MILLS COUNTY, Texas — At an emergency meeting Sept. 12, 2025, the Mills County Commissioners Court approved an interlocal agreement to allow San Saba County dispatchers to temporarily operate from Mills County’s Law Enforcement Center while San Saba repairs its dispatch facility after a gas leak shut its jail and dispatch operations.

The agreement, approved by voice vote after a motion from Commissioner Williams, authorizes San Saba County dispatch personnel to use space and a dispatch console at the Mills County Law Enforcement Center. Judge Jody Foley of San Saba County and Mills County officials said the arrangement is intended as a short-term measure while San Saba transitions its 9-1-1 operations to a new building across its courthouse.

Judge Jody Foley said San Saba’s jail experienced a gas leak that forced shutdown of the county facility and its dispatch operations, creating the need for an interim location. "They've been unbelievable assets over this last 3 or 4 days in helping us through this, and I really appreciate that," Foley said, thanking Mills County officials and local law-enforcement partners. Sheriff Jones described the technical work needed to link the two systems and said, "It would be a seamless transition."

Why it matters: the arrangement preserves 9-1-1 and radio interoperability for residents of both counties while San Saba works to restore permanent facilities. Mills County staff said the county’s recently upgraded console can host San Saba traffic without interrupting local operations.

Key details: Mills County will provide space and allow San Saba dispatchers to use a Mills County console; officials said two radio channels will be used for Mills (primary and fire) and two for San Saba (primary and fire). Motorola technicians and a vendor referred to as MCA will install encryption equipment and activation keys; officials said MCA can begin that technical work as soon as the agreement is signed. County staff identified minor corrections to the draft agreement (dates and a county-name reference) that were fixed before the vote.

Duration and cost: the written agreement is for six months, though officials said the practical duration could be shorter (an estimated three to four months) if San Saba’s new dispatch space is ready sooner. County staff said they do not expect to charge San Saba a fee under the current arrangement.

Training and coverage: commissioners asked about dispatcher training and radio coverage. Officials said the consoles are recent Motorola installations and should be similar; some short training may be needed but no major retraining is expected. Officials also said Mills County’s tower configuration has been adjusted so radios assigned to San Saba will be active on the county’s system, which staff said should preserve coverage for emergency responders.

Formal action: Commissioner Williams moved to approve the interlocal agreement; a fellow commissioner seconded the motion (the meeting transcript records the second as spoken by the meeting chair). The court approved the agreement by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Next steps: county staff said MCA and Motorola will begin encryption and channel work next week and that San Saba intends to move its permanent dispatch operations to a building it bought earlier in 2025, across its courthouse; officials estimated that permanent relocation and build-out could take roughly three to four months.