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Newton County is a few steps closer to the installation of a new 911 communication tower.
Fiber optic lines have already been installed. A concrete pad will be poured on the north end of the armory beside a metal storage building and then the tower will be erected.
Some antenna will be moved from the crowded tower atop the courthouse roof to the new location once it is finished, reducing bleed through and interference on county communications. A spring storm toppled a second tower on the courthouse roof, pushing the need for a new tower ahead of other 911 improvements.
Eventually the armory will house 911 operations and plans for the building’s interior are also moving forward.
“It’s progressing nicely,” said Jerry Carter, presiding commissioner. “We keep trying to get additional grants to pay for all the activities going on.”
Grants have been submitted for a new phone system and the county purchased lightly-used consoles from Jasper County to replace the older system currently in use.
The county commissioners opened bids on a Chevy Silverado from Griffith Motor and Carthage Ford Mercury. Bids were forwarded to emergency management director Gary Roark for comparison.
The vehicle will be used for county and emergency management needs. Carter said its purchase will save money. Previously, the county paid mileage to a county employee who picked up roadside trash, counting that use alone it will help reduce costs.
“We’ll save the county approximately $5,000 to $6,000 a year in mileage,” Carter said.
In other business, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved the plans for the Stella safe room project. Specifications have changed since a false-start bid earlier this summer and Carter expects bids to be published in the next couple weeks.
Work on the courthouse roof is nearing an end with only minor cosmetic changes left.
“Everything seems to have gone well on this,” Carter said, noting that the process was fairly clean.
Antenna from the rooftop still need to be moved once the new tower is completed. So that roofing repairs remain under warranty, any patches will be completed by the contractor, Joplin Roofing.
Bids will be out next week for medical insurance for county workers. The county is required by the state to rebid coverage every six years. They currently use Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Newton County is a few steps closer to the installation of a new 911 communication tower.
Fiber optic lines have already been installed. A concrete pad will be poured on the north end of the armory beside a metal storage building and then the tower will be erected.
Some antenna will be moved from the crowded tower atop the courthouse roof to the new location once it is finished, reducing bleed through and interference on county communications. A spring storm toppled a second tower on the courthouse roof, pushing the need for a new tower ahead of other 911 improvements.
Eventually the armory will house 911 operations and plans for the building’s interior are also moving forward.
“It’s progressing nicely,” said Jerry Carter, presiding commissioner. “We keep trying to get additional grants to pay for all the activities going on.”
Grants have been submitted for a new phone system and the county purchased lightly-used consoles from Jasper County to replace the older system currently in use.
The county commissioners opened bids on a Chevy Silverado from Griffith Motor and Carthage Ford Mercury. Bids were forwarded to emergency management director Gary Roark for comparison.
The vehicle will be used for county and emergency management needs. Carter said its purchase will save money. Previously, the county paid mileage to a county employee who picked up roadside trash, counting that use alone it will help reduce costs.
“We’ll save the county approximately $5,000 to $6,000 a year in mileage,” Carter said.
In other business, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved the plans for the Stella safe room project. Specifications have changed since a false-start bid earlier this summer and Carter expects bids to be published in the next couple weeks.
Work on the courthouse roof is nearing an end with only minor cosmetic changes left.
“Everything seems to have gone well on this,” Carter said, noting that the process was fairly clean.
Antenna from the rooftop still need to be moved once the new tower is completed. So that roofing repairs remain under warranty, any patches will be completed by the contractor, Joplin Roofing.
Bids will be out next week for medical insurance for county workers. The county is required by the state to rebid coverage every six years. They currently use Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
