Court signs lease for tower site and approves copier addendum to improve coverage and county services

Van Zandt County commissioners authorized two operational changes to improve emergency communications and county services.

The court approved a lease with Texas CellNet for ground and tower space in Van so L3Harris can install equipment, a shelter and a generator to expand P25 radio coverage in areas the county identified as currently underserved — specifically noting coverage gaps at Van High School and other Westside sites. The lease is $1,500 per month; county staff said L3Harris will cover equipment costs and that a reciprocal lease for a county tower will offset costs.

Separately, the court approved an addendum to the copier contract with "Rico USA" to add a fax port at county libraries (about $10/month) and upgrade the jail booking copier to a color machine. The hardware increase was described as roughly $45/month, with an estimated color charge of about $0.0435 per color page; commissioners instructed staff to monitor color usage and return if additional budget increases are warranted.

Both motions carried. The court also confirmed L3Harris expects these upgrades to address the identified coverage gaps once installed.