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County updates radio‑tower plans and dispatch radio upgrades; Meadowbrook cost reduced, testing continues
Summary
Officials reported progress on Sawyer County radio infrastructure: ad hoc committee is working with TGB and WOJB for tower access, structural tests are underway, and Gencom reduced Meadowbrook electrical service costs to under 40,000 as county absorbs contingency; communications director reported radio console purchases funded by a 2024 grant and submitted 2025 NextGen 901 reimbursements.
County staff and the ad hoc radio committee updated the Sawyer County Public Safety Committee on radio infrastructure and communications upgrades.
Mike said the committee continues biweekly meetings, is working with the TGB to secure access to the WOJB tower, and has begun testing structural loads and ice‑load requirements to determine whether to retrofit the existing tower (built in 1979) or replace it. He said the committee has a backup plan if replacement is chosen and emphasized that either option will take time.
"We were able to work with Gencom to get that additional cost down to under 40,000," Mike said, referring to the Meadowbrook Tower electrical service cost; he added the county can handle the contingency without taking additional action. (The meeting transcript reports the figure as "under 40,000"; the currency unit is not specified in the transcript.)
Separately, the communications director reported dispatch and jail radio consoles purchased with a 2024 grant will be installed soon, two part‑time dispatchers have been hired and are in training, NextGen 901 reimbursement submissions for 2025 have been made, and the office tested weather and wildfire tools (Baron Threat Net trial, Pano360 wildfire cameras) to supplement real‑time alerting.
Committee members asked no formal vote on tower options at this meeting and kept the radio tower item on future agendas for follow up.
