Committee approves $3.7 million Motorola radio purchase; members debate using RTA funds
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Summary
The committee voted to forward a $3.7 million Motorola radio purchase to the full board after staff explained the product and multi-year service costs; members raised concerns about using RTA sales-tax dollars and noted potential ETSB reimbursements.
The McHenry County Transportation Committee voted to forward a proposed Motorola radio system purchase and its funding plan to the county board after extended questioning about product life, service terms and where the money will come from.
Sandra, who presented the request on behalf of county telecommunications and public-safety stakeholders, described a multi-year program that began in 2015 to modernize dispatch and field radios. She said the vendor quote lists about $3.1 million for product and that the total package, including subscription or service elements, is approximately $3.7 million. "My understanding is the quote is all inclusive. It's 3,100,000.0 for product, and then the years of a subscription are included in the 3.7," Sandra said.
Board members split technical questions from financing. Staff said radios already in use have been failing more frequently and that product life is expected at least seven years; some subscription and service costs continue after initial purchase. The county intends to piggyback the purchase on a state contract for favorable pricing and to pursue reimbursements to offset costs. Sandra said the Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB) and recent 911 surcharge changes may allow the county to recover a portion of law-enforcement radio costs and ongoing maintenance.
Funding dispute: several board members voiced unease about using Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) sales-tax dollars—funds typically reserved for transportation projects—to help pay for what some characterized as a countywide public-safety capital expense. One member said using RTA funds "is a big hit to our capacity to make capital improvements," while others said capital reserves and recent federal grants provided flexibility. Staff acknowledged the trade-offs and said partial reimbursement from ETSB is expected after claims are submitted.
The committee recorded a motion on item 5.1 to forward the radio purchase and selected funding approach to the full board; the motion carried on committee roll-call vote.
What’s next: the motion sends the $3.7 million purchase and funding plan to the county board for final approval. Staff said they will submit reimbursement requests to ETSB where eligible and will return to the board if state contract renegotiation or other changes alter long-term costs.
