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Commissioners pass financing for emergency radio system

Times Observer file photo

When the Warren County Commissioners signed off on financing for a $1.8 million emergency radio project last June, they were told there was no penalty if a cheaper source of financing was found.

That option has been found.

Last year, the commissioners have unanimously agreed to buy the equipment — including 374 radios — and share it with entities, including local fire and police departments.

The P25 system part of the state’s PA-STARnet system, when operational, will allow emergency responders — police, fire, ambulance — to communicate with one another directly, something that is not possible with the existing system.

The rate accepted back in June was 3.99 percent

The commissioners approved a bond issue on Wednesday at 3.875 percent interest through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Timothy Sennett, the county’s bond counsel, said that the total amount of the bond would be $1,725,500.

Sennett described the bond as a “good situation” with a “very good interest rate.”

“This is going to be used to pay for (the) Motorola system to get on PA-STARnet,” Commissioner Ben Kafferlin said.

He explained that the county applied to the USDA for a grant in addition to this loan and added that the grant – totaling $150,000 – was awarded.

Kafferlin noted the bond would be paid back over 10 years and said “this is not going to be an addition to debt already incurred. (We) will pay off the debt that has already been incurred” for the project.

Commissioner Cindy Morrison commented that the funding is strictly for the radio project and will not “be for any renovations to the E911 building.”

Commissioner Jeff Eggleston said he “couldn’t be more pleased” with how this project has turned out,” noting that first responders have approached him to thank him for the investment.

He said the project was “entirely initiated by Commissioner Kafferlin” and described the project as a “huge deal, probably more so than people realize. This USDA loan is a huge deal.”

He added that the funding through the USDA would “save us a huge amount of money interest” and credited Kafferlin with negotiating the terms.

Kafferlin deflected the credit to former Public Safety Director Todd Lake, current Public Safety Director Ken McCorrison and Fiscal Director Eric Hern “because although I did initiate all of this. They are the ones (who) followed through and did a lot of the legwork.”

A resolution detailing the bond was approved unanimously by the commissioners.

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