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Commissioners table $500K microwave-link quote after fire chief raises technical concerns
Summary
The board tabled a $500,025.31 quoted replacement of a failed microwave link between a county site and Chelsea to allow technical staff to work with Harris Technologies and confirm specifications; Catoosa Fire Chief Dina Smithon warned internet-based backups have latency and overload issues.
The Rogers County Board of County Commissioners voted to table a quote to remove and replace a failed microwave communications link between a Rogers County tower and Chelsea so technical staff can vet the proposal and coordinate with the county's technical lead.
Dina Smithon, fire chief for Catoosa, spoke to the board about the county's communications configuration. Smithon said a temporary internet-based backup was in place but has "latency problems, overload problems" and is suitable only as a stopgap. She said the Harris Technologies quote seeks to restore a primary, dedicated microwave path to the county core, which would avoid internet routing and the latency issues the backup experiences. "This secures that system to where it goes right to the core and it's not going through the internet, doesn't have latency problems or packet problems and stuff like that," she said.
Staff and commissioners indicated they want their technical lead (John) to work with Harris and the proposed installer to clarify implementation details before proceeding. The board voted to table the item for one week to obtain the requested technical review.
Why it matters: The microwave link carries critical public-safety communications between county dispatch/PSAP infrastructure and neighboring tower sites; restoring a primary, dedicated link could reduce delays and reliability problems that affect first responders.
What happened in the meeting: - Item introduced as a quote (listed in the agenda as for $500,025.31) to remove and replace a failed microwave link between Rogers County University and Chelsea. - Dina Smithon, Catoosa fire chief, explained the temporary internet-based backup and recommended further coordination; she did not recommend approval without John’s input. - Board motioned and voted to table the quote for one week so John can confer with the vendor and provide technical input.
Sources and provenance: Dina Smithon's testimony and the motion to table are recorded in the meeting transcript during the agenda item on the Harris Technologies quote.
