Council approves paid trial for First Net phone service

Posted 10/25/22

Ratsch proposal for Soo Line Park structure tabled First Net is coming to the City of Stanley, after the Council approved a one month paid trial of the contract phone service to provide priority …

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Council approves paid trial for First Net phone service

Posted

Ratsch proposal for Soo Line Park structure tabled

First Net is coming to the City of Stanley, after the Council approved a one month paid trial of the contract phone service to provide priority connection to EMS and first responders in case of disaster.

The paid trial for the contract service through AT & T was approved at the Oct. 17 regular council meeting, motion being made by Holly Kitchell and seconded by Laurie Foster. Under said trial the city will have one mobile date connection (MDC) for police laptops, two smartphones, and an iPad, the latter for the Fire Chief. Each of the phones is $37.49 per month under the plan, while the MDC and iPad will each cost $33.49 per month. Should the trial period go well the service would then be potentially extended to other city employees. That wasn’t the only thing the Council covered Oct. 17. There was also the question of a depot replacement.

“When the depot went down we got insurance based on storage and if we don’t use it we’ll lose it,” Ward 1 alderman Mark Fitzsimmons said of the rationale behind a proposal for an 1,820 square foot pavilion with toilet rooms to be located in Soo Line Park at Stanley.

The matter later tabled pending further information, the proposal by Ratsch Engineering would include preliminary plans for $1,200, construction documents and state approval for $6,000, completion of the bid process for $1,800, and a balance to be paid proportionate to construction progress of $3,000. Not included are bid advertising costs, state and local permit fees, and a stormwater management plan for the site of less than one acre.

Among the reasons for tabling the Ratsch proposal, was a feeling by some that the city could take up certain tasks to save money, as it had with hiring employee Dean Schneider to oversee the police addition. The cost adjustments for in-house services would cut the price from around $12,000 to closer to $8,000.

“It’s $8,000 from here to state approved plans?” Ward 3 alderman Mike Henke said if the city took over certain tasks on the project.

"Correct," Kitchell said, with no official action being taken at the Oct. 17 meeting.