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Daniels County advances public‑safety upgrades, approves equipment purchases and reviews tower/radio work
Summary
Commissioners approved purchases for sheriff vehicle equipment, a tablet for solid‑waste staff and a resolution creating a public safety commission; staff and Motorola contractors discussed radios, tower siting and siren options while T‑Mobile outlined network coverage and first‑responder features.
Daniels County commissioners on Oct. 20 approved several purchases for public safety operations and heard multi‑agency updates on radio, tower and siren projects.
Motions approved by voice vote included purchase of mounting and citation equipment for sheriff vehicles, an Android tablet and case for the solid‑waste office, and adoption of Resolution 202513 to establish a public safety commission. Commissioners also authorized a staff signature on a vendor invoice for the motor‑vehicle junk program so the county can draw program funds.
On technical matters, county staff and contractor Brian (working with Motorola) briefed the board on an in‑progress console project, handheld and mobile radio programming, and a planned on‑site cutover. Brian said installing and programming sheriff mobile radios was ‘‘the top priority’’ and recommended sequencing work to complete radios first, then address siren installation and other moves. Technical staff reported the concrete footings placed for a new tower may prevent microwave 'last‑mile' links; an engineer advised that the current footing location makes microwave connectivity unlikely and that fiber would be the more reliable backhaul option.
The board discussed options including moving the footing, retaining existing fiber agreements (staff repeatedly cautioned not to ‘‘break that deal’’ with Nemont) and using a wooden pole as an interim mount for a new siren to avoid costly rework of the tower foundation. Commissioners emphasized caution about spending additional money to relocate a footing before completing more technical checks.
Separately, T‑Mobile representatives on the same call described recent tower builds in Montana and new products — including a satellite fallback (T‑Satellite) for text and map functions in areas without coverage and a "T Priority" network slice that can prioritize first responders. T‑Mobile offered a free bill review and a field demo to compare coverage; commissioners said they value keeping services local and would consider an independent comparison when timing made sense.
The board recessed for lunch and planned to resume the meeting in the afternoon; no final policy vote on tower siting was taken during this session.
