County managers outline $20M emergency communications upgrade; radio work flagged as near-term need

St. Croix County's emergency communications manager presented a multi‑year plan to strengthen radio coverage, interoperability and security across the county, saying the county needs increased capacity and better building penetration for first responders.

"We're asking for an investment of $6,000,000 in our radio infrastructure for emergency communications for routine maintenance," Terry Anderson said, summarizing near‑term maintenance and replacement needs. Administrator Ken framed the overall communications line in the capital list at $20,000,000.

Terry described specific needs—additional towers (Hammond lease expires in 2030), NEPA and permitting timelines, replacement of aging antennas and base stations, and a program to increase recorded talk paths so events and trainings can be reviewed after incidents. He said municipalities that rely on the county infrastructure will need time and financial planning to migrate radios or acquire dual‑band equipment.

Supervisors asked about municipal costs and interoperability with Minnesota and state WISCOM systems; Terry said the county will provide surveys, vendor RFP structure and a multiyear purchasing window so small departments can plan and pursue grants. The board expressed unanimous support in a straw poll to proceed with planning for the communications project.

Next steps: staff will continue coverage studies, begin permitting work for the Hammond site if authorized, and send a follow‑up survey to municipal partners to assess radio models and counts.