Cost ‘savings’
and services
questioned at
meeting

By Misti Drew
Tribune-Courier News Editor
mdrew@tribunecourier.com

BENTON – Local officials from around the county gathered in fiscal court chambers last Tuesday to hear an E911 outsourcing proposal from the Kentucky State Police.

For the past several months, county and city officials have been exploring funding options for the ailing service, including short-term contributions, taxes and outsourcing options.

Captain Nathan Kent of the Kentucky State Police presented a budgetary proposal to local officials, claiming the county could save some $282,944 the first year and $382,944 subsequently each year thereafter, without any notable changes in service by outsourcing.

A five-month time frame was given as a projected date of completion following project approval.

Consolidation costs were estimated to be in the neighborhood of $100,000, with the county paying $125,000 in addition to all revenue generated through wireless surcharges annually for KSP dispatch service.

Included in KSP’s proposal were plans to reduce county dispatcher numbers by 50 percent, from eight to four, and eliminating the E911 director’s position, currently filled by veteran police officer Jeff Daniel.

Additionally, Kent said other benefits of outsourcing included the ability to use 911’s office space for another county agency and the ability for the county to “absolve” itself of all civil liability.

KSP currently dispatches for 11 counties and staffs four to five dispatchers during day and evening shifts, and two on nights.

Kent and Senior KSP Dispatcher Sherri Clapp stated an additional benefit of outsourcing through KSP would be “added emergency responders for citizens.”

Clapp stated with the push of one button, KSP dispatch could send multiple agencies (in-county and out-of-county) to respond to calls.

However, many of these claims were disputed by various attendees of the meeting.

Marshall County Dispatcher Jana Maxlow addressed Clapp by stating that on numerous occasions, Marshall County E911 dispatchers have been advised by KSP dispatch that “no officers were available,” even when they were being requested to assist in-county.

Marshall County Sheriff Kevin Byars also questioned where the additional manpower would be coming from, as most agencies, including KSP are already understaffed. “Which counties are you going to take them out of?” Byars asked. Kent said that was a decision he would have to make.

Kent confirmed that he had been made aware of similar issues through a report from another sheriff and said he recently addressed such with KSP personnel.

“You’re not going to hear from us again that we have nobody available,” he said.

Byars questioned Kent and Clapp on the specifics of dispatching Marshall County’s heavy call volume, as well.
Clapp stated KSP dispatch has answered 37,000 calls for 11 counties this year, to date.

Byars confirmed with Daniel that more than 46,000 calls were fielded by Marshall County dispatchers last year alone.

He questioned KSP’s proposal of adding one additional dispatcher per shift for almost twice the call volume. “I don’t think that’s gonna cut it,” Byars said.

Byars also questioned should the county outsource, would KSP assign one dispatcher for Marshall County exclusively?

Clapp said she “hopes” one would be assigned to Marshall County, but stated KSP dispatchers are all cross-trained to answer calls for all counties.

“What we have now are two dispatchers totally dedicated to Marshall County,” Byars reiterated. Daniel added, there are only 16 hours per-week where just one dispatcher is on duty.
Questions regarding reported KSP time delays were also addressed.

“It’s instantaneous,” Clapp said. “It’s all the same. Responders and callers should not know any difference. There will be no time delays whatsoever.”

After discussion of further concerns, including the availability of hard copy warrants, Byars said, “This will just not be the same type of service in my opinion.”

While the meeting was intended to be informal in nature, no action was taken.

However, Miller did take the opportunity to address Benton City Attorney Marty Johnson and Calvert City Attorney Greg Northcutt, asking whether their respective city councils had decided to contribute to help keep E911 afloat.

Johnson said while he was not there officially representing the city of Benton, “I can tell you where the difficulty is coming in. They don’t know how you would deal with it on an ‘equitable basis.’ That is a serious issue.”

Johnson said Benton residents already pay tax on their phones, as well as city and county taxes.

Miller pointed to the 911 inter-local agreement between the cities and county as a basis for his question.

“That was signed because when we started out, we didn’t know what they were going to end up with, we didn’t know if they were going to get a dime,” Johnson said. “We were willing to commit that we would participate, whatever it took, but we said it would have to be equitable.”

Northcutt gave a similar response, “I don’t represent Calvert or anyone other than myself, but the idea that we are all faced with is that in 21 months, the agreement will expire.”

Northcutt said language in the agreement is written so vaguely, that implementing it fairly is next to impossible.

He said while he was certain the cities and county would probably not be in agreement regarding the inter-local contract, he said he felt all involved were on the right track by continuing to explore all possible options.

Both cities are expected to take up the issue in their next council meetings, as the future of Marshall County’s E911 system continues to hang in the balance.