Thursday, September 16, 1999
Delhi to set aside funds for emergency radios
BY LEW MOORES
The Cincinnati Enquirer
DELHI TOWNSHIP — The board of trustees here will set aside $33,000 each quarter for the next three years to pay for sophisticated radios to tie into a new county radio system for emergency communications.
The plan would raise close to $400,000 by mid-2002 to pay for 103 radios to equip the township's police and fire departments, as well as road and zoning departments and the administration.
Ken Ryan, township clerk, recommended to trustees that they build the expense into budget plans and set aside the money each quarter to pay for the radios, estimated at about $3,900 each.
“We've been told to plan for it and be aware of it by the county commissioners,” Mr. Ryan said.
In August, Hamilton County commissioners agreed to invest in a digital, 800-megahertz communication system after voters in May rejected a levy that would have paid for a larger emergency communi cations system for all communities to tie into.
It was the third time voters had rejected a levy to pay for the system.
While the county would pay for the infrastructure for the system — towers, computer and hardware — each of the communities would be asked to pay for as many radios as needed in each community.
The infrastructure is expected to cost about $30 million, while 40 communities would bear the cost of buying radios.
Mr. Ryan said that setting aside the money in a separate fund or account would spare trustees from having to borrow the money to pay for the radios in 2002.
“Then you're going to incur the additional expense of interest,” Mr. Ryan said.
Trustee Nicholas LaScalea said the county is taking the step of paying for the infrastructure, and the township needs to chip in its share.
The county system would replace a system that is close to 50 years old, gets overloaded at times, has “dead spots” and doesn't allow different agencies to communicate directly with one another.
Mr. Ryan said the police department would probably use 32 radios, the fire department 48, with the road, zoning and administration sharing the remainder.
He also said township officials will look at whether that many radios are needed.
“But we're going to go with what is necessary to meet public safety needs,” Mr. Ryan said.
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