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Support varies for dispatch solutions

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KennyD
Monday, February 21, 2011: 2:52 pm
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Mayor Deckard,

I would like to say thank you for sticking to your guns on this issue. It's nice to see that the Mayor is concerned with the city employees wages and benefits.

I believe that the dispatchers from what I have witnessed and come to understand do a good job.

I fail to understand why the state would hand down a mandate without so much as funding a penny to accomplish it; or in the relatively short time frame to do it in.

I am curious as to what the city/county can do as far as petitioning the state on an extension for the deadline. That way if there is a need for a temporary tax, or an agreement for joint funding allocation between the three entities there would be a little more time.

Doug Arthur
Monday, February 21, 2011: 3:37 pm
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I like Kenny Hale, but Kenny can blame the Mayor for taking 'heat' from his Dispatchers all he wants. Here�s my guess� I choose to believe that the Mayor knows a good sound public safety service when he sees one. I know first hand how important public safety is to the Mayor,.� we�ve talked. Anyway, it�s easier to blame the help than this misguided plan. Mooresville�s Dispatchers base salary and the County's Dispatchers base salary difference is $2,932.80. Not much of an adjustment needed there. The base salary difference between the City and County is $ 7,450.00. And wouldn't it make more sense as Chief Viles stated; to have a Northern and a Southern dispatch center. Great idea, let the County and Mooresville combine for the North and Martinsville can do the Southern part of the County. Chief Viles misspoke about Martinsville�s Dispatch Center flooding out in 2008. It did not flood out at all. Just like most of the County they lost power, for about an hour, had a generator in place and actually dispatched for Owen County for awhile. The Statewide 911 system is full of redundancy between centers for just such disasters. Has Mooresville been approached on combining? I've not read much about that, if so, what was their response? I have done research on this 911 combo mandate. I have talked to people that actually do the dispatching. Could it be Martinsville is the mark because we (I know� I've heard it won't cost Martinsville any money�what,....you have snake oil for sale?) are the cash cow?

ConfusedAgain
Monday, February 21, 2011: 3:45 pm
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First off, understand that the funds to purchase equipment for the different centers come from 9-1-1 funds which are allocated through the County. So if they want to keep their centers, they should fund them.

In regards to the pay, a Dispatcher is a professional position and should be paid as one. Martinsville PD probably is the closet to paying a good salary. I do think that making a centralized dispatch makes more sense, and is more cost effective for the taxpayer.

Someone other than Kenny Hale should lead this project. He first off, knows nothing about it. His many positions and pay checks (3), are a definite conflict of interest, but no one apparently can see this. He has told so many people what they wanted to hear, and now cannot provide one thing he has promised. He is also trying to combine Fire and EMS service, and once again knows nothing about it.

Wake up Morgan County!

KennyD
Monday, February 21, 2011: 4:15 pm
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Confused again,

You're saying that equipment in City Hall for the Dispatch center is funded from the county...not the city? Yet the city pays the wages/benefits for the dispatchers? Is that correct? I'm not saying you're wrong. I apparently operated under the assumption it all was funded through the city.

The Mayor
Monday, February 21, 2011: 4:29 pm
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Thanks Doug!

To The Point
Monday, February 21, 2011: 4:30 pm
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Thanks KennyD!

The Mayor
Monday, February 21, 2011: 4:32 pm
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And Kenny D....I agree with you & To the Point. Thanks for taking the time to respond to an important issue along with Doug. Phil Deckard

Spanky
Monday, February 21, 2011: 5:28 pm
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KennyD,

Let me see if I can help.

Every telephone line user pays a fee, $1.10 per hard line and $.50 per cell in Morgan County. This includes pagers, air cards, fax machines; anything using a telephone communication line. This tax money is then returned to counties bases upon their population.

When the law was written, the state made each county government the fiscal overseer of their local 911 monies with the requirement that the county was responsible for purchasing (using 911 fee money paid by everyone, including those living within the city of Martinsville and town of Mooresville, who has a telephone line) any needed equipment, or manpower, necessary for the monitoring of 911 calls. This used to include a vast array of items, but has recently been severely limited on the acceptable uses.

So while, without an explanation, it sounds like the county is paying for the Martinsville & Mooresville dispatch centers, in all reality, they are simply dispersing the funds they've received from fees paid by telephone line users from the entire state of Indiana, including those residing within Martinsville & Mooresville. Remember, the amount returned to each county is based upon their entire county population.

There are differences between the formulas used to determine a county's allotment as far as hardline and cell phone lines, but for the most part it's by the number of residents in a county.

Rest assured, the residents of cities & towns are paying their way, but must rely on the decisions of county officials to determine how or if the fees they've paid benefit them.

If anyone is truly interested in the particulars of this law, check out Indiana Code 36-8-16 1 through 19.

Also, it may interest you to know that Rep. Ralph Foley was co-sponsor of Indiana House Bill HB-1569. This bill would require that by 2015 each county have only 1 public safety answering point. In my opinion, Mr. Foley is very in love with the way things are operated in Hendricks County, which he also represents a portion of, and wishes Morgan County could be more like them. Also, in my opinion, this bill is simply the next step to eliminating local control(aka LOCAL GOVERNMENT) and putting the whiz-kids of state government in charge of your life.

KennyD
Monday, February 21, 2011: 8:44 pm
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Thanks Spanky!

driver
Monday, February 21, 2011: 9:57 pm
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To ConfusedAgain I agree with your statement 100%. Good old Kenny knows nothing about setting up a dispatch center. He gets his name and picture in the paper more then anyone else I know. When the meetings are over he stands outside smokes and blows off about how much he knows. I can't understand why the paper never says anything about his three pay checks but want's to keep hammer the township Trustee about the money they make and don't get it printed right half the time. But in this County anything good old Kenny does is just fine in most of our Elected Officer's eye's when are they going to wake up and see Kenny for who he is.

Liberty
Tuesday, February 22, 2011: 8:03 am
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If the functionality and economic efficiency isn't the only focus of any governmental unit then personal feelings and considerations of who takes what from the citizens wallets as personal income makes the whole system and anyone involve corrupt.

I could never bring myself to vote for a corrupt person. To deceive the young and elderly in the community by forcibly taking their money for any purpose other than what's the most efficient and functional is a crime deceitfully presented by the corrupt as compassion.

ConfusedAgain
Tuesday, February 22, 2011: 10:47 am
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Thanks to Spanky for clearing up the funding issue. The money is actually user fee money paid in your phone bill. The money is then distributed and/or budgeted through the Morgan County Council. The 9-1-1 Board makes recommendations.

The County however, will be taken out of the loop at some point and the money will be controlled by the State. So, if there is any thought of going to a centralized dispatch, I think the time is now if we can get through all the politics.

12 comments found