Board approves expansion of regional interoperable public‑safety radio system
Loading...
Summary
The King and Queen County Board unanimously approved an ordinance and amended Memorandum of Agreement to expand the Middle Peninsula/Northern Neck Regional Radio System, adding Mathews, Northumberland and Lancaster counties and establishing governance and funding roles with King and Queen as fiscal agent.
Chairman R. F. Bailey Jr. and the King and Queen County Board of Supervisors on July 10 unanimously approved an ordinance and an amended and restated Memorandum of Agreement to expand the Middle Peninsula/Northern Neck Regional Radio System.
County Administrator Vivian Seay told the board the hearing had been properly noticed in the Tidewater Review and Rappahannock Times on June 28, 2023, with a courtesy notice in the Country Courier. She said she and the county’s Emergency Services Coordinator had worked with legal counsel for neighboring counties to finalize the agreement language. No public comments were offered during the hearing.
The amended agreement adds Mathews, Northumberland and Lancaster as participating counties and describes the System’s technical components (UHF trunked infrastructure, an 800 MHz interoperability overlay, network controllers, supporting hardware and FCC licenses). The MOA sets governance via a Policy Team composed of two voting representatives appointed by each participating county, creates a System Manager role and local radio services agents for day-to-day operations, and allows for contractual subscribers such as towns to join under set fees.
Under the agreement, King and Queen County will serve as fiscal agent and maintain an enterprise fund to receive and disburse joint services bills, initial fees and annual participation fees. The MOA requires unanimous Policy Team approval to admit new participating counties and ties major system enhancements to Policy Team approval and funding allocations. The agreement also includes termination provisions requiring one year’s notice and responsibility for costs associated with withdrawal.
The board voted to adopt the ordinance making the MOA effective immediately. The ordinance references Virginia Code §§ 15.2‑1300 and 15.2‑1300.1 as enabling authorities for interlocal cooperation.
The board did not record any public opposition or requests for amendment during the hearing. The next steps are for the county administrator to execute the MOA and coordinate implementation with the System Manager and Policy Team.