Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Calling StarCom 21, Come in StarCom 21....

From: "marcel_rf1" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 07:18:52 -0000

State endorses $2.2 million for radio
system

By Kurt Erickson
Capitol bureau chief

SPRINGFIELD -- The governor's office has quietly thrown its support 
behind a plan to help McLean County secure more than $2 million to 
upgrade its emergency radio system.

Although the grant proposal still must win federal approval, Gov. 
Rod Blagojevich's backing was viewed as good news by local officials 
who've been grappling with chronic communication woes for six years.
"This has great potential for McLean County and its troubled radio 
system," said state Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, who is steering
the proposal through the state and federal bidding process.

Under a plan outlined Tuesday by Mike Chamness, chairman of the 
Illinois Terrorism Task Force, McLean County has joined with St.
Clair County in bidding for a total of $6 million in federal 
anti-terrorism  funds.

The money, if awarded, would be divided between the two counties
based on population, giving McLean County about $2.2 million to spend 
on communications equipment that serves multiple agencies.

The counties want the federal grant to join the StarCom 21 statewide 
radio network Motorola is building for the Illinois State Police.
McLean County wants to replace its 800-MHz, E.F. Johnson radio
system, which has been plagued by reception problems since 1997.

The two Illinois counties are competing against local
governments across the nation for an estimated 15 to 20
grants. An announcement by the Department of Homeland
Security, which wants to see how the system operates before
rolling it out on a nationwide basis, is expected in late
September.

Initially, it was expected that Blagojevich would choose between 
McLean and St. Clair counties. But officials agreed in mid-June to 
combine both counties into one bid in hopes of offering federal 
officials a unique demonstration project.

For example, while St. Clair County is a largely urban area across
the Mississippi River from St. Louis, McLean County has a mix of rural
and urban areas with a large land area and three interstate highways.
"If you can get Washington to agree to this, it makes a lot of
sense," said McLean County Administrator John Zeunik.

Brady credited state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, and state Sen. 
Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, with working in a bipartisan manner to 
craft a solution that benefits both counties.

Chamness is hopeful Illinois will be among the states that receive
the money. The fact that the state ranks fifth in population makes it 
a good bet, he added.

"I'd be stunned if we didn't" receive the grant, said Chamness. "I 
think it's a very strong application."

He also said it is not likely the federal government would want to 
give money to St. Clair County and not McLean County. "If any money 
comes, it will go to both," Chamness said. "The governor was very 
intent on finding a way to include both counties."

If OK'd, McLean County would have to provide more than $500,000 in 
matching funds and then also pay for long-term operational costs and 
upgrades amounting to an estimated $5.8 million spread over several 
years.

http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/070903/new_20030709042.shtml

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