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Falls City Council takes no action on dispatch proposal

By John Nixon

07/08/2021

(KLZA)-- The Falls City Council took no action on a proposal from the Southeast Nebraska 911 Center to provide dispatching services for Falls City as part of a regional dispatching service when they met Wednesday evening.

Richardson County has approved a three-year agreement to utilize the regional service at a year one cost of $180-thousand plus one time costs for a new radio tower and new radio equipment. The cost proposed for Falls City to join was $130-thousand for the first year. The current dispatching budget for Falls City is approximately $250-thousand.

Council President Mitch Merz said he did not believe this is the time to make a change in dispatching due to the amount of uncertainties for the City. Merz noted that for the foreseeable future the City has the necessary equipment with no major costs coming.

City Administrator Gary Jorn said conversations with a member of the Public Service Commission staff cleared up some questions raised about the future of dispatching regulations.

Jorn said there is no state mandate to go regional and no state regulation at this time requiring two 911 dispatchers be on duty at all times.

The Public Service Commission personnel also said once you lose your Public Service Answering Point, it is gone for good and you will not get it back.

Jorn said he feels as long as the City can afford to pay for the local dispatch service they should keep it.