BY STACI WILSON
Emergency communication towers in the county are receiving an upgrade.
The county commissioners approved, at the May 9 meeting, to sign a $210,476 agreement with Motorola for an analog simulcast upgrade.
Commissioner Alan Hall explained that currently, when emergency services are “toned out” by the 911 department, only one tower at a time can issue the call.
With the upgrade, Hall said, “We’re going from the dark ages to the modern ages.”
The analog simulcast will allow multiple towers to tone out emergency calls at the same time.
The commissioners also accepted, with regret, the retirement of Kenneth Zahora from Children & Youth.
Commissioner Michael Giangrieco joked, “If we don’t pass this does that mean he won’t leave?”
Zahora served as the Administrative Assistant in Children & Youth, however the position actually dealt with the agency’s fiscal matters.
In an effort to prepare for his pending retirement, the county salary board created a position, Fiscal Officer II in May 2011, to learn the position under Zahora’s guidance.
A person hired into that position has since left the department leaving the county struggling to find someone able to fill the civil service position.
Chief Clerk Sylvia Beamer said the position was being advertised and there were also people who had taken or planned on taking the civil service test in order to qualify for the job.
The Tax Claim Bureau was exonerated from collecting delinquent taxes on .04 acre Clifford Township parcel, in the amount of $446.14, under the name of Alexander and Kathleen Pritchyk, and now Peter and Eileen Renz.
Taxes on the parcel had been returned to the county as delinquent in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
In an April 16 letter from thecountyAssessmentOffice, the .04 parcel was not a separate parcel and the taxes on it had been generated in error.
The commissioners reappointed Michele Suchnick, Kim Ross, Tom Follert, Sandy Conklin, Gregg Confer and Andy Aulakh to a one-year term on the Tourism Committee, effective May 8.
Nathan Hibbard, Montrose, was hired as a custodian, effective May 14.
The commissioners adopted a proclamation naming May 13-19 as National Police Week in the county and May 15 as Peace Officers’ Memorial Day.
Be the first to comment on "County upgrading emergency towers"