The Garden City Telegram
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County likes seven-year option on radio system
Published 11/20/2008 in News
By STEPHANIE FARLEY
While Finney County commissioners, like the governing bodies of the Garden City Commission and Holcomb City Council, still are working out the details of a switch to the state's 800-MHz radio system, county commissioners have determined their preference in financing the change.
On Wednesday, during the commission's regular meeting, which had been rescheduled because of the Kansas Association of Counties annual conference and exhibition this past weekend in Wichita, commissioners again discussed the upcoming radio switch that will change the county's radios to an 800-MHz system.
The switch for all entities in the county, including the Garden City fire and police departments, Finney County Sheriff's Office, Holcomb police and fire departments, Finney County Emergency Medical Services and others, comes at an estimated $2.3 million cost. That includes dispatch equipment, fixed stations and infrastructure, systems integration, mobile and portable radios, dispatch recording equipment, contingency funds and an early system purchase discount.
The year end balance of the E-911 Fund -- generated by a .75-cent per month phone tax on land lines -- is estimated to be $957,600.
A $900,000 down payment from the phone tax would cover everything but about $140,000 of the basic equipment and infrastructure, including recording equipment but excluding radio purchases.
The remaining share of debt service among the entities is planned to be covered by a lease -- either five, seven or 10 years. On Monday, county commissioners stated they'd prefer the seven-year lease, with a yearly payment of $263,725 for all the entities, including Garden City Community College, Garden City, Finney County, Holcomb and Garfield and Pierceville townships.
The estimated life of the new radios has been given at 10 to 12 years, and commissioners, as well as County Administrator Pete Olson, stated they'd rather not still be paying on a 10-year lease as the radios near the end of their lifespan. The seven-year lease means a smaller payment and still some life on the radios after the lease is completed.
The entities have been discussing the radio upgrade recently because of a Dec. 20 deadline for a decision as to how the entities will move forward with Motorola with the upgrade. In meeting the deadline, the entities would receive the purchase discount.
Olson said he'd relay the commission's preference to the other entities. If there's a general agreement, then the entities can move forward, he said.
Olson and commissioners returned this week from the Kansas Association of Counties' annual conference, saying the KAC approved its 2009 legislative policy, which includes favoring expanded use of E-911 funding.
Expansion of the funding, Olson said, would mean it could be used for projects such as the upgrade to the 800-MHz system.
The cell phone portion of the tax currently is allowed to only assist dispatch centers in obtaining and improving equipment capable of producing the location of cell phone callers using 911 emergency services.
On the Web:
Finney County Commission: http://www.finneycounty.org/commission.asp
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