By Arlene Bandy  

Another decision is on the horizon for the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors. The county’s current radio communication system for public safety needs to be replaced, not only because it has deteriorated over the years, but because of federal mandates.

At its May 6th board meeting, Motorola made a presentation on how to upgrade the county’s current radio communication system using an 800 MHz trunking system. The trunking system is becoming a favorite among localities due to the small number of frequencies needed to perform the job.

The 800MHz trunked simulcast cell would be connected to neighboring Albemarle County’s master site. A diagram provided showed Carter’s Mountain as the master site for the system, Palmyra as a prime site, three remote sites at the landfill, REC center and Kents Store. All would be connected to the site at the Fluvanna Emergency Communications Center.

The cell also would aid the Albemarle system by bringing better coverage to that county’s remote areas. Assistant County Administrator Shelly Wright mentioned that, in preparation for look at different options, Albemarle officials would be willing to coordinate with Fluvanna.

Charles Allbaugh, Rivanna district supervisor, observed that the annual maintenance table was included in the packet but not the actual startup cost. No exact figure was given for the costs. Future informational sessions will be provided to help board members make an informed decision.

Actions items that would need to be taken in order to use the 800MHz system:
•    Formally request permission to utilize Albemarle County, City of Charlottesville and University of Virginia (ECC) Master Site.
•    Complete an application for five 800MHz frequencies to the Region 42
•    Review proffers and agreements for the identified co-location sites within the County
•    Allow the Motorola Site Team to re-engage once the County has its sites in place
•    Request a complete, detailed written proposal from Motorola.