Supervisors Approve Bonding For Radio System
Mahaska County Courthouse
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors met in regular session on Monday morning.
Mahaska County Emergency Manager Jamey Robinson demonstrated the Lucas Device, which is used to provide hands-free CPR. The devices are a chest compression system, which would allow continuous mechanical CPR.
The money would come from a grant to fund the new device. A new one would cost over $16,000 if purchased outright.
The devices are already in use with ambulances around the county, and the new device would be added to New Sharon Fire’s non-transport EMS service.
The board approved amending the agreement with the Iowa Department of Public Health to add the new device.
The board also discussed putting out the RFP for tower site development services.
The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors has signed an agreement with Racom to build out a new radio system for the county, but with that comes the need to build three new communications towers to facilitate that new system.
“They are basically going to be our representative to make sure, number one, the towers are built properly, proper strength, proper height. They have to work with the historical evaluations and studies, soil studies, to make sure the foundations are all built properly; the soil is fit for tower development and strength. Basically, the county is looking for someone to make sure this complete system now is finished with what we’ve bought and designed. So we’re looking for an RFP for consultants that can oversee the tower site development and then Racom builds it properly as we’ve contracted,” said Mahaska County Supervisor Mark Groenendyk.
The deadline for the RFP is February 22nd, 2019. The board hopes to have the completion reviews done by March 1, and contract awarded by March 4th, 2019. The project will then start on March 11th, 2019.
“This does need to keep moving because we’re supposed to already be having project management services going with Racom already to keep this project moving. So Racom is asking us to work on this so they can continue the process because in the contract there’s timetables for them and us, or there’s fines. So, we’re already supposed to be in the process of having setting up schedules for communications with Racom of the progress and so forth,” added Groenendyk.
The board approved sending out the RFP.
With that measure passed, the supervisors then approved levying taxes to pay for the new radio system and the equipment.
The taxes levied will pay for the general obligation bonds that are being issued in order to pay for the new emergency radio system. The principal amount of the bonds is 5.5 million dollars as the maximum amount.
“I will say, the bonds state we should not exceed 5.5 million dollars. We did that high. We don’t expect it to go that high, but we can not go over, so we set the estimate of the bonds at this time high, we’re hoping to bond less than that,” added Groenendyk.
“Of all these property taxes, the 911 Board… Let me back up. Of the total purchase price of this system, there is little over a million dollars of radios and equipment that the 911 Board is going buy through surcharge money we collect for the 911 services. So that will not come off of the property taxes of Mahaska County,” Groenendyk continued. “And so we are in the process of working with our bonding agency, we’re working with 911 Board, and the County Board of Supervisors to draw up that contract to put the final number of what needs to be tax levied every year to cover the final bonding dollar. Is that clear as mud to everyone?”
The Supervisors approved the resolution.
The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors will meet again on February 18th, 2019 in the third-floor conference room of the Mahaska County Courthouse.
