FAIRMONT - While unhappy about the price tag, Martin County commissioners are pursuing an upgrade of public safety communications to the statewide 800 MHZ standard.

The Federal Communi-cations Commission ruled that by Jan. 1, 2013, all agencies operating radio systems below 512 MHz must modify their systems to a narrowband technology.

However, a recent article in the Minneapolis StarTribune left a few commissioners wondering if they are on the right path.

"It was looking good until that article came out," said Commission chairman Steve Donnelly.

The article points out that Minnesota and Wisconsin are taking different approaches. Minnesota is spending at least $250 million, while Wisconsin is spending a fraction of that. The article left some questioning the need for Minnesota's high-priced model, but officials insist the state-of-the-art system will prove less costly and better than alternatives.

The two main options for the required narrowband radios are the 700 and 800 MHz, and VHF digital.

"I got on the horn about this after I saw (the article)," said Commissioner Steve Pierce. "Rating the systems, they give Minnesota's a 5, while Wisconsin's ranks about a 2. Wisconsin has a four-channel system, and we have better than that right now ... The problem is just going to narrowband ends up costing just as much as the 800 MHz. So if you have the same price for a Volkswagon bus or a Cadillac, which one are you going to take?"

Commissioner Gerald Boler still wasn't convinced.

"I don't believe that Ceylon and Dunnell need the same technology as downtown Minneapolis," he said. "We just passed a zero percent levy and now we're trying to lock in a bunch on money. The timing's not right ... Isn't there a way we can wait a year on this?"

But as Sheriff Brad Gerhardt and other commissioners pointed out, time is not on their side.

"As of Jan. 1, 2013, our current system is toast," Gerhardt said. "This is not going to be an all-at-once cost, and there is some big money that is being put towards this. But we need to pass the resolution in order to open the door to look for that financing."

Gerhardt acknowledged he was not sold on 800 MHz communication when it was first presented in the early 2000s.

"It took me five to six years to understand, and I fought hard against it," he said. "The $3 million cost presented was the worst-case scenario, and that was if we had to replace everything. I believe we can do our own customizing and it will cost less. Right now, we could be spending up to a million dollars just maintaining our current system that's going to be obsolete in three years."

As for Boler's question on whether rural areas need this type of technology, Gerhardt said yes.

"Absolutely they need this in Dunnell," Gerhardt told Boler. "You weren't there that night we had the armed standoff. I had numerous different agencies down there that needed to communicate. Same thing a few weeks ago at Iowa Lake. I had 17 different departments down there."

Also noted was that Martin County is much closer to Iowa than to Wisconsin. Iowa also is moving in the direction of a statewide 700 MHz system.

"Doing nothing is not an option, unfortunately," Pierce said.

He later offered a resolution, similar to what 47 other Minnesota counties have done in signing onto the statewide system. The resolution passed, although Boler still expressed his doubts.

"Aye, though I don't know why," he said as he cast his vote.

Commissioner Jack Potter asked how committed the county is to the system now that the resolution has passed.

Martin County Sgt. Matt Klages, who has been working the the radio communications program, said the resolution allows the county to seek grants available to help pay for the system.