The Winneshiek County Board approves borrowing up to $750,000 on behalf of the 9-1-1 Board

Winneshiek County's E 9-1-1 Board has gotten a promise from the Winneshiek County Board that the county will borrow up to $750,000 after July 1st to help pay for improvements to the county's emergency communications network.

The county has towers in Decorah and Calmar that it uses for 9-1-1 communications, but the loan approval means the E 9-1-1 Board can complete a tower in Jackson Junction and put up equipment on an existing tower in Burr Oak.

Sheriff Dan Marx says the Burr Oak tower will be "tremendously cheaper" than other options in northern Winneshiek County.

The Winneshiek County E 9-1-1 Board has also been studying putting up equipment on a tower in Ossian, but gave up that idea as being too expensive.

Emergency Government Coordinator Sean Snyder says the E 9-1-1 Board will continue to look at options for better coverage in the northern part of the county, including putting up a tower in Locust.  But Snyder says the new towers being added will go a long way to getting rid of communications issues that have happened when police or other emergency workers get away from Decorah.