(Spirit Lake)– There was more discussion at today’s (Tues.) Dickinson County Board of Supervisors meeting over the county possibly joining the Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System. The new emergency services radio system would come with a price tag of between 5.5 million and 6 million dollars. How the county would come up with that money remains unanswered. There was discussion again today (Tues.) about possibly bonding for it, but Supervisor Tim Fairchild said he has some concern about that…
Fellow supervisor Kim Wermersen agreed, adding he is firmly convinced the new system is needed based on what he’s heard from law enforcement and emergency service providers…
The supervisors then voted to bring it back to next week’s meeting. In the meantime a committee will meet to look at possible funding options. The option for bonding could, however, rule itself out. The county would receive a discount of a little more than $320,000 but it would need to authorize the total purchase by November 23rd. County Auditor Lori Petersen told the supervisors she was told by bonding counsel it would be extremely difficult to get that process completed in that short period of time.
County officials say the new system would alleviate coverage issues in some areas of the county that are present with the current system.
