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Staff propose $19M radio-infrastructure upgrade; Hammond tower lease forces timeline
Summary
Emergency communications staff recommended a multi-year radio upgrade to add channels, replace aging base stations and consoles, and build two towers; presenters said the Hammond tower lease expires in 2030, creating an urgent scheduling constraint for the work.
Emergency communications staff and consultants presented a proposal to modernize the county's radio infrastructure, estimate costs between $15.5 million and $19 million, and add tactical channels, improved digital coverage and increased security and encryption. Presenters said the county added tower sites since 2017, multiple base stations are approaching end of life, and the Hammond tower lease expires in 2030, which drives a tight procurement and construction timeline if the board wants to avoid service disruptions.
The emergency communications representative (introduced earlier as Terry Anderson) walked the board through technical options, interoperability concerns with neighboring Minnesota and Wisconsin systems, and the potential to give municipalities a reduced procurement option for radios. "It's approximately $750,000 back in 2024 to add 1 VHF channel," the presenter said when discussing channel scarcity and costs, and staff summarized that stackable tower and equipment price increases have pushed the total upgrade estimate higher than earlier planning figures. The project is currently included in the KIPP and would be considered alongside the jail expansion in bond planning.
