PITTSBORO — The Chatham County government has the go-ahead from the board of commissioners to borrow up to $18.3 million to fund a system-wide upgrade to the county’s emergency communications radio system.
The upgrade was part of last year’s budget discussions and the recent 2021-2027 Capital Improvements Plan, a list of items the county plans to fund that cost more than $100,000.
The new system will operate in conjunction with the North Carolina Voice Interoperability Plan for Emergency Responders (VIPER) and will, according to county documents, “increase our interoperability within the county and across the region and state.” Three existing towers will be upgraded alongside the construction of five new towers spread across Chatham.
The project’s total cost has been offset by a grant of more than $2.3 million from the N.C. 9-1-1 Board.
According to the CIP, the county’s existing radio system doesn’t provide coverage for the entire county; in addition, that communication with surrounding counties and agencies “is limited or non-existent due to disparate radio systems.” These issues lead to a system that, the document stated, “poses a serious safety risk for responders and citizens.”
The project will “eliminate” four towers that are “outdated” and “not at a location that will permit the countywide coverage that is needed,” the CIP stated, along with utilizing a state-owned tower under construction in Pittsboro.
The commissioners approved the borrowing by a 4-1 vote on April 20, with Republican Commissioner Andy Wilkie objecting. Wilkie told the News + Record that the “final cost of the system” was “not explained” to him, and the final borrowing cost was a surprise to him.
“When I voted for the emergency radio system last June the contract was for $15,760,000,” he said in an email. “Then, there was a grant that was going to be requested that would replace 3 to 5 million of that. I thought the contract was final and that was the cost of a usable system. I was not informed that there would be add ons to the cost.”
The CIP, which Wilkie voted in favor of in December, put the county’s payment responsibility at $18,247,911 and would have excluded the 9-1-1 Board grant.
County Finance Manager Vickie McConnell said the county got a “really, really good interest rate” on the loan from Bank of America and was expecting Local Government Commission approval, needed for any local government borrowing, on May 5.
The project is already under way. Architectural and engineering work is already ongoing, with equipment being ordered. Documents from last Monday’s agenda said that radio towers going through the Conditional Use Permit process “may be delayed due to current public meeting restrictions,” but not all towers will be restricted by that.
Reporter Zachary Horner can be reached at zhorner@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @ZachHornerCNR.