Commissioners select radios, talk roads, and discuss other business
Staff writer
County emergency responders will get Motorola 800 MHz radios at a cost of $234,060, but when the radios will arrive and how soon they’ll be in use is anybody’s guess.
Sheriff Rob Craft shared estimates from four radio companies with commissioners Monday. Motorola radios were the lowest price for 93 portable and 23 mobile radios for the sheriff’s office, emergency management, emergency medical service, dispatch, and health departments, plus configuration of the dispatch center. Additionally, Craft said, Motorola radios have paging capability the other radio systems don’t offer.
Craft said the county could apply for a USDA low-interest loan to help with the expense of the radios, but a public hearing must be scheduled as part of the application process.
AT&T won’t be able to do needed work on the dispatch center until December, Craft said.
Commissioners voted to approve the purchase, pending grant approval. A public hearing on the grant application will be April 10.
Road and bridge supervisor Jesse Hamm presented bids for cold mix used for road repair and signs from Nighthawk Rd. east to the county line.
Commissioners considered one sign bid incomplete and asked Hamm to find out more.
Hamm also brought Gary Jacks, of the Dustrol company, to talk about their process of recycling asphalt. The company might do well for 290th Rd., Hamm said.
Commissioners voted to hire Dustrol to resurface 11½ miles of Indigo Rd. from Hillsboro south to the county line at a cost of $591,000.
Commissioners also discussed hiring Schilling Construction to resurface 330th Rd., but declined to make a decision until commissioner-elect Kent Becker comes on board April 3.
County Appraiser Ray Cook resigned, with his expected final date between April 30 and May 15.
Commissioners declined to open bids for a glass-door refrigerator no longer needed by the county health department, choosing instead to see if the 4-H board wants it.