Bay Village leaders debate countyfunded consolidated dispatch; no decision yet

Bay Village officials spent the bulk of their April 7 meeting discussing a Cuyahoga County initiative to consolidate emergency dispatch services in a single West Side center, but took no formal vote and instead asked the mayor to pursue more information from the county and from North Olmsted.

The issue matters because the county is offering capital assistance to cities that commit to a consolidated, single-location dispatch center. At the meeting, council and the chiefs said the proposal could improve coordination among fire, police and EMS but raised questions about costs, where the center would be located and whether WestcomBay Villagecurrent dispatch partnerwould join.

Mayor Kumar, who attended a presentation by North Olmsted earlier in the week, said North Olmstedwhich is pursuing upgrades and has recruited dispatch staff from other agenciespresented a complete plan but did not yet offer a single consolidated option that met the countys stated preference for one location. "I did have, met with Mayor Clough on Friday morning. And, at this point, they don't have a plan to present for consolidated option," Kumar said. He told council he would seek clarity from Cuyahoga County about the countys expectations and whether an extension of the county's May 1 deadline was possible.

Fire Chief Christopher Lyons and other public safety leaders urged caution and said they want any consolidated model to preserve the operational quality Bay Village receives today. "We want to maintain that," Lyons said, emphasizing chiefspriority that fire, EMS and police be on "equal footing" in any consolidated center and that a fire supervisor be included in the model. Lyons and others stressed the need for robust operational protocols and governance under a council-of-governments (COG) arrangement so local fire and police chiefs retain influence over procedures.

Representatives of Westcom, the current West Shore consolidated dispatch, urged council to visit dispatch centers and speak with on-duty staff before making decisions. "It's like go to a car dealership and look at a car, but you're gonna wanna test drive it," said Brian Dietz, who identified himself as a Westcom employee with more than eight yearsexperience. Dietz and others warned that switching to a different computer-aided dispatch (CAD) platform and different radio frequencies could change the real-time situational awareness that firefighters and medics currently use.

Council members and chiefs noted several open questions: whether Westcom would move as a unit into North Olmsted; what capital and future replacement costs cities would be responsible for (North Olmsted estimated $2.5$3 million of future expansion costs); whether the county would withhold funding if fewer than the desired number of cities committed; and what contractual governance a COG would require. Councilman Dan Reddick and Councilwoman Lydia DeGeorge joined other members in asking the mayor to pursue three follow-ups: (1) ask County Councilman Kelly whether the county will extend the May 1 deadline, (2) request additional details and a plan from Mayor Clough of North Olmsted about West Side siting options and how Westcom's experience would be integrated, and (3) obtain clearer estimates of capital and operating costs beyond the figures shown in earlier presentations.

No formal motion to join a consolidated center or to terminate Westcom was offered; council voted only on procedural items later in the meeting. Mayor Kumar and the chiefs said they would continue parallel pathsexploring North Olmsted's option while preserving the city's ability to evaluate alternatives if full county support or Westcom participation is not available. "I'm trying to look right now to go back to the COG meeting," Kumar said. "... I see this as a parallel path of wanting to tell the county we really think this is a realistic option to sort of merge Westcom into that, and let's continue to have those discussions."