Page 1 of 3

 

 

1.  Call to Order:

The meeting was called to order at 1:06 P.M. by Lt. Gary Peske at the Vilas County Justice Center conference room with the following committee members present.  Ed Bluthardt, Jr., Jim Galloway, Kathleen Rushlow and David Alleman.  Ron De Bruyne and Sheriff John Niebuhr were both excused.  Also present were Joe Fath, Dave Leack of PSC Alliance and Jeff Collins of Sonic Net, Inc. 

Proper open meeting notice and quorum present were both verified. 

 

2.  Agenda:

Motion by K. Rushlow, 2nd by D. Alleman to approve the agenda with the order of discussion to be at the discretion of the chair.  All voting aye.  Carried.

 

3.  Approval of Previous Minutes:

Motion by D. Alleman, 2nd by K. Rushlow  to approve the November 30, 2007 minutes as presented.  All voting aye.  Carried.

 

9.  Sonic Net Agreement:

G. Peske presented an agreement conditionally approved by Corporation Counsel for committee action regarding a request by Sonic Net, Inc. to obtain a co-location on the Weber Tower.  Issues of concern regarding Vilas County are:

            1.  Transmission frequencies.

            2.  Mounting bracket metals.

            3.  Lightning protection and grounding.

            4.  Transmission lines and cabling procedures.

            5.  Equipment rack space and power outlets.

D. Leack of PSC Alliance and J. Collins of Sonic Net, Inc. both stated that these issues had been discussed and resolved.  Corporation Counsel is further concerned with the ability to verify Sonic Net’s customer count, as that is a requirement of the agreement.  J. Collins offered to provide his billing lists as customer count proof.  Time table to install and begin service is expected to be early February dependent upon contractor schedule and weather.

Motion by E. Bluthardt, 2nd by K. Rushlow to approve the co-locate agreement between Vilas County and Sonic Net, Inc.  All voting aye.  Carried.

 

4.  Project Budget and Financial Update:

D. Leack presented a budget spreadsheet detailing expenses up to this date.  Current projection is that the project will incur about $74,000.00 in cost overruns.  There is an outstanding credit balance that may reduce that amount.

 

10:  911 Wireless Revenue Line:

G. Peske presented the fact that large quarterly checks have been received from the State of Wisconsin as grant funds, reimbursing the County for certain 911 expenditures.  The County should receive around $340,000.00 in grant total grant funds, with the next check totaling over $120,000.00.  The Clerk stated that he had deposited this last check in 100.47282 which is a 911 Wireless revenue account.  Previous checks were deposited directly back into the 911 Project expense account as reimbursement.  The Clerk further stated that the remaining funds could possible be used to eliminate the project Communication Project deficit.  E. Bluthardt felt that the grant monies should be revenues to the General Fund as reimbursements for levied funds

Page 2 of 3

 

spent on the project, as the original resolution authorizing the borrowing indicated.  G. Peske stated that the borrowed amount was $240,000.00 and that the grant reimbursements would be in excess of that amount.  E. Bluthardt felt that grant funds in addition to that borrowed amount might be used towards the projected deficit.  The Clerk was instructed to investigate as to which accounts the previous grant funds had been deposited to and to report back to the committee at the next meeting.

 

5.  Communication Project Tower Work Updates:  

a.  WRJO Tower:   Antennas could not be hung due to high radiation levels during radio transmission.  WRJO will go off air for the installation in February.

b.  Musky Mountain Tower:   2-way antennas have installed along with radio equipment.

Microwave antennas will be hung later on.

c.  Boulder Junction Tower:  We have received a Notice to Proceed from the tower owner. Omni Contracting will soon begin antenna installation.

d.  Eagle River Water Tower:   Routing of wiring has begun as has installation of antenna mounting brackets.

e.  Weber Tower:  Microwave installation is all that remains to be accomplished.

f.   Winchester Tower:  Nothing new to report.

g.  Lac du Flambeau Tribal Tower:  The antenna has been installed.  E. Bluthardt asked if this antenna and equipment would be moved to the Town of Lac du Flambeau tower site upon completion of that tower, and if the cost of that move had been included in the Town cost projections.  D. Leack stated that the equipment would be moved and that those cost were included in the projected costs.

           

6.  Motorola Project Status:

Equipment is coming in and being temporarily stored pending installation in the various tower site equipment buildings.

 

7.  Microwave Connectivity: 

Equipment should be in by mid March.  Installation will begin then.

 

8.  Town of Lac du Flambeau Tower Project:

G. Peske reported that a check totaling $50,000.00 had been received from the Town of Lac du Flambeau, which is their share of the total costs of this project.  Work will now proceed on permitting and soil borings.  It is estimated that the tower will be completed and operational in Fall of this year.

 

11.  Equipment Purchases:  

A transfer switch and surge protector were purchased for the Boulder Junction tower site.

 

12.  Correspondence: 

G. Peske reported that Pat Weber of the Eagle River Area Union Fire Department applied for a Firefighters Grant that would help pay the cost of two fire radio repeaters that must be installed in our system to help further TAC communications.  This grant requires matching funds which we will supply in the form of purchase invoices totaling the necessary match amount.  Tower locations for the repeaters will still have to be determined.

 

 

Page 3 of 3

 

13.  Approve Bills and Requisitions:

Motion by E. Bluthardt, 2nd by K. Rushlow to approve the following bills.

1.      Motorola  $837,007.04

2.      Eagle Electric, Inc.   $598.17

3.      Transtector Systems, Inc.  $1,343.82

All voting aye.  Carried.

 

14.  Set Next Meeting Date:

Next meeting was set for 1:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 28, 2008, in the Justice Center conference room.

 

14. Adjournment:

Motion by K. Rushlow , 2nd by E. Bluthardt  to adjourn.  All voting aye.  Carried.

Meeting adjourned at 2:01 P.M.

 

Respectfully Submitted By:

David R. Alleman

Vilas County Clerk