Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Benzie County OKs VPN and radio purchases as central-dispatch director prepares to leave
Summary
The board approved Secure Access VPN licenses for first responders and two radio purchases for Central Dispatch; Cory Ellis announced he will leave the dispatch director role May 31, 2026.
Benzie County commissioners approved several items related to public-safety communications during the May 12 meeting.
Unfinished-business action approved a Secure Access VPN license purchase (Dell) not to exceed $5,702.62 to provide secure remote access for law enforcement and first responders. Motion by Commissioner Len Mathieu, seconded by Commissioner Tim Markey, passed unanimously; County officials said partial reimbursement from local fire agencies is expected starting in fiscal 2027.
The board also authorized a purchase described as a "radio in a box" from Grand Traverse Mobile Communications not to exceed $9,993.88 (motion by Tim Markey, seconded by Christina Trigg). That vote passed with one dissent (Commissioner Gary Sauer). A separate purchase of a mobile radio for the communications van, not to exceed $7,543.88, passed on a 4–3 roll-call vote (Ayes: Markey, Mathieu, Roelofs, Trigg; Nays: Jeannot, Nye, Sauer).
Cory Ellis, Central Dispatch Director, presented the dispatch quarterly report and informed the board his last day with Benzie County will be May 31, 2026. County staff said funds for the radio purchases are in the Central Dispatch fund and that the purchases are intended to support field and mobile communications capacity.
Votes, purchase amounts and funding sources were recorded on the meeting roll calls; no procurement protests or appeals were raised in the meeting.
