County to look at VHF Published Thursday, January 16, 2003 11:16:14 AM Central Time By Kareesa Wilson of the Times MONROE -- The Green County Law Enforcement Committee Wednesday agreed to ask the finance committee to hire an advisor for a newly rejuvenated county radio project. Gary Keegan and Cal Wickline, the committee's radio project liaisons, recommended the county hire Duane Willborn, the Ozaukee County radio systems manager, to write a request for proposal for a VHF conventional system upgrade and offer other general advice. Willborn would charge $50 an hour. Committee chairman Dave Rufenacht said he would ask finance for about $10,000 to hire him. That money was not included in this year's sheriff's department budget so it will have to go to the entire county board for approval. Keegan said Willborn is not being hired to repeat work that has already been done. He will "just review some stuff that has been done, not re-do it," and meet with county and local emergency officials to make sure all are informed about the project. "We don't want the 11th-hour nay," Keegan said. The county suffered an 11th-hour nay last year when Rufenacht pulled a motion off the agenda one month before the county board was set to vote on the proposed new radio system. His move came after county police chiefs and the sheriff came out against it. The $4.7-million, 800 megahertz trunking system proposed by M/A COM, a Chicago-based company, was pulled back and the law committee decided to get a proposal on a different system to make price comparisons. Officials spent more than three years studying the current VHF conventional system and doing a needs analysis. Studies and emergency officials found the current radio system, which is 30 years old, does not provide full coverage, leaving officials without communication during emergencies. M/A COM proposed the 800 MHz system, which was approved by an ad-hoc and the law enforcement and finance committees for the county board's consideration. But when the county's police chiefs and sheriff issued public statements against the system, asking for officials to look at alternative ways to improve communication, the law enforcement committee withdrew the proposal. Keegan and Wickline are doing research for a VHF conventional system to compare with the 800 MHz trunking proposal. So far, the two have found a VHF conventional system would just upgrade the current system and a lot of the equipment would not have to be replaced. They also will talk to village and city officials around the county about using tower space instead of building new towers. Keegan said Wednesday the VHF system RFP should go out in June. Keegan, Wickline, sheriff Randy Roderick and Rufenacht will attend the Feb. 4 finance committee meeting to discuss hiring Willborn. In other business, the committee approved buying five new squad cars. Three Chevrolet Impalas will be bought from Ruda Chevrolet, Monroe, for $19,859 each and two Intrepids will come from Dearth Dodge, Monroe, for $19,651 each. Send your comments or questions about the Times to newseditor@ themonroetimes.com. Start home delivery of the Times Places where you can buy the Times Home | News | Sports | Classified | Contact Us Copyright �2003 Bliss Communication Inc. All rights reserved. Use of this material subject to the Times Terms of Use. It may not be published, broadcast, re-distributed or re-written.