County Officials Seeking Grants For New Radios
March 30, 2021 at 10:15 p.m.
County Officials Seeking Grants For New Radios
By Amanda Bridgman-
Kosciusko County Sheriff Chief Deputy Shane Bucher appeared alongside Kosciusko County Emergency Management Director Ed Rock Tuesday to ask commissioners for permission to apply for grants that would help absorb some of the costs to purchase new radios.
Bucher received approval to apply for a $150,000 Indiana Department of Homeland Security grant to purchase mobile and portable radios for the department.
“The current radios will not work with the new radio system the county is putting in,” Bucher said.
“This new grant that came out, the cap on this particular grant is $150,000, and that’s why they’re getting as many as they can out of that,” Rock said, while mentioning his request to apply for a $22,000 grant for radios. “I am going for the same grant, but the difference is I put that out to all response agencies in Kosciusko County, they picked up on it, as have most of them. The $150,000 won’t do anything as a county, but $150,000 for each agency will do quite a bit for the county, and that’s why this has gone out there and it’s just a progression. We also have the assistance to the firefighter grant sitting out there. My confidence level on that one is not very high. The confidence level on this one is at least marginal.”
Commissioners also approved Rock’s request.
The problem is the current radios KCSO has are not upgradeable. Bucher said KCSO estimates the total cost to switch over to compatible radios would be $300,000.
“So we’re trying to get at least half of it,” he said of the reimbursement grant.
Commissioner Cary Groninger said he didn’t expect for every department to have to purchase new radios in order to use the new tower system and that was not part of the plan.
Groninger said he will speak with the project developer to get more information.
Another expense tied to the radio communications project that was approved Tuesday was the installation of new carpet in Central Dispatch for when their new equipment gets installed. The carpet will cost $15,636.25 from J. Lane.
County Administrator Marsha McSherry got approval for her request to demolish 211 W. Fort Wayne St., Warsaw, at a cost of $19,380 by Ransbottom Excavating.
The building, located next to the sheriff’s office public parking lot, is owned by the county and was formerly occupied and rented out but has been vacant for over a year, McSherry said. She said the old building is too expensive to update and there was recently a major water leak.
While she’s not certain, she hopes that area can be used for additional parking once the building is cleared.
Also Tuesday, commissioners:
• Heard from Suzie Light, who was speaking on behalf of Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Alan Tio, who is deployed overseas.
Light said KEDCO is updating the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA)-funded loan program to help companies prepare for post-COVID.
• Heard from KABS General Manager Tony Peterson that he is replacing two medium transit buses that seat 12 passengers and two wheelchair passengers. Cost is $119,591.20, which is completely covered by CARES Act money, he said. Expected delivery of the two new vehicles is sometime in late fall.
• Approved County Highway Superintendent Steve Moriarty’s request to purchase a John Deere tractor with attachment for $142,402.26, and his request to approve a contract for $20,800 worth of work for railroad crossing markings. Moriarty said the $20,800 will be reimbursed through a grant after the work is completed.
The next Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting is 9 a.m. April 13 at the old courthouse.
Kosciusko County Sheriff Chief Deputy Shane Bucher appeared alongside Kosciusko County Emergency Management Director Ed Rock Tuesday to ask commissioners for permission to apply for grants that would help absorb some of the costs to purchase new radios.
Bucher received approval to apply for a $150,000 Indiana Department of Homeland Security grant to purchase mobile and portable radios for the department.
“The current radios will not work with the new radio system the county is putting in,” Bucher said.
“This new grant that came out, the cap on this particular grant is $150,000, and that’s why they’re getting as many as they can out of that,” Rock said, while mentioning his request to apply for a $22,000 grant for radios. “I am going for the same grant, but the difference is I put that out to all response agencies in Kosciusko County, they picked up on it, as have most of them. The $150,000 won’t do anything as a county, but $150,000 for each agency will do quite a bit for the county, and that’s why this has gone out there and it’s just a progression. We also have the assistance to the firefighter grant sitting out there. My confidence level on that one is not very high. The confidence level on this one is at least marginal.”
Commissioners also approved Rock’s request.
The problem is the current radios KCSO has are not upgradeable. Bucher said KCSO estimates the total cost to switch over to compatible radios would be $300,000.
“So we’re trying to get at least half of it,” he said of the reimbursement grant.
Commissioner Cary Groninger said he didn’t expect for every department to have to purchase new radios in order to use the new tower system and that was not part of the plan.
Groninger said he will speak with the project developer to get more information.
Another expense tied to the radio communications project that was approved Tuesday was the installation of new carpet in Central Dispatch for when their new equipment gets installed. The carpet will cost $15,636.25 from J. Lane.
County Administrator Marsha McSherry got approval for her request to demolish 211 W. Fort Wayne St., Warsaw, at a cost of $19,380 by Ransbottom Excavating.
The building, located next to the sheriff’s office public parking lot, is owned by the county and was formerly occupied and rented out but has been vacant for over a year, McSherry said. She said the old building is too expensive to update and there was recently a major water leak.
While she’s not certain, she hopes that area can be used for additional parking once the building is cleared.
Also Tuesday, commissioners:
• Heard from Suzie Light, who was speaking on behalf of Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Alan Tio, who is deployed overseas.
Light said KEDCO is updating the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA)-funded loan program to help companies prepare for post-COVID.
• Heard from KABS General Manager Tony Peterson that he is replacing two medium transit buses that seat 12 passengers and two wheelchair passengers. Cost is $119,591.20, which is completely covered by CARES Act money, he said. Expected delivery of the two new vehicles is sometime in late fall.
• Approved County Highway Superintendent Steve Moriarty’s request to purchase a John Deere tractor with attachment for $142,402.26, and his request to approve a contract for $20,800 worth of work for railroad crossing markings. Moriarty said the $20,800 will be reimbursed through a grant after the work is completed.
The next Kosciusko County Commissioners meeting is 9 a.m. April 13 at the old courthouse.
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