Grand Traverse County commissioners will consider a $3.5 million plan to upgrade the county's 911 equipment and discuss possible energy improvements at county-owned facilities at a 6pm meeting tonight (Wednesday) at the Governmental Center.

The Grand Traverse County 911 Board of Directors is recommending using 911 surcharge funds approved by voters last November to replace up to 800 radios used by emergency responders across the region with Motorola models that would connect the county with the 800MHz Michigan Public Safety Communications System. The county's existing communication system "has been around a very long time...(its) technology is limited in its functionality, and the infrastructure design does not meet the countywide coverage needs of our public safety agencies," according to Jason Torrey of Grand Traverse 911. "First responder safety and rapid responses to citizen emergencies are dependent upon quality radio communication."

The $3.5 million in equipment expenditures, which the county would pay for over a six-year period, would require commissioners to look elsewhere for dollars to cover 911's operational budget. In promotional materials last year requesting the user surcharge - which raised the fee per user device from 80 cents to $1.85 per month - the county stated the increased funds would "cover all operational costs (for 911) and provide an additional $457,297 for equipment replacement." At the time, the county estimated its equipment needs as totaling only $1.5 million. Diverting $3.5 million to equipment under the new proposal would effectively eliminate the possibility of fully funding 911 operationally through the surcharge, necessitating general fund dollars to subsidize the program.

Commissioners will also consider a recommendation tonight from Planning Director John Sych and the county's Capital Review Committee regarding possibly energy upgrades to county-owned facilities. National firm Johnson Controls pitched the county board earlier this month on $2.7 million in energy efficiency improvements at facilities like the Grand Traverse County Jail, Civic Center and Governmental Center that the company said would save the county $3.9 million in energy savings over a 15-year period.

Noting that the county has other options besides hiring Johnson Controls to implement such upgrades - such as a "do-it-yourself" approach that would use existing county staff to oversee energy upgrades, or hiring an energy consultant to guide the county through a project process - Sych recommended commissioners wait and allow the Capital Review Committee to conduct its own energy analysis for comparison with that of Johnson Controls before proceeding. Should commissioners wish to proceed immediately with a RFQ process to implement the recommendations provided by Johnson Controls, Sych recommend allowing "at least four weeks" for the RFQ period (instead of the two weeks recommended by the firm) so other companies didn't have an "unfair" disadvantage in submitting a comprehensive proposal.