Mower County may take a big step toward updating their radio system to join the rest of southern Minnesota Tuesday.

The county board will discuss whether to pay half the cost of three 800-megahertz radio consoles for dispatch that would cost about $175,000 each. The other half would be paid by grant dollars through the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER).

Mower County is one of the last holdouts still on the old VHF system, which has been in place for many years.

Through grants, the county has purchased about 120 radio units for law enforcement fire, EMT officials, and rural EMT and fire officials. The newest grant would replace the main radios in dispatch and would be a significant step toward Mower County changing over to 800 megahertz.

However, the system would still work with Mower County’s VHF systems and radios, too.

If the county doesn’t fully commit to 800 megahertz in four years, they’ll no longer be eligible for grant dollars, according to Sheriff Terese Amazi.

 

Other business

The county will discuss the 2013 budget and levy.

The county is facing a budget shortfall in Health and Human Services stemming from out of home placements, and the state recently announced Mower would receive about $400,000 less in County Program Aid.

The finance committee has been meeting with departments to discuss budget needs.

The county board will also discuss the Southeast Minnesota Redesign Project. After a meeting last week on the plan to merge six counties’ human services departments, the county is slated to vote on whether to move forward on Sept. 11.