Botetourt County supervisors voted Dec. 29 to approve a change order for the county’s long‑running emergency radio upgrade, choosing an option that links the county system with Virginia State Police frequencies while keeping the backup dispatch center on a more basic console.

The board’s action follows public comment both urging caution and urging swift approval. Rachel Hager of Wertz said the technical specifications in engineering documents look similar to the infrastructure used for data centers — citing fiber counts, redundant loops and substation power upgrades — and asked the county to publish full technical specs, list any state or federal grants tied to the project and hold a public workshop before further bids or change orders. "We're assuming permanent debt for an asset that private tenants could later lease for a fraction of our cost," Hager said.

Why it matters: Officials and citizens framed the decision as weighing public‑safety benefits against long‑term financial and regional infrastructure questions. Supporters, including longtime volunteer firefighter and Buckhannon vice mayor James Mancefile, said the aging radio system is at the end of its useful life and that the upgrade is critical for firefighters, EMS, law enforcement and school buses. "Communications is lifeblood for our fire rescue and law enforcement," Mancefile said.

Project details and board rationale: Emergency Communications Systems Manager Matt Henkel outlined four change‑order options and stressed schedule urgency: coverage testing must be completed by Sept. 30 (otherwise testing cannot resume until May 2027), and executing by year‑end could realize roughly $650,000 in savings. Henkel described the chosen configuration (Option 3) as essentially the base infrastructure with a $435,000 item to add Virginia State Police frequencies; he said those funds are identified in the county's FY26 CIP and would not be a net new budget ask.

Henkel told the board the contract does not include building new fiber for third‑party use: most backhaul will be microwave links, with one preexisting leased fiber pair between Purgatory and Boxley. "There is no — this particular contract has no — we're not building any fiber," Henkel said. He also said there are no federal or state grants being used for the radio buildout at this time, and that funding would come from a mix of reserve funds and tax‑exempt bonds.

On interoperability and coverage: The system is a split configuration (VHF for the north; 700 MHz for the south) and would be interoperable with neighboring jurisdictions (Rockbridge, Allegheny, Craig, Bedford and Roanoke). Henkel explained that adding the Virginia State Police interface would allow troopers and county users to roam transparently across the seven‑tower network and would materially improve coverage in an identified trouble area around Arcadia.

Concerns and responses: Freda Cathcart, a director on the Blue Ridge Soil and Water Conservation District, urged the board to pause and examine potential water impacts of large data‑center projects — she cited studies suggesting multi‑million‑gallon‑per‑day draws in some cases — and to consider emerging, lower‑water data‑center technologies before committing to infrastructure that could affect regional water supplies. Henkel responded that the radio project’s power additions are modest (sites already have service capacities he characterized as similar to residential 400‑amp services) and reiterated the build includes no substantial new power plant‑level infrastructure.

Board deliberation and vote: Supervisors discussed the tradeoffs between Options 3 and 4 (Option 4 would have upgraded backup consoles). Several members said they preferred the redundancy of Option 4 but agreed Option 3 met immediate coverage and interoperability needs and could be upgraded in a later budget year. The board accepted a motion to approve Option 3; a roll call was taken and the chair announced, "That motion carries." Supervisor Clinton, participating electronically, was recorded voting yes.

What happens next: The county will proceed under the Option 3 specifications, which include the Virginia State Police interface and the AVTEC backup dispatch consoles. Henkel cautioned that delaying the backup console upgrade to a later year is possible but could add mobilization costs and price increases. The board adjourned with no further business.

Notes on sourcing and limits: The transcript records statements by speakers at the meeting; where the transcript did not provide a full roll‑call tally, the article reports the board's announced outcome and the participation and recorded vote of the remote supervisor. Technical and budget figures are those presented to the board by county staff during the meeting; where jurisdictional grants or detailed contractual clauses were requested by public commenters but not produced in the meeting, the transcript records those requests rather than board responses.