Times Observer photo The commissioners have unanimously agreed to buy updated emergency radio equipment — including 374 radios — and share it with entities, including local fire and police departments.

During their last meeting, the Warren County Commissioners agreed to undertake an emergency radio project with a total price tag of approximately $1.8 million.

On Wednesday, the commissioners settled on how to pay for it.

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

The decision was made during a meeting held on Wednesday.

The P25 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.

Commissioner Ben Kafferlin kicked off the discussion by indicating that the “project is basically stalled” because it “cannot be executed until we have a financing package in place.”

Discussions continued between meetings and Dominic Ventura, area sales manager for Motorola, presented the current lease option to the board.

“We had been asked to extend the validity of the leasing agreement… in addition to look(ing) at interest rates we were able to provide,” he said, indicating that the agreement was extended to allow the commissioners to consider it on Wednesday and added that the interest rate was reduced.

The rate dropped from 4.15 percent to 3.99 percent.

Ventura said the first payment wouldn’t be due until August 2019.

“If the county were to find another source of funding,” he added, “there is no penalty for paying it off before the term matures.”

Public Safety Director Todd Lake said that the department applied for an approximately $150,000 grant through the USDA (Department of Agriculture) and is “quite confident it is going to come through.”

He said that 911 Supervisor Ken McCorrison applied for a state finding stream that produced an additional $18,000.

In addition, Lake explained that roughly $450,000 will likely be coming from state 911 funds generated from phone surcharges.

“That will pay for our equipment in the 911 Center,” he said, as well as engineering for the entire project. “That will not be a county-incurred expense.

“(I’m) very proud and glad that this is the year this can happen. That’s about $618,000 off of that pretty close to $1.9 million (total).”

Lake said that essentially removes three years worth of payments.

Commissioner Cindy Morrison raised a concern about a $60,000 annual maintenance fee and Lake said that “(with) this being a regional project now… we can ask for the maintenance” to come from the 911 state funds from phone surcharges.

Lake added that could result in paying $20,000 annually for maintenance as opposed to the $40,000 that is being paid now.

Commissioner Jeff Eggleston said that Erie County recently undertook a similar project that cost the residents of the county approximately $75 per person.

He said this project – without the $618,000 in grant funding- would cost the citizens of Warren County $45 per person and doesn’t believe the project will require a tax increase.

“I think that the county can shoulder the burden of this financially and that there are a lot of opportunities to move forward with it and fund it…. Warren County will be leading the state in its ability to respond to emergencies.”

He also spoke about enhancements in coverage that the new system would bring.

“If we pass the agreement, we have to finance it. (There’s) not much else you can say,” Commissioner Cindy Morrison said. “We have to pay for it somehow.”

“We’re looking forward to moving forward,” Lake added.

He also credited the state radio office that “really want(s) this to happen. (They) need to show the legislators they are playing well in the state sandbox. It’s everybody’s sandbox. They are playing well with others. They’re going above and beyond.”

“We are going to be rolling this out over the course of the next six months,” Kafferlin said. “(I am) so heartened to see the community and commissioner’s support for emergency personnel in this county. (This is) going to fix coverage gaps.”

He added that the project is “going to allow us to fix the system on our terms” and also cited “unprecedented collaboration with the state. No one else has done that. We are leading the charge.”

Kafferlin noted that there aren’t many thing the commissioners could spend money on that would have such an effect on county residents like this does.