Chippewa County dispatch board reviews failing CAD, pager funding shortfalls and Sugar Island tower repairs
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Summary
The Chippewa County Central Dispatch board discussed a failing CAD system and stalled funding for a new CAD, a shortage of pagers with only $9,000 available, a generator outage during installation and a cracked Sugar Island tower slab estimated at $7,000; routine agenda and expenditures were approved.
Board Chair Greg Postma opened the June 24 meeting of the Chippewa County Central Dispatch Board to review persistent technology and funding problems affecting regional dispatch operations.
Postma said the UP 911 Authority group met earlier in the day about replacing the center’s aging computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. He reported funding remains unresolved, that Tyler is the vendor of choice for the regional CAD project, and that the group is exploring a payment plan if the state does not provide full funding. Staff hope for an answer from Tyler and the legislature in two to three weeks.
The board heard that the current CAD supplied by Central Square has been “dying” with daily issues that are affecting call-taking and dispatching. Empiric support has been increased to address ticket backlogs, but members described ongoing reliability problems and said long-term replacement planning is urgent.
Members discussed recent infrastructure incidents that underscored resilience gaps. During a generator cutover the center experienced a full outage; staff reported a UPS unit likely failed after an ice storm and power surges, which contributed to the problem. The board approved a phased UPS upgrade plan: install a new UPS in the equipment room this year to provide roughly 45–50 minutes of runtime and defer wiring upgrades to next year’s budget.
Separately, staff reported a server purchase scheduled to complete at 0600 the following day; the new server is installed and migration will begin from the old system, with CAD mobile testing planned for five to six months and cost estimates expected at week’s end.
Pager coverage and alerting also drew significant discussion. The minutes state funding for the pager project stalled after a grant sunset, leaving only $9,000 available and an estimated need of about 200 pagers to cover the county. Staff said they have applied for additional grants, are pursuing other funding options, and may reach out to partners such as Interlake Steamship Company for potential spill-response support. Board members also discussed a proposal to add a tone before priority dispatch pager alerts for major life-threatening events; staff will draft a policy for agency approval before implementing the change.
Board members reviewed a vendor dispute tied to an OES tower VHF installation. The minutes record that Elcom allegedly ordered three radios instead of four and that radios intended for Chippewa County were given to Smithers and Baraga County; staff said they will take the issue to upper management if not resolved within a month.
The board discussed the MPSCS Sugar Island tower, where staff reported a cracked cement base and estimated a one-time fix cost of $7,000. The board’s recommendation was to defer the slab repair to next year’s budget and instead order backup radios this year.
On finance matters, County Administrator Kelly Church moved to approve the expenditures and revenue reports; Sheriff Mike Bitnar supported the motion and the motion passed. The minutes record an earlier motion by Sheriff Bitnar, supported by Dan Wilcox, to approve the meeting agenda; that vote was unanimous. Mike Bitnar later moved to adjourn, supported by Sault Ste Marie Police Chief Wes Bierling, and the meeting ended at 1602.
The board set its next meeting for Aug. 26, 2025, at 1600 at the Sault Ste Marie City Police Department.