Nov 20, 2023 By Mike Jones 2 min read

Washington County officials have formally approved a settlement with two municipalities following the dispute over the new emergency radio system.

The commissioners voted unanimously during their Thursday meeting to approve the settlement with Peters Township and North Strabane after the two communities and their public safety leaders sued the county last month trying to block the implementation of the MRA radio system.

The last-minute settlement was reached Oct. 26 following a hearing before Judge Gary Gilman in Washington County Court of Common Pleas in which the two municipalities argued that the proper bidding process was not followed and the new radio system could endanger public safety.

The settlement allows for Peters Township to remain on its current and independent 911 radio platform, and would allow for North Strabane to join, if it so chooses. The settlement requires that Washington County ensures there is compatibility between the differing 911 systems and pay for any upgrades or replacements to the current system, according to a copy of the approved agreement.

The agreement also requires the county’s current consultant on the project, V-COMM, to review the contract and confirm MRA’s adherence to it, while also providing a written report to the commissioners and public safety subcommittee that was involved in the process from the beginning.

Peters Township Council voted on the settlement at its Nov. 13 meeting, and the North Strabane Township supervisors are expected to approve it at their Nov. 28 meeting. After North Strabane ratifies the settlement, the agreement can officially move forward.

The county commissioners voted 2-1 on March 16 to approve a $22.545 million bid from MRA for the new radio system, with Commissioners Diana Irey Vaughan and Larry Maggi voting in favor and Commissioner Nick Sherman dissenting. But more than seven months after the contract was approved, Controller April Sloane refused to make the initial downpayment over concerns about how the bidding process was handled.

Several fire, police and EMS officials raised concerns before and after the vote about the reliability of the MRA system, and said they preferred a different system from vendor Motorola. Peters Township and North Strabane sued the county over concerns about the effectiveness of the MRA radio system and the bidding process that selected it.

The parameters of the settlement last month allowed for the downpayment to immediately be made to MRA in order for the process to move forward under the original terms of the contract.