It was at a point during the weekly reports from the Carroll County Supervisors Monday morning that the dialog got tense as the group discussed the jail bond referendum in conjunction with new information that could potentially cost the county $4 million for communications. Dean Schettler had a meeting Thursday night with E911 and the Emergency Management Agency (EMA). The main topic on that agenda was the statewide interoperable communications system. The current system makes it almost impossible for different departments to reach each other, and it makes it difficult for other first responders to communicate once they are out of their vehicles. Motorola was awarded the Iowa contract for the digital system, and an estimate of what it would take to make Carroll County compatible was presented.
Schettler held up a paper with the number $4 million on it, saying he doesn’t believe the county can avoid it. He asked about any other options that were available at the meeting, to no avail. According to him, this is another unfunded mandate that the county will have to take to the tax payers. It was at the end of the meeting that Schettler brought this issue back up when discussions of traveling to communities in the county to explain the $8.95 million jail project were initiated. Schettler asked County Auditor, Kourtney Irlbeck, if a vote was needed by the board to move forward with the referendum. He says he believes this is premature. Gene Meiners says they can’t afford to wait until the last minute and Neil Bock agrees. Schettler continued to stress that he believes they need to discuss that $4 million cost before moving ahead with the referendum, saying it is an essential need of the county. He and Rich Ruggles had differing views on that point.
Chair Marty Danzer says the jail is an issue too. They have been written-up by the state for the last two years and it could take three years to get a bond referendum passed. That, he says, would put them up against the five-year deadline to make updates or build. Both parts of this conversation can be found here.
Dean Schettler discussing E911 and EMA meeting and radio communications
Supervisors talking at end of meeting about jail referendum and radio communications costs
