During a special-called meeting of the Ellis County Commissioners’ Court on Monday, November 15, Commissioners approved a contract for engineering services relating to emergency communications systems interoperability and narrow-banding.

“We are looking at Trott Communications to do the engineering for us and to specify to Ellis County what it is we need to prepare our system to be compliant and have adequate coverage,” said Constable Terry Nay, pct. 2.

The Court took no action on the item during last week’s regularly scheduled meeting in order to allow time for completion of preliminary testing that was underway with Aerowave Communications.

Nay serves on a committee that has been working for some time to prepare for Federal Communications Commission requirements to reduce all radio communications to narrow band in January of 2013. Commissioners Bill Dodson, pct. 2 and Heath Sims, pct. 3 have also served on the committee, along with Emergency Management Coordinator John Patterson and many others throughout the county.

The complexity of the issue is compounded by the need for grant funding and a tight deadline under which to apply for it.

“By the 29th of this month, I’ve got to have a final cost,” said Patterson, adding that the grant process would normally take place in February or March but had been moved up by the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

The Court capped its agreement with Trott Communications at a maximum cost of $49,000.

“I haven’t seen this level of cooperation across the whole county in 40 years – we are working together, sharing information,” said Kenneth Isom, a volunteer firefighter from Ennis and committee participant. “It is imperative that we do it right this time.”

In other business, the Court authorized the County Judge to sign documents relating to the conveyance of the property on which the City of Waxahachie constructed its downtown parking garage, for the price of $347,500, as well as canvassing the results of the general election and Palmer local option election held on November 2, 2010.