Knott County fiscal court approves Homeland Security grants for cameras and radio upgrades

Knott County Fiscal Court met by video on April 18, 2024, and approved two Homeland Security grant resolutions to fund surveillance cameras at county facilities and upgrades to the sheriff’s radio system, the presiding official said. The court also approved the minutes from its April 15 meeting and adjourned shortly after approving the measures.

The camera resolution, introduced as a Homeland Security surveillance-camera grant, would fund camera systems at the courthouse and potentially at senior centers and other county buildings. "We need to get adequate camera systems in all of our all of our county buildings," the meeting chair said when describing the intent to expand coverage beyond the courthouse.

The radio grant was presented as an update to the North County Sheriff's Office radio infrastructure after officials cited operational failures during an incident. The presiding official described a previous foot chase in which "his radios would not pick up, and it's puts him in a very dangerous situation," and said the grant would help modernize the countywide 911 and sheriff communications.

Both resolutions were moved and seconded during the meeting and were approved with the chair announcing, in each case, "Ayes have it." The camera grant motion was identified in the record as made by Calvin Walls and seconded by Ricky/Rick Thomas. The radio-grant motion was recorded as made by Brent Smith and seconded by Calvin Waddell (the transcript contains small name-variant inconsistencies for a second on later motions).

Attendees asked technical questions about frequency use and permitting. One participant asked whether adding radio frequencies for other departments, such as the road department, would require additional FCC authorization; staff were asked to follow up. The presiding official said he would "get Chad to check when we get off here," and participants also referenced an individual named Ethan as tracking updates.

Votes at a glance: - Approval of April 15, 2024 minutes — motion by Brent Smith; second by Ricky Thomas; outcome: approved (chair stated "Ayes have it"). - Homeland Security surveillance-camera grant resolution — motion recorded as by Calvin Walls; second by Ricky/Rick Thomas; outcome: approved. - Homeland Security radio-upgrade grant resolution for the sheriff’s office and countywide radio systems — motion recorded as by Brent Smith; second by Calvin Waddell; outcome: approved. - Motion to adjourn — motion by Ricky/Rick Thomas; second by Calvin Waddell/Calvin Wall; outcome: approved.

Next steps: staff were directed to check frequency permits and report back; no dates for grant application submission or implementation timelines were provided during the meeting. The court adjourned after routine closing remarks.

(Reporting based on the April 18, 2024 Knott County Fiscal Court Zoom meeting transcript.)