The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 13 moved forward on a multi-part plan to upgrade the county's 9-1-1 communications system with Motorola, setting a Jan. 13 public hearing on a $16 million budget amendment and approving a related fund transfer.

Becky Linehan, the county's finance and tax officer, told the board the amendment would add hardware and software for the Motorola 9-1-1 project in fiscal year 2025–26 and proposed a public hearing for Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. The board voted to set that public hearing. "I propose that we have that public hearing on 01/13 at 10AM," Linehan said.

The board also approved Resolution No. 74-2025 to transfer $10,250,000 from the general fund to the capital projects fund for use on the 9-1-1 project. Linehan said the transfer would support the Motorola work. The clerk conducted a roll-call and recorded the motion as carried.

County chief financial officer Mitch Kai described Change Order No. 1 with Motorola as a $0 net change order that shifts insurance responsibility for equipment in storage to the vendor and splits a previously large shipment payment into two milestone payments (30% on shipment and the remaining 30% upon receipt). "Basically, all it's doing is ... Motorola is going to ensure our equipment while it's in storage," Kai said. The board approved the change order by voice vote.

Why it matters: the combined actions (public hearing, fund transfer and revised contract terms) signal the board's intent to move forward on a sizable, countywide public-safety infrastructure project that requires both financing and contract-level adjustments. The Jan. 13 hearing will be the next formal public opportunity for comment.

The board approved the motions and carried the measures at the Dec. 13 meeting. The public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13 at 10 a.m., and additional procurement steps will follow if the budget amendment is adopted.