Josephine County to assess aging sheriff radio system; board approves restored marine funding and OEM grant

Sheriff Dave Daniel told the Josephine County Board of County Commissioners on April 2 that the county’s radio communications system has experienced intermittent outages, static and degraded links between deputies and dispatch, creating potential public-safety risks, particularly in winter conditions. The board voted 3–0 to authorize a contractor assessment of the system.

The assessment approved by the board will be performed by Day Wireless Systems and, according to the county presentation, includes mountaintop site inspections, equipment-condition evaluations, collection of performance data and development of preliminary cost estimates and timelines for upgrades. Matt Weinberger, senior sales representative with Day Wireless Systems, told the board much of the county’s equipment is 15 to 20 years old and no longer supported by manufacturers, and that mountaintop repeater and backhaul equipment contribute to inconsistent coverage.

The board’s roll-call motion to contract for the Day Wireless survey passed unanimously. The transcript lists the approved cost as “$29,5000.00”; meeting materials and subsequent staff follow-up should be consulted for the county’s official contract amount. The assessment is intended to provide accurate performance data county leaders said they need to plan short-term fixes and long-term infrastructure upgrades while maintaining county control over communications assets.

At the same meeting Sheriff Daniel also presented Amendment No. 1 to an intergovernmental cooperative agreement with the Oregon State Marine Board, describing that earlier in the year a contractual dispute between the Marine Board and the U.S. Coast Guard had reduced funding for the county’s marine patrol program but was since resolved. He said the amendment reinstates approximately one-third of previously reduced funding for the marine deputy position. The transcript records the amendment amount variably: a header lists $149,527.00 while the motion text references a range of $105,000.00–$149,527.00; the board approved the amendment 3–0.

The board also approved an Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) Performance Grant agreement for $80,661 to support emergency management operations and coordination. Commissioner Gary Richardson moved to approve the OEM grant and Commissioner Colene Martin seconded; the vote was 3–0.

What happens next: county staff said the Day Wireless assessment will identify specific coverage gaps and options for short- and long-term fixes. The board’s approvals allow staff to pursue the assessment and accept the reinstated marine and OEM funds; staff will return with implementation details and any contract documents for formal execution.