The project will involve underground cable along Bigger Road, ending in Centerville just south of I-675. The project should be completed within the next six months.
The main purpose is to allow the police departments to communicate more effectively, but it will also allow the cities to share costs for phone systems and servers, Schwieterman said. When the cities are connected, one city can serve as a backup for police dispatch and city phone lines.
“We’re working toward a point where, if one city goes down, the other can provide the essential services,” Schwieterman said.
The project is expected to cost Centerville $116,00 and Kettering $30,000. Kettering City Council approved a resolution last week enabling the cities to move forward with the project.
“We are working on bid specifications right now, and once those are complete, the bids will go out,” said Steve Hinshaw, Centerville’s information technologies manager. “We’re hoping to have the bids out by the end of December.”
A fiber optic connection already exists between Kettering and Oakwood, meaning that the addition of Centerville will create a continuous fiber path through the three cities.
The cities are members of the Miami Valley Communications Council, a municipal communications and technology organization that represents Centerville, Germantown, Kettering, Miamisburg, Moraine, Oakwood, Springboro and West Carrollton. One of the goals of the council is to develop and implement intergovernmental projects designed to strengthen communications between member cities and their citizens.
“It’s really about providing the backbone to assist the cities in future collaborative efforts,” Schwieterman said. “Hopefully in the future, fiber connectivity will keep us from being in a position where residents’ services would be affected.”
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