Well one thing you have to realize is that I wouldn't be using these under normal circumstances. In any situation where I'm actually using them, the FCC no longer exists. So please keep that in mind.
Buying radios and then not using them isn't a good plan. I go through this at work all the time. Departments buy "cache" radios for emergencies, and put them on a shelf. When the emergency happens, they pull the radios off the shelf and have no clue what to do with them. The batteries are usually dead, too.
If you want reliable communications, buy something that you'll use frequently. Familiarization with the equipment will give you a higher level of success.
There's a number of ways to achieve what you want and still meet the FCC requirements. From first glance, it almost seems like thumbing your nose at the FCC is your #1 goal. Maybe that's been misread, but I've seen a few people show up on this board that specifically seem to want to ignore the rules. None of us are the radio police, so do whatever you want to do. You've asked questions, they've been answered, but you seem to keep looping back around.
1 square mile isn't hard to cover if you use the right gear. Itinerant frequencies, as mentioned by clbsqured, is a good option. Done right, no one is going to care if you don't have a license, but yes, technically you DO need one. But you need to stick to the itinerants and understand that they are shared frequencies. If you want your own channel, then you do need to do it right. Far too many inexperienced users assume that just because they cannot hear other users that they are not interfering with others. This isn't necessarily the case. Don't go wandering off onto frequencies that are not itinerants and that you are not licensed for. Nothing is going to draw attention to yourself faster than causing interference to public safety users. And it's really easy to do.
Keep your power low. More wattage isn't better. You need what you need to cover your area, no more, no less. Don't fall into the CB'er attitude.
Get some cheap DMR radios with basic encryption. Have them programmed for one or a few of the VHF itinerant frequencies. Understand that some fast food drive throughs use those channels, as do a lot of contractors and businesses, so don't be surprised if you occasionally hear other traffic. Roll with it. It's not your private channel.
Make sure you buy radios that will accept AA alkaline batteries. Rechargeable batteries won't like sitting unused on a shelf for very long. Buy a bunch of alkaline batteries at Home Depot and just swap them out every year.
Make sure you and your neighbors use the radios occasionally so all users are familiar with how they work, where they work, and where they don't work. Inexperienced users are going to do all kinds of stupid things with the radios, so make sure they get that out of their system before stuff hits the fan. Doesn't matter how simple you make the radios, they'll just make a dumber user.
I'm not sure how to make this any simpler for you. You are not the first one to show up with these questions. It's all been hashed out before. The answers are the same. Your approach, your need, your budget, your ultimate goals are not unique. Listen to what others are telling you.
