Floyd County continues path to bonding for new first responder communications system

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

The Floyd County Board of Supervisors took another step toward paying for a new multi-million-dollar first-responder communications system at the board’s meeting this week, approving a letter of engagement with a bonding underwriter to continue work setting up financing for the project.

Heidi Kuhl, director of public finance with Northland Securities, said the letter authorizes Northland to serve as underwriter, offering advice on the structure and timing of financing, assisting in the preparation of preliminary and final official statements, assisting with issuing the bonds and preparing final reports.

She said engaging Northland does not commit the county to issuing bonds, and if the Board of Supervisors decides against the financing there would be no charge from the company, as the company’s fee comes from a percentage of the bonds’ value.

Kuhl suggested specifying a “not to exceed” amount of $5.1 million for the bonds.

The Floyd County 911 Service Board and the Floyd County Communications Commission had recommended the county finance $4.95 million to pay for the new communications system that would be part of the statewide Iowa State Interoperable Communications System (ISICS) and would be used by law enforcement, firefighters and other emergency first responders in the county.

It would include a new radio tower at or near the Fossil and Prairie Park near Rockford, new mobile and handheld radios and pagers for law enforcement and firefighters in the county, upgrades to the existing radio tower at the Charles City City Hall, getting the dispatch center at the Floyd County Law Enforcement Center ready for the system and more.

Kuhl recommended the $5.1 million figure to make sure the county has the legal borrowing authority to raise sufficient funds for the project and to cover any additional costs such as financing and legal costs. It would not have to borrow the entire amount if it doesn’t need it.

Because the money would be spent on emergency response communications, it is considered an essential county service and issuing general obligations bonds guaranteed by the county’s property taxing authority would not require voter approval.

The supervisors do have to hold a public hearing to gather input before authorizing the financing.

Holding the public hearing also does not obligate the county to continue with the project, but gives it the authority to do so, Kuhl said.

She suggested that the supervisors set the date for the public hearing at the next regular meeting, June 26, then hold the hearing at the board meeting July 10 or July 17.

Ben Chatfield, the Floyd Volunteer Fire Department fire chief who has taken a lead roll in helping design a new communications system, asked that the public hearing be held at an evening meeting.

“I think it’s important to be very transparent on this project with the amount of money we’re borrowing,” Chatfield said. “If there’s questions from the public I think they can be addressed before, so six months into this we‘re not having people upset because we’ve done this. I think it would be in everybody’s best interest to make sure we have opportunity for people to speak for or against it.”

Supervisor Chair Mark Kuhn said they would consider the request for an evening meeting.

Also at the meeting Monday afternoon, the supervisors:

• Heard from County Auditor Gloria Carr that representatives from the architect, the construction manager company and others had gone through the courthouse and new atrium creating a “punch list” of things that need to be completed or corrected regarding the Law Enforcement Center and courthouse update project before it’s signed off as finished.

Carr said there was a list consisting of double-sided pages “about this thick,” holding her fingers about half an inch apart.

The construction manager company, The Samuels Group, is in charge of getting everything on the lists finished. If subcontractors don’t satisfactorily complete an item the Samuals Group can withhold the final “retainage” payment, and if that fails each of the companies has a performance bond that can be claimed against.

• Approved a payment of $3,250 to Nora Springs Ambulance Services for services provided to county residents in the current fiscal year.

• Approved hiring Gardner + Co. for the next three fiscal years to conduct financial audits of the county. Gardner has been doing the county’s financial audits for the past three years, and was the only bidder for the contract. The Iowa Auditor’s Office said it did not have the resources to do additional audits beyond the governmental body audits it is already doing.

The price for the audits by Gardner will be $35,500 for fiscal year 2022-23, $38,350 for 2023-24 and $41,425 for 2024-25.

• Reappointed Robert Mondt and April Banks to additional three-year terms on the county Veterans Affairs Commission after their current terms expire June 30.

• Agreed to not meet for a regular meeting on Monday, July 3, before the Independence Day holiday, because not all members can be present.