Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Radio License topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hortonville council weighs county offer to obtain new FCC frequency after license found in town’s name
Summary
Council members discussed a discovered FCC public-safety radio license that appeared in the town’s name though Smith County has been using it; county offered to obtain a new digital frequency pair for the town (quoted cost $875) while equipment setup was estimated at about $12,000; council asked staff to obtain exact costs and return next month.
HORTONVILLE — Council members spent the bulk of the meeting discussing an FCC public-safety radio license that was found to be listed in the town’s name while Smith County has apparently been using it.
A council member reported the license, linked to a repeater on Turkey Creek, had been renewed in the county’s name and raised concerns about the town’s name remaining on a license for equipment outside town control. The county offered options, including returning the existing license (which would require county reprogramming of radios) or retaining it and obtaining a new digital frequency pair on the town’s behalf at an estimated cost of $875.
The council discussed practical implications: if the town accepts a new frequency it would typically have one year from grant to put equipment into service. Council members estimated equipment and installation to be roughly $12,000 (council members and staff described this as a preliminary estimate that could be higher or lower). Members also noted per-unit reprogramming costs cited in the discussion (around $75 per radio) and that the county’s system involves many radios, creating potential larger downstream costs for reprogramming.
The council did not take a final vote at the meeting. Instead, members asked staff and the vice mayor to obtain more precise information — including final cost estimates for equipment, reprogramming, and whether grant funds could offset expenses — and to return with options at the next council meeting. The presiding official asked staff to add the item to the council’s old-business list and report back.
Representative quotes from the meeting included the presenting council member saying, “there’s an FCC license for a repeater that’s not in our — that’s in our name. It likely shouldn’t be,” and staff noting the county had offered “a new digital frequency pair on behalf [of the town]” for about $875. Council members repeatedly emphasized they needed full cost details before deciding whether to accept the county’s offer.
Why it matters: a town-held license can create legal or operational obligations and, if the town were to implement a local system, would require equipment and maintenance funding. Council members said they want to clarify whether the town should accept a county-offered license and who would bear future equipment costs.
What comes next: council directed staff to investigate licensing details, obtain full cost estimates (equipment and per-radio reprogramming), and report back at the council’s next meeting; the item was to be placed on the old-business agenda for follow-up.
