In November 2013, the Cook County commissioners approved an expenditure of $63,000 to install a tower at the Cook County Law Enforcement Center in Grand Marais to elevate a public safety radio on the roof of the building. However, a variance to allow the 130-foot tower must be approved by Grand Marais Planning Commission. A hearing is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at Grand Marais City Hall.
At the November meeting, then-Information Technology Director Danna MacKenzie said the request for the tower came from county public safety officials when they realized that in-building coverage of the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) radios was not adequate in key buildings such as the School District 166 campus, the Cook County courthouse, and North Shore Hospital.
Information Technology/Radio Technician Rowan Watkins explained that raising the antenna would put the ARMER system in line-of-sight of those buildings and would greatly increase in-building coverage.
The law enforcement center has an existing ARMER site that was supplied for and paid for by the State of Minnesota with transmit and receive antennas located on the roof. MacKenzie said the cost was not budgeted for, but requested use of capital equipment bond funds that were originally allocated for constructing the ARMER radio system. She said there were savings of approximately $50,000 – $75,000 because of grants and because of working with St. Louis County on the radio console installation.
The county passed a unanimous motion to authorize the purchase and installation of the 130-foot tower, contingent on approval by the city of Grand Marais.
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