During Tuesday’s Neosho County Commission hearing, a citizen stepped forward to voice concerns over the ongoing radio improvement project between the rural fire departments.
Shirley Estrada addressed the commission during public comment.
“I want to be very clear, I am all for this digital radio system for the volunteer fire departments,” Estrada said. “I believe that this windfall of available radios for $50 and $75 dollars each needed to be jumped on immediately.”
Estrada said she had spent the last few days listening to previous meetings where the radios have been discussed.
“I find the conversations throughout these past six months to be contradictory, condescending, misleading, disjointed, and lacking in detail,” Estrada said. “I am dismayed in the implementation process of how to integrate these radios into an already existing system.”
Estrama said the radio project overall feels like it was approached with a “fly by the seat of our pants” attitude, rather than a project with a well thought out plan, and said that it seemed like the St. Paul Fire Department was running the system.
In early discussion Estrada said that the commission agreed that the county would not be operating the system.
“How is this partnership of three entities [ St. Paul Fire Department, Galesburg Fire Department and Neoso County] going to work?” Estrada asked. “It already appears that Galesburg has been bullied out, labeled as uncooperative over $250, after investing $17,000 in a system that they own and have been part of for the past three years.”
Estrada said that while the cost is well worth it, she was also concerned about how the scope and budget of the project expanded several times during the process. She was also concerned that the commission has moved from donors to the radio system to having ownership of the radio system, but that St. Paul is managing the system.
“This isn’t just about radios. What are the expectations of each entity? What if there is disgruntlement down the line with the way the system is being run? Is the county then going to intervene? Who should be in charge of programming the radios and managing passwords?”
Estrada also posed several other operational questions, such as what would happen should changes be made in the department, and who would collect radios from users who no longer work for the fire department.
Commission Chair Nick Galemore said that during the process, he brought up concerns about the growing costs several times, and that the 911 committee was also overseeing the project. She also asked how Galesburg’s system fits into the new county system.
“This is not a simple process, but with a well-planned approach, there shouldn’t be any surprises. And if there are, that is on you commissioners,” Estrada said.
Estrada presented commissioners with copies of the information she has gathered on the subject.
Director of 911 Lori Nally asked to address Estrada’s comments, and agreed that it has been a fast process. According to Nally, many of the changes to the original plan and increased costs were due to complications Nally ran into during implementation.
Nally said her priority was getting radio communication to one fire department that had no means of communication.
Nally also said that there were ongoing issues in implementation due to a password that she does not have, which Estrada said was the problem.
“When you are working with electronics and technology, you are going to have problems,” Nally said.
Nally said that she requested that this password be held by Uplink to give to the appropriate parties as needed. Uplink is the company who is programming the radios, and this was not done. This has been causing a “tiff,” amongst those working on the project Nally said.
Nally also said that she took Estrada’s comments to the commissioners personally, as she worked very hard on the project. Estrada said that her comments to the commission had nothing to do with Nally.
“I felt I have done my due diligence in this area,” Nally said.
Since this was not a topic of discussion on the agenda, the meeting moved forward from this issue.
Commissioners heard from Jennifer Taylor, a grant and program coordinator from SEK Mental Health, who asked for the commission to allow a letter of support be written for SEK Mental Health which they could use for a Health Resources and Services Administration application.
Taylor said this application would be to become a federally qualified health center look-alike or LAL. According to the HRSA website, LALs meet all Health Center Program requirements, but they do not receive program funding. The website also states that congress created LALs so that more people have access to care. Taylor said these LALs don’t receive federal grant funding, but they are funded through billing to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance.
“I do have concerns.” Galemore said. “Salary issues have been a concern.”
Galemore said that the salaries are about 20 times more than the average citizen of Neosho County.
“I cannot write that letter of support,” Galemore said.
Commissioner Gail Klaassen said the commission supports their efforts in other ways, such as tax exemption.
“I appreciate the investment that SEK Mental Health has made in Nesosho County,” Klaassen said. “It’s not that we don’t support your efforts, but it’s just a concern on the executive pay.”
SEK Mental Health Chief Operating Officer Doug Wright said being able to apply to be a LAL, would allow for increased funding opportunities through medicare and medicaid.
Wright said this measure was about stabilizing healthcare in the county.
“If we don’t stabilize healthcare in Neosho County, it going to slowly but surely dissipate away,” Wright said.
Coming from western Kansas, Wright said he’s seen it happen in several communities.
