County review of $235,000 911 system upgrade emphasizes interoperability, asks for final decision by November

Decatur County officials discussed a proposal to replace the county’s two-decade-old 9-1-1 dispatch system with a Motorola VESTA desktop product that staff say would integrate 9-1-1 call handling with the county’s Motorola CAD system and enable future analytics and AI features.

The discussion focused on costs, funding sources and timing. A staff member presenting the plan said the core VESTA product for the county’s four stations is quoted at $223,000 and the mapping upgrade at $12,500; first‑year software maintenance was described as included in the vendor quote. The county’s 9-1-1 board had approved using $125,000 from state 9-1-1 cash surplus and a matching $125,000 from a countywide surplus (a 50/50 split with the city), giving up to $250,000 in available funds.

Why it matters: presenters and the advisory board said the VESTA product would provide interoperability with neighboring centers, a single mapping platform to replace multiple paid maps, and future features such as integrated video, live DOT camera feeds, and AI-assisted call transcription that could speed and improve dispatch accuracy.

Presenters said Solacom, the current vendor, still functions but lacks modern enhancements. “If we upgrade what we currently have, it’s like $65,000,” the presenter said, “and I hate to see $65,000 put into something that’s not gonna get us anything for the future when we put that 65 into what we’re gonna build upon.”

The presenter described specific operational benefits: integrated mapping that would consolidate separate vendor maps, the ability to push data and images to officers, and future analytic and transcription tools. “The AI will transcribe high points of the calls,” the presenter said, and staff could click a transcribed address to jump to the audio playback for verification.

Advisory support and procurement questions: the county’s 9-1-1 advisory group — which the presenter described as including police chiefs, the sheriff and fire chiefs — gave unanimous support and the 9-1-1 executive board also voted in favor. Staff said the VESTA maintenance costs after the first year would not be materially higher than current maintenance and that the first year’s maintenance fee is included in the quoted price.

Timing and next steps: staff said they plan to return with a final recommendation in November and, if approved, to begin work so the county could “go live” with the new system in spring 2026. The presenter requested the council’s agreement in principle to proceed with advertising and formal procurement steps but said the county must wait for required advertisements and internal approvals before signing a contract.

Funding context and safeguards: presenters said roughly $500,000 remained in the state-side 9-1-1 fund and about $700,000 on the county-side fund; the requested draw would be $125,000 from each side and would leave both accounts with sizable reserves. Staff emphasized that these surplus funds are the type of money intended for technology projects.

What was not decided: the council did not take a formal contract award vote at the meeting and staff explicitly said the county must complete advertising and procurement steps and that a November decision timeline is appropriate. Costs beyond the vendor quote (for example, facility work or unexpected integration costs) were noted as possible but not specified.

Ending: staff said they will bring back a formal procurement packet and contract documents after the required advertisement and after further coordination with the city partners; the project timeline as presented anticipates vendor work through late 2025 into spring 2026.