 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.
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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