Dancers entertain commission members
photo by Claire Henley
Cleveland City Council members voted in favor of splitting funding with Bradley County for the 911 center at Monday’s council meeting.
The new 911 agreement will have the city and county contribute 50 percent each to an increase in funding for the dispatch center. Some councilmen were upset over this agreement because they believe the city is carrying most of the financial responsibility, whereas the county is not coming up with its fair share.
The reason behind this thinking is Bradley County has a higher population than the city of Cleveland. Therefore, according to some councilmen, it is not fair to have the city contribute 50 percent. But, according to City Manager Janice Casteel who serves on the 911 board of directors, though the county has a higher population, the city makes up 71 percent of emergency calls, therefore making the agreement fair.
Vice Mayor George Poe said at an earlier agenda Monday meeting the city should have its own 911 system. “People say it’s not possible. If it fails, I’ve been wrong before.”
Councilman Bill Estes asked what would happen if the city backed out of the agreement altogether. Ms. Casteel replied the city would have to hire its own dispatchers, which would reportedly cost more than the agreement reached to split the funding.
Bradley County EMS Director and Chairman of the 911 Board Danny Lawson said the increase in funding is a fouor-year agreement and eight-year plan that will be phased in by $100,000 increments over the first two years. The agreement asks for $550,000 from both the city and county this year, and $650,000 the next.
The center is short on dispatchers, Mr. Lawson said. The goal of the funding increase is to fund dispatchers and add new employees to the 911 center by year three of the agreement.
“Your contribution is going toward the dispatchers,” Mr. Lawson said.
Council members voted in favor of the agreement after a lengthy discussion.
The same discussion regarding the 911 agreement took place at Monday’s Bradley County Commission meeting. Joe Wilson, who spoke on behalf of the 911 center, said that based on an audit from last year, the city and county population has gone up and the number of emergency calls has gone up, but the number of hired dispatchers has remained the same.
While the majority of commissioners spoke favorably of the 911 agreement, commissioner Milan Blake said he was concerned about entering into a four-year contract where there was no budget projection for the third year.