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Commissioners approve change order for unified dispatch communications and tap ARPA investment interest to cover costs
Summary
After the Texas Historical Commission limited tower height, Erath County approved a change order with L3 Harris to add equipment for the unified dispatch project and designated ARPA investment interest to help fund the added cost; commissioners also approved a single UPS installation to reduce overall expense.
Erath County commissioners voted to accept a change order with L3 Harris to complete the county's unified dispatch communications project after staff said the Texas Historical Commission's height restriction required retaining older tower equipment at the sheriff's office and installing new equipment on the new tower.
County staff told the court the change order reflects additional equipment and installation work that was not in the original contract because the sheriff's office tower cannot be dismantled or repurposed as planned. During discussion staff provided two figures that were cited in the meeting record: one speaker identified the additional cost as about $294,000, while another commenter referenced a figure of $225,000 in the context of what the Historical Commission's restriction meant for sightlines.
To pay for the change order without drawing on the general fund, commissioners approved designating ARPA non-program investment interest to the communication project. County finance staff reported the ARPA investment income balance in discussion and said the county had earned several hundred thousand dollars of interest on ARPA funds that can be applied to project costs.
The court also approved purchasing and installing a single building UPS (battery backup) for the unified dispatch center to consolidate backup systems and save costs; county staff said the consolidated approach reduces duplication and would save roughly $20,000 compared with leaving the item in the L3 change order.
County officials noted the Historical Commission's height restriction (cited as a factor limiting tower height to 175 feet in the courthouse skyline) as the primary driver of the additional equipment need. After extended discussion, the court approved the L3 Harris change order, the ARPA investment-interest allocation to the project, and the UPS purchase.
Commissioners and staff said further update items and final accounting will return to the court as the project finishes. No litigation or alternative contractor options were raised during the meeting record.
