HUBBARD TOWNSHIP — A move to discuss and vote on the township’s purchase of a new radio system may happen at a special meeting next week.

Police chief Brenda Freeman and township trustees at Tuesday’s regular meeting revisited purchasing Multi-Agency Radio Communication Systems (MARCS), after she was approached by Eagle Joint Fire District Chief Ron Stanish about a potential joint purchase.

Freeman said she obtained quotes for the radios since the February meeting — $78,837 through Hudson Communication, $82,717 through Kenwood and $89,335 through Motorola, which started at $122,000, then $97,880, negotiating the price down to their reported rate.

Freeman said the Hubbard City Police Department went with Motorola for radios and in-car mobile units, for which city council approved drafting legislation.

It cost $158,099 to equip all police officers and their cruisers with 13 mobile and 18 portable devices, said city Safety Director Shawn Rentz.

“I would also personally recommend Motorola — they’re the top of the line. They will come to us. They will install for free,” Freeman said. “They are out of Boardman, which is BearCom. They have their five-year warranty; we do not have to pay for (firmware) updates.”

Freeman said the updates could cost $2,000 to $3,000.

Trustee Jason Tedrow noted the Eagle Joint Fire District ran into a firmware problem.

“It was a firmware issue they weren’t really informed of, because they were looking at the Motorolas as well,” Tedrow said. “They backed off because they did the firmware update, but even speaking with the chief, he’d even mentioned that when they go to replace as well, they’re looking to go to Motorolas as well, just because of some of the service.”

Freeman said the township would have to get the car units and the portables, explaining that she could not see them being separated.

“I can’t see officers not being able to go to call their car to get help if they need it — they drop their radio, or if they’re in a fight and they need help,” Freeman said.

Freeman said the radios have a five-year warranty, but the department could pay to extend it. She said there’s also a trade-in program — similar to bodycams — where the department could get newer versions.

Freeman said she’s known some departments that have had the radios for 10-plus years, adding that it varies.

Tedrow said he’s spoken to Patrick Wilson, the township’s legal counsel, about the competitive bidding process after Trustee Eric Lamb had suggested it at their February meeting.

Wilson said it applied to state-negotiated pricing, and the township couldn’t exceed $79,568, per the Ohio Revised Code, Tedrow said. Pricing above that would implement a sealed-bidding process.

“He (Wilson) did confirm verbally on the phone to me that this is absolutely state-contracted pricing,” Freeman said.

Tedrow suggested that, if trustees passed a resolution to purchase the radios, they do it with a contingency that the vendor will have to provide proof that it is negotiated pricing — otherwise the township could not pursue it.

“It’s either that, or we’re going to have to hold a special meeting; I mean, we have until the 16th — if we want to hold next week, we can look at it that way,” Tedrow said. “That way, you can have her get the additional information and then just pop in for probably a 20-minute meeting.”

Freeman reiterated that the pricing they had was “way below” the state’s cooperative pricing, noting that it was already at that point with their initial $97,880 starting point.

Freeman said the subscription was separate from the $89,335, which encompassed the radios and their equipment.

With the technical language built into the proposal, Tedrow asked if Motorola’s representative would be willing to come to their potential special meeting to answer any additional questions.

“If I was going into a contract like this. I wouldn’t be signing the contract if I didn’t understand what all these lines meant,” Fiscal Officer Jennifer Evans said.