Commission discusses state radio funding provision; to send letters and work with lobbyist

County Counselor Jake Hanson briefed the commission on a state budget provision tied to the statewide radio system, describing a $5 million placeholder in the bill and explaining the debate about whether the procurement would be open to multiple vendors or effectively limited to a single supplier.

Russell Stuckey, addressing the commission, said the provision could lock the state system into a single vendor and limit the opportunity for systems compatible with Riley County's Harris radio equipment. "It's ... to do some initial work...the thought process is that locks Motorola in," Stuckey said, adding that estimates for the full state radio update ranged widely and that an open bid could be significant in cost: "The estimate is it'll be $100 million to $150 million," he said.

Commissioners discussed whether local letters of support or use of county lobbyists would be most effective. Commissioner Ford said she thought a letter from the county would carry weight, while Counselor Hanson and others recommended parallel actions: "Potentially...the lobbyist might have a quicker means of connecting with the governor than a letter would," Hanson said; commissioners agreed to both write letters and ask their lobbyist to advocate.

Why it matters: If the state process closes procurement to all but one vendor, counties whose radio systems use different manufacturers could be excluded from integration opportunities that might improve interoperability.

What's next: staff said they will prepare letters and coordinate with the county's lobbyist; commissioners asked county staff to also share communication with stakeholder jurisdictions and agencies that could be affected.