Earlier in the year the Daviess County Central 9-1-1 Board discussed the concern that the water tower supporting Central’s radio and Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) antennas may be demolished this fall. Supervisor Dana Carder was to check with Geo-Comm about solutions for moving those antennas to another site.
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During their June 26 meeting Mrs. Carder presented information from Midwest Mobile Radio concerning moving the radio antenna to the Gallatin water tower near the Gallatin School. The radio license would need to be modified to reflect the relocation. The number of radio units licensed was also to be increased.
The board asked Mrs. Carder to contact Midwest Mobile Radio and have them give three price quotes, one with using a new antenna and coax cable; one using the old antenna and coax cable; and one using the old antenna and new coax cable.
At the July 31 meeting Ernie Miller from Midwest Mobile Radio recommended moving the existing antenna and using the coax cable that is already at the site at a cost of about $4,000. The board agreed with the recommendation. Mr. Miller said that in addition there would be about $500 for hardware for Midstates Automatic Vehicle Location hook-ups. He said Midstates indicated they would not charge Central 9-1-1 for the wireless service in exchange for installing three wireless antennas on the 9-1-1 antenna located on the courthouse.
However, at the Aug. 28 meeting Mrs. Carder told the board she had contacted the Daviess County Commissioners and was told that no private vendors could put anything on courthouse property.
Mark Richards said he had forwarded the site lease agreement regarding the relocation of the antenna to Mr. Johnson for city approval.
In other 9-1-1 business over the summer months, Alan Fender with Jamesport Fire told the board that the grant for an antenna had been received by Jamesport Fire. It is to be installed on the Jamesport water tower until the public water supply district builds their new tower, and then it is to be moved to that site.
Mr. Fender said he still has plans to have the tower donated to Daviess County Central 9-1-1 after one year and have 9-1-1 own and maintain the antenna site. He said an effort is being made to get the moving costs into the original equipment bid. He will report back to the board if the moving costs will be paid for by Jamesport Fire. He will ask the public water supply district what they will charge Central 9-1-1 yearly in a site lease agreement.
Mrs. Carder said the office was out of county maps and Marceline Mapping would be contacted about getting some more.
Dispatchers expressed concern over the recent incident with the water outage in Gallatin. They said the 9-1-1 office was swamped with citizen inquiries about the status of the water. An additional dispatcher came in to assist with the call volume.
The city utility phone is forwarded to Cental 9-1-1 after hours and on weekends, and dozens of phone calls came into that line as well as the 9-1-1 lines.
Similar incidents have happened in the past with ice and snow storms and electrical outages.
The dispatchers suggested some sort of arrangement be made to have the city take some of their call volume during a major incident concerning the city.
Mr. Richards said that the city has a recording system that can be put onto the city phone lines that may help in major incident situations.
Mrs. Carder will discuss these issues with Mr. Johnson.
Mrs. Carder said the new mapping system was in place.
Treasurer’s report was accepted with May’s bills of $11,016.28, revenue of $14,856.82 and a checkbook balance of $35,564.40; June’s bills of $7,257.81, revenue of $26,206.47 and a checkbook balance of $33,698.48.
July’s treasurer’s report was accepted with bills of $8,719.41, revenue of $22,894.98 and a checkbook balance of $31,964.96.
John Sullenger was not present to give the treasurer’s report for August. Necessary bills were paid.
No board meeting was held in May for lack of a quorum.
Daviess County Central 9-1-1 board members are Larry Belshe, Daniel Skinner, Gene Walker, John Sullenger, Dana Urton, Alan Bradford, and Mark Richards. Supervisor is Dana Carder.