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Motorola shows coverage maps; commissioners press for clear requirements before approving up to four new towers
Summary
Motorola representatives presented 700 MHz coverage models and scenarios showing four additional tower sites could improve countywide public-safety coverage. Commissioners questioned why additional towers were proposed before the 700 MHz system is operational and asked staff for consultant reports and clearer design requirements.
Motorola representatives briefed the Parker County Commissioners Court on Aug. 25 about the county’s radio upgrade and the potential to add additional tower sites.
Casey Moore of Motorola told the court that coverage maps used in the 700 MHz design are model-driven and contractually testable. “Those maps are very accurate ... we contractually obligated to pass an on-the-street test,” Moore said, adding the maps show scenarios for adding sites once the initial five sites are online.
Commissioners asked why Motorola and the county consultant are suggesting up to four additional towers — at an estimated capital cost discussed as being under $8 million for four sites — when the 700 MHz system was not yet fully turned on countywide. One commissioner said the court had previously been told improvements would be sufficient for the near future after a prior $9 million investment, and asked whether the county’s consultant or the committee had identified new growth-driven requirements.
Motorola and county committee members replied that the proposed additional sites were a forward-looking, strategic scenario driven by population and development projections. Motorola offered to run additional no-charge mapping scenarios for growth areas and to meet with a technical committee to produce specific designs based on explicit county requirements.
The court directed staff to have the project team provide a status update and to bring more detailed consultant findings and coverage requirements back to the court before making funding decisions. Commissioners emphasized the need to know which items must be funded in the current fiscal year versus which can be scheduled later, and requested that any potential tower construction be budgeted with clear phasing and cost detail.
Next steps: Motorola offered to meet with the county committee to refine requirements and to provide coverage scenarios. The court asked for a project-team update at the next budget cleanup meeting so the commissioners can decide what to fund in FY26.
