Linn County supervisors approve bonds for radio upgrades

Linn County is in for up to $8 million worth of radio upgrades coordinated with Cedar Rapids and Marion, supervisors decided this morning.

With Ben Rogers absent, supervisors gave unanimous approval to the participate in the joint upgrade, setting a hearing May 2 at 9 a.m. on bonds to fund the county's share of the project, which carries a total cost of $18.2 million.

Cedar Rapids has already bonded for its $8.1 share of the project, and the Marion City Council has approved bonding for its $2.65 million.

The county could borrow less than $8 million if the state Legislature comes through with aid to local governments for the radio upgrade, required to meet a federal mandate to free broadcast bandwidth for cell phones and wireless devices.

Supervisors are meeting with officials from the county's local fire and police departments to determine whether they'll be included in the project. District 4 Supervisor Brent Oleson, R-Marion, said the board may devise a plan to reimburse at least some of the local agencies' costs.