towers to improve first-responder coverage
Summary
Commission staff said American Rescue Plan Act funds are set aside to install towers and repeaters in the county’s northwest to improve EMS and sheriff radio coverage; presenters acknowledged full county coverage is unlikely without additional towers.
During the budget work session speakers explained that ARPA funds have been designated for radio tower and repeater work in the northwest of Bourbon County to address longstanding gaps in first-responder radio coverage. "We have no radio service out there," one speaker said, describing repeaters shared by EMS and the sheriff and plans to consolidate or relocate purchased towers to improve coverage around Tomahawk and Bourbon Allen Lake.
Staff described a plan to use a larger tower at Tomahawk, relocate an existing purchased tower to Bourbon Allen and add a new repeater on County Road 250 to improve reach. They cautioned that, even after these installations, complete countywide coverage is unlikely without additional towers. The presenters said the ARPA allocation for tower installation is already set aside and that previous procurement/purchases left towers in Road and Bridge inventory pending contractor availability to build them.
Commissioners asked for confirmation of coverage gains and how the installations would affect EMS and sheriff radio channels; staff said the work would substantially improve local connectivity in targeted areas though precise coverage percentages were not provided in the session. No formal procurement action or vote occurred during the work session; staff said the ARPA funds are earmarked and will be spent according to the project schedule.
