County seeking to lease water tower space in township

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners is considering a resolution that would allow the county to enter into a contract to lease space for public safety radio equipment on a Waterford Township radio tower located at 984 N. Cass Lake Road.

According to the proposed resolution — which went before the Board of Commissioners’ Planning and Building and Finance committees last week — although the countywide public safety radio system has the ability to include coverage for all public safety agencies and foster interoperability in the county, additional sites are needed to host equipment for enhanced coverage.

Under the proposed resolution, the county would be responsible for paying an inspection fee of up to $3,000 initially and the lease would cost the county government $1 per year.

The proposed lease includes a duration of an initial five years, with three automatic five-year renewals provided that the lease isn’t defaulted on. The county would be responsible for the costs related to utilities, installation, repair, and operation and maintenance, according to documentation provided to the committees last week.

A 23-cent charge on 911 calls in the county is used to help pay for the radio system.

The lease agreement has been reviewed by the Oakland County Department of Facilities Management and Oakland County Corporation Counsel, both of which have recommended approval of the pact.

The Oakland County Wireless Integrated Network (OakWIN), a project that kicked off in 2003, allows first responders to communicate with each other and agencies in nearby counties during incidents ranging from the minor, everyday infractions to multi-jurisdictional events such as severe weather, manhunts, and others, according to county officials.

Forty-seven tower sites make up the $47.7-million system — and more are still being added — that supports 26 emergency dispatch centers and over 5,000 police, fire and emergency medical service radios in the field.

The agreement is on the county board’s consent agenda for its Thursday, June 9 meeting.