Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council OKs radio MOU with county, authorizes tower lease to upgrade public-safety radios
Summary
Cumberland approved a memorandum of understanding with Cumberland County to co-locate radio equipment at Eagle's Nest and authorized a lease with Litchfield Tower Company for related facilities; councilors discussed an $800/month first-year fee and DEP and tower permitting in follow-up.
The council voted unanimously to authorize the town manager to execute a memorandum of understanding with Cumberland County to co-locate and share radio communications equipment at the Eagle's Nest site. Town manager Matt Sturgis described the arrangement as part of a multi-step public-safety radio upgrade; Chief Ramsey said the shared equipment would include antennas, combiners and batteries and improve coverage across Cumberland’s valleys and gaps.
Vice Chair Thorson asked about costs in the MOU — "It talks about, $800 a month for the first year, and then annually, it'll increase by 3%" — and Sturgis said the fee aligns with the county's leasing arrangements and represents the town's portion of the site costs. The council also unanimously authorized a related tower lease with Litchfield Tower Company for a building at 18 Eagle's Nest Road to house equipment. Chief Ramsey said the new equipment will reduce onsite technician visits and allow remote diagnostics and frequency management during incidents.
