Washington County is taking the next step in the process to upgrade emergency communications equipment and its building.

At Tuesday’s Washington County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board agreed unanimously to move forward with obtaining a feasibility study for a new communications building. Supervisor Abe Miller questioned how the public’s voice will be heard in the process and asked for a vote on the building. Chairman Richard Young explained the process, “We have to make this motion to approve to start talking to the architects. Once we talk to the architects we will find out, we’ll come back to this board and say this is what it’s going to cost us to do this feasibility study. We have no idea right now. They’re going to give us an estimate. And then we’ll start the process of a building. And that building is going to have to be brought here to this meeting. If we’re going to bond it, we have to set hearings, we have to set a date to take it to the people.”

Currently the communications board is working with consultants on the project which is estimated to be between $4.6 and $10.4 million for equipment and an additional $1.2 to $1.8 million for a building. Supervisor Jack Seward explained elected officials and those who work with the equipment daily are part of the board with fire chiefs, mayors, and law enforcement representatives.

For more background on the equipment and building needs click here.