Thursday, May 13, 2010
 
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City briefs: change in communications requirements and more

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[May 13, 2010] 

Police chief discusses an unbudgeted expense

Ken Greenslate, the new Lincoln police chief, told the city council Tuesday night that the police department is facing an expense that was not considered in the annual budget for this year.

Greenslate said that this development regarding the radios for the police department and the repeater tower, currently located on the roof of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, came to light just this week.

According to new laws coming down from the Federal Communications Commission, all the radios used by the emergency services agencies in Logan County will have to be changed from wideband communications systems to narrowband. The new law takes effect Dec. 31, 2012.

However, for the police department, these changes will have to come sooner because the ALMH facility on Eighth Street will be vacated in February of 2011, and at that time the repeater tower for the police department will have to be taken down.

Misc

Greenslate said the equipment at ALMH was old, really couldn't be moved and would not work when the new narrowband system is put in.

He also told the council that he has talked with Dan Fulscher of the Logan County Emergency Management Agency, and Fulscher has applied for grants that will help cover the cost of narrowband radio upgrades for all the emergency service agencies in Logan County. Fulscher has expressed that he is confident the EMA will receive awards that will cover all but $3,000 to $5,000 of the police department's upgrade.

In a written report, Fulscher said the police department would be responsible for antennas, coaxial cable and installation. The grant will cover approximately $13,000 for the new repeater system, and EMA/ETSB will pay for the base installation and connection to the dispatch console, at an estimated cost of $7,000.

The new base repeater will be placed at the Logan County Safety Complex. Greenslate said that he and Fulscher had discussed whether or not the system would reach to the growing west side of the town, and they believe that with the new narrowband, it will. If not, there are other solutions that can be investigated.

Greenslate was asked why the move from the hospital was of so much concern and whether the the repeater could stay there even after ALMH officially vacates the old hospital early next year.

He answered that he and Fulscher had discussed this, and the primary concern was security. He explained that with the old hospital building empty, anyone who was seeking to intentionally disable communications would find it easier to break in and gain access with the building vacant.

The finance committee will have to consider this expense when they put together the appropriations ordinance for this fiscal year.

On another note, Greenslate said that he was also considering not entering into any agreements for new patrol cars this year. Currently the budget allows for the lease of three new cruisers after the first of January.

A request from Lincoln Christian University

When Alderman David Armbrust said that he had a request from Lincoln Christian University regarding Campus View Drive, Mayor Keith Snyder asked that no discussion take place until he was able to leave the room.

As Snyder is an employee of LCU, it would have been a conflict of interest for him to participate in the discussion. He asked Alderman Buzz Busby to take the mayor's seat as mayor pro tem for this segment of the meeting.

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LCU is asking the city to help them with some street maintenance on Campus View Drive. They propose to provide all the materials needed to repair and seal the street and are asking the city to provide the equipment and manpower.

According to their request, this is something that the city has done in the past. LCU cited an agreement made in 1999 and asked to enter into a similar agreement for this year.

During discussion, Alderwoman Stacy Bacon said that she was not in favor of the city doing any kind of work on private property, whether it be road repair, snowplowing or whatever.

However, Tracy Jackson, street and alley superintendent, said that the city did plow Campus View Drive because the street needed to be accessible to emergency vehicles.

Jackson said that when the city agreed to help the college in 1999, his department had greater manpower than they do now. He indicated that he didn't see how he would be able to provide the labor with his current staff.

In addition to manpower, the council discussed the money that would be involved in the provision of labor and equipment. The bottom line is that the city really can't afford to help this year.

Alderman Jeff Hoinacki did point out that last year when the Logan County Fair board made a similar request, the city did take care of it for them.

In the end, Armbrust asked that the request be added to the Monday voting agenda.

City wins monetary awards

City engineer Mark Mathon said that he had heard from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity that the lighting funds he had applied for have been reserved for the city.

This will cover the lion's share of the cost of upgrading lighting at the sewage treatment facility as well as City Hall.

Snyder also reported that the city has received a grant award from the Illinois Public Risk Fund; the provider of the city's workers' compensation insurance has awarded the city $8,250 for the purchase of safety equipment. The street and alley department will receive $3,650, the fire department will get $2,600, and the final $2,000 will go to the police department.

[By NILA SMITH]

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