Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Two bid on VHF project, Monroe Times, WI

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2003 16:58:11 -0500

Two bid on VHF project

Published Tuesday, December 16, 2003 11:52:24 AM
Central Time

By Matthew Butler

of the Times

MONROE -- The Green County Law Enforcement
Committee received two bid proposals from
companies interested in upgrading the county's
VHF conventional radio system.

General Communications, Madison, and
Chicago-based M/A Com submitted proposals after
meeting with radio project consultant Duane
Willborn and touring the county's radio tower
sites. M/A Com also submitted a $4.2 million
proposal last year for an 800 megahertz trunking
system.

The VHF bid amounts will not be released until the
radio advisory and law enforcement committees
meet Jan. 14 to negotiate with both bid
companies.

Law enforcement committee chairman Dave
Rufenacht says the advisory committee has been
extremely thorough in explaining the parameters of
the VHF project to the interested companies and
General Communications and M/A Com
representatives were very impressed.

A third company, Motorola, was interested in the
VHF project but pulled its proposal after the radio
advisory committee was unwilling to accept
changes Motorola proposed to the VHF radio
project's format.

"We weren't willing to follow their format,"
Rufenacht said. "We listed the specifications we
wanted rather than what they wanted. If we
came up with what our needs are, that is the best
for the county rather than have an outside
company tell us what we need."

Motorola representatives said in a letter the
proposed VHF technical design has numerous
advantages over the 800 MHz proposal.

Motorola believes the VHF system would provide
greater coverage than an 800 MHz system and
said users would be able to communicate from
more places throughout the county. Law
enforcement, ambulance and fire officials would
also be able to continue using their current VHF
radios rather than upgrade to completely new
equipment, they'd be able to obtain radio
equipment from multiple manufacturers and the
county would be qualified to receive more grant
money, the letter said.

Rufenacht hopes the advisory and law
enforcement committees will decide by the end of
Jan. 14 meeting which company it recommends
the county use for the VHF project. The
committees will then submit the proposal to the
Green County board.

He said it will be up to the Green County board to
decide whether the county will continue with VHF
or switch to an 800 MHz system.

Rufenacht is upbeat about the prospect of Green
County finally having a new or newer radio system
after more than seven years of studying the
current VHF conventional radio system.

"Everybody's excited thinking a year from now we
could have a radio in place," Rufenacht said.

Analysis studies by Willborn and emergency
officials determined the current radio system,
which is more than 30 years old, does not provide
full coverage, leaving law enforcement and other
users without communication during emergencies.

http://www.themonroetimes.com/o1216rad.htm

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