ELIZABETHTOWN — With only two out of 18 members opposed, the Essex County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to pay up to $10 million for a new county public-safety radio system.

After a sometimes emotional meeting, in which local fire chiefs testified lives could be lost if the county's 1950s-era radio system failed completely, supervisors agreed to issue municipal serial bonds to pay for the project.

BOND TOTAL
County Manager Daniel Palmer said the system itself is expected to cost about $8 million, and he added a 12-percent contingency addition that brings it to $9.2 million.

The bond issue would be for a maximum of $10 million, he said.

Citing tough economic times, Supervisors Thomas Scozzafava (R-Moriah) and Roby Politi (R-North Elba) voted against the $10 million.

The project was approved, 16-2, and Palmer said the next step is hiring a civil engineering firm to do site surveys at radio towers where the county wants to locate antennas.

The project won't build any new radio towers but will add antennas to several existing mountaintop towers that the County Enhanced 911 center can use to dispatch emergency responders.

DANGER CITED
Before they voted, the Board of Supervisors heard from emergency volunteers from around the county on what they thought of the project.

Chilson Fire Chief Fred Hunsdon said he and Ticonderoga Fire Chief Jeff Burns both support a new radio system.

"We really need a radio system in Essex County. We're going to lose lives if something isn't done," Hunsdon said.

Numerous failures
County Emergency Services Director Donald Jaquish said the current system has had 61 network failures in three years.

"The thing is tired. It actually still works with tubes."

Many parts of the system are failing, he said.

"It will not be able to be repaired someday," Jaquish said. "We've actually gone on eBay to look for parts for this. We're buying parts from parts barns."

HAND RADIOS
Mineville-Witherbee Fire Chief Paul Tromblee said a new radio system is needed, but he wants hand-held radios added to the specifications. The county is now buying only vehicle radios for fire companies and ambulance groups.

"It gets into want versus need," Supervisor Randy Preston (I-Wilmington) said. "There was concern some departments were going to say, 'we need 25 portables.'"

Preston said they may buy three portables for every department.

HARD TIMES
Tromblee said that, as a taxpayer, he has concerns about the cost of the system.

"Are we in a (fiscal) position at this time to go forward with it?"

Supervisor Joyce Morency (R-St. Armand) said new revenues, such as local mortgage and property-transfer taxes, will bring additional funds into the county budget.

And Palmer said he believes they can still get federal stimulus-package money for the project.

Scozzafava said they should take more time to consider the purchase.

"To me, this came rushing in here like a freight train. Why is it critical? These are the worst economic times since the (Great) Depression. I think we need to step back, take a deep breath, maybe have a couple more meetings on this issue."

"I know the economy is not great, but we're not paying for it next year," Supervisor Ronald Jackson (R-Essex) said. "We're paying for it the next 20, 25 years. The interest rates have never been lower."

After a recess, lawmakers OK'd the radio system, which is estimated to take two years to build.

"It's time to more forward," Palmer said. "An awful lot of time and effort has been put into getting where we are now."

E-mail Lohr McKinstry at: lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com