Members of local law enforcement and first responders from fire and ambulance departments around the county attended Monday morning’s Carroll County Board of Supervisor meeting in support of the Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System (ISICS). The 911 board has been exploring the options for updated radio communications for several years. Carroll Communications Center and 911 Coordinator, Jason Hoffman, said they have been adding and adjusting to the current system for far too long and it is simply not a viable option anymore. A 2012 mandate by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created even more issues.
More than 120 responders signed letters of support that were presented to the board. These men and women on the front lines asked the county to provide them not only with a system that can be trusted to work while they may be in a burning building or a situation that requires reliable communication with others outside of their location, but also one that works seamlessly with other county’s throughout the state. One resident, CJ Niles, talked about her concerns with a project estimated to have a total cost of just over $4.5 million.
The supervisors all agreed that the timing of this coming on top of the approved referendum to bond up to $8.95 million for the new county jail is unfortunate. Gene Meiners and Stephanie Hausman directly spoke to Niles concerns.
Hoffman also told Niles that the reason the public has not heard the topic prior to the past year is because it is typical for the 911 board to handle the expenses and not bring them before the supervisors. This project was too big in scope for them to handle the expense on their own. A 10-year lease at just over $437,000 per year was unanimously approved. It is anticipated they will fund the project through Local Option Sales Tax (L.O.S.T.) proceeds and/or the sale of county farmland, estimated to bring in around $1 million. Discussion on the expenses of leasing and placing equipment on additional towers in Manning, Coon Rapids and Lidderdale will take place at a later date. Full audio of the conversation can be found below.
