Pottawattamie County supervisors heard a two‑hour briefing on a multi‑year plan to replace aging 9‑1‑1 consoles, upgrade tower equipment and migrate the county’s radio network to Iowa’s statewide Essex interoperability system.

Task‑force members said migration would require new programming, replacement of end‑of‑life consoles and tower upgrades, and could include adding two new tower sites on the county’s west side — one near Council Bluffs and one near Crescent. The task force presented three site options for the Crescent tower; Motorola’s three proposals differed by about $316,000, and the highest option submitted for the on‑site configurations totaled $15,250,317. Officials described the overall project as “just shy of a $16,000,000 project” when combined with additional capital costs and potential bond financing.

A task‑force representative told the board the county currently sends roughly 1.56 million push‑to‑talk transmissions a year across its radio network, underscoring the system’s operational importance. Task‑force participants recommended appointing a county point of contact to manage contract details and implementation; the presenter suggested Sam Arkfeld as that POC for day‑to‑day coordination.

County staff reported the County Attorney has reviewed Motorola’s customer agreement and the state master agreement; county counsel returned an opinion earlier the same morning that did not preclude moving forward. Funding options discussed at the board’s October study session included using $6,000,000 from capital improvements and issuing up to $10,000,000 in bonds.

Several supervisors urged caution before entering a contract. One asked for firm, site‑specific costs for the Crescent tower and for a clearer accounting of recurring lease and maintenance costs. Another emphasized the utility of joining the statewide Essex system for interoperability and future regional consolidation of 9‑1‑1 centers.

Motorola representatives indicated their pricing was valid through Nov. 25 and may be extendable; the board said it would seek either a short extension or schedule a follow‑up study session to review final numbers and the county attorney’s recommended contract redlines.

The board did not vote to sign the Motorola agreement at the meeting. Instead, members requested supplemental cost estimates tied to the chosen Crescent site, clarified which elements (for example, microwave waveguide maintenance and some monitoring software) were out of scope of the current Motorola quote, and asked staff to pursue a pricing extension while they evaluate bonding and cash alternatives.

If supervisors proceed with bonds near the figures discussed, county officials said the likely financing package would combine the $6,000,000 cash set aside in capital improvements with up to $10,000,000 in bonds, with final funding decisions to be made in future budget proceedings.