Aug 16, 2024 By Mike Jones 4 min read

The Washington County commissioners approved a contract with Motorola to install a new emergency radio system for first responders despite few details being made public about the project.

The commissioners authorized the P-25 public safety radio system agreement during Thursday’s regular meeting by a 2-1 margin, with Republican Commissioners Nick Sherman and Electra Janis approving it and Democratic Commissioner Larry Maggi voting against it.

The decision comes four months after Sherman and Janis voted at the board’s April 18 meeting to terminate the previous $22.545 million contract with MRA Inc. of North Strabane to build the radio system, which county officials originally approved in March 2023.

Maggi and former commissioner chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan supported the MRA contract last year over Sherman’s objections. But when Sherman took over as board chairman in January following Irey Vaughan’s retirement when her term expired, he made it a priority to change which telecommunications company was in control of upgrading the emergency radio system.

The county asked for new proposals in June, with Motorola Solutions Inc. of Chicago, MRA and Florida-based BK Technologies Inc. submitting their offers.

During a lengthy discussion before Thursday’s vote, Maggi asked county solicitor Gary Sweat if he had read the contract and was familiar with every detail that was in it.

“Have you read it?” Maggi said. “Are we aware of what’s in it, Gary?”

“No, I haven’t seen it,” Sweat responded.

“We’re going to be asked to approve this contract and we don’t know the fixed numbers?” Maggi said.

“We’ve had discussion on this. We had discussion on this (Wednesday),” Sherman said, alluding to a private public safety meeting to discuss final aspects of the contract with Motorola. “We’ve had discussions for the last five months on this.”

Maggi said he believes the contract as written is valued at $24.6 million, but he’s unsure of the final cost because there are annual licensing and maintenance fees that could run $1.5 million per year over the next 15 years. He added there could also be additional costs for tower site modifications and property acquisitions that are not included in the contract.

“I think this is important,” Maggi said. “To vote on a contract (and) not be sure what it’s going to be. Is there a number here? Is it $21 million? Is it $25 million?”

“Commissioner, we went in great detail (Wednesday) for hours. You’re grandstanding at the meeting,” Sherman said.

“I just have a problem. We need it. I’m just talking that we don’t have any numbers,” Maggi said.

“You’re grandstanding in front of all these people,” Sherman said.

“I’m not grandstanding,” Maggi said. “I have a right to ask questions.”

“And they’ve been answered,” Sherman said before calling for a roll call vote that passed 2-1.

Following the vote, county spokesman Patrick Geho passed out informational sheets to those in attendance at the meeting while Sherman described some of the details with the deal.

Sherman said the Motorola contract will offer 95% radio coverage in the county, which he stated would be a 300% increase over the current system. He also said federal American Rescue Plan Act stimulus money will fund the contract with Motorola and purchase portable radios for all local fire departments.

“This has been a hot button issue,” Sherman said. “This is improved coverage.”

It’s not known when the contract will be finalized or details would be released to the public. The county has already spent an estimated $9 million from the previous contract with MRA, but it appears to be attempting to recoup some of those expenses.

Later in the meeting, the commissioners voted 2-1 along party lines on a last-minute addition to the agenda to terminate a separate maintenance agreement with MRA for radio services.

Sherman erroneously said the vote was to terminate last year’s contract with MRA Inc., but meeting minutes from the April 18 meeting clearly show that was when Sherman and Janis took official action to end the previous emergency radio deal. The vote to end the maintenance agreement with MRA was placed on the agenda late Wednesday afternoon and was not advertised online for the public to review before the meeting, raising questions about the county’s adherence to the state’s Sunshine Law.