E911 board gives price quote to Henry County

The Washington County E911 Board came up with a proposal for what to charge Henry County to use Washington County?s 911 infrastructure. The proposal is to charge Henry County $19,000 per year over the next five years to cover the maintenance on the equipment. Last fall the Henry County Board of Supervisors notified Washington County that Henry County was interested in sharing 911 equipment.

The board discussed what to do if other counties wanted to use Washington County?s 911 equipment. Board member Bill Blum said that he thought it would be reasonable to charge the other counties the same rate based on population. Since Henry County?s population is about 20,200, Washington County would be charging it 94 cents per person per year. Blum said Washington County could charge other counties 94 cents per person as well.

Communications Commission chairman Wes Rich said at the February meeting that the board should be mindful that Lee County also has new 911 equipment and that Henry County could contract with Lee County if Washington County?s quote is too high.

Washington County Communications Supervisor Cara Sorrells said the dispatch center has a five-year warranty on the 911 equipment it installed in September. The dispatch center has to pay a certain fee for maintenance on the equipment, which increases every year. The fee is $7,800 the first year, $12,000 the second year, $23,000 the third, $25,000 the fourth and $27,000 the fifth. Sorrells said the cost of maintenance jumps for the third year because that is when the monitors begin to fail.

Sorrells said that once the warranty is up in five years, the dispatch center will be looking for upgrades to its 911 equipment.

Board chairman Bob Shepherd said Washington County Attorney Larry Brock should review the proposed agreement with Henry County to make sure it was legal. Brock was in attendance and agreed to do that.

Sorrells said Henry County fields far fewer 911 calls than Washington County. Washington County?s population is about 21,700 and its dispatch center receives about 10,000 calls every year. Henry County?s dispatch center receives less than half that at about 4,700 calls per year.

In other news, Washington County Chief Deputy Jared Schneider was at the meeting to ask the board for about $40,000 to purchase six computers to go into the sheriff?s department?s vehicles this fiscal year, plus another six computers next fiscal year. The computers, called Mach computers, have the ability to display on a screen the location of other law enforcement vehicles such as those from the sheriff?s department, city police, Iowa State Patrol, the Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement and sheriff?s department vehicles from other counties. The sheriff?s department has six Mach computers up and running at the present time.

The board members asked Schneider why the computers were so expensive. Schneider said he was not able to secure a grant for this request as he was when he purchased computers in the past. The board asked him if there was any Department of Transportation (DOT) money available, and he said there wasn?t.

The board also asked Schneider why the sheriff?s department is not using the same computers the police department is using, which is laptops in its vehicles. Schneider said he didn?t think those computers would be best for the deputies since they have to drive on rougher roads.

The board agreed to fund up to $40,000 for six Mach computers this fiscal year. The board said it wanted to see how much the first six computers cost before allotting money for the other six. Schneider said he thought the first six computers would probably cost less than $40,000.

Sorrells announced that she had hired Leah Evans from Washington as a part-time dispatcher to fill the position left vacant by Kristin Schmuecker.