Houston County amends 911 budget, approves part-time hire and equipment upgrades

Houston County commissioners and staff on an operational budget call amended the county 911 budget, authorized several technology upgrades and approved hiring a part-time dispatcher support position for the county dispatch office.

The changes include authorization to use current-year funds to replace aging 9-1-1 phone/computer equipment and to update radio/gateway equipment; authorization for a part-time hire at $15 per hour (up to 24 hours per week) to assist dispatch staff; and board direction to revise salary lines for next year’s budget. The board voted to adopt the budget as amended.

Why it matters: The county’s 911 center described multiple aging systems — including a decades-old uninterruptible power supply (UPS), desktop and CAD computers running unsupported software, and older portable radios — and told the board those items present both reliability and interoperability risks for emergency response. The budget amendments and purchases are intended to address near-term failures and to position the center to use recently available services such as RapidSOS and upgraded gateway connections.

County staff described equipment problems and options during the meeting. They said the UPS at one site is at or past its useful life and noted previous battery replacement costs in the tens of thousands of dollars for similar units; staff recommended a 90-minute run-time baseline and a vendor service contract so diagnostics and routine maintenance reduce downtime. The staff presentation referenced two equipment quotes included in the packet: $13,800 for replacement of Windows‑7-era 9‑1‑1 phone/computer units and $16,500 to upgrade Zetron/radio gateway components to remain compatible with new tower and gateway infrastructure. The board approved using funds from the current fiscal year to pay for those upgrades.

Holly, a Houston County staff member who presented the packet and budget detail, summarized the equipment and contract positions and told the board the two upgrade lines “have to be done” to keep communications systems current. She also described RapidSOS integration the county will receive at no charge to begin, and a vendor “easy button” feature to speed handoffs to mutual‑aid ambulance providers.

Personnel moves: Board members approved a motion allowing Holly to hire a part-time employee to assist with dispatch duties. The motion specified up to 24 hours per week at $15 per hour, and an addendum set the hire to begin within two weeks and no later than May 1. Board members said the county has money in the current payroll line to cover the position this fiscal year.

Salary and budget direction: The board spent significant time reviewing salary structures for dispatch staff, discussing regional comparators (Stewart, Humphreys, Montgomery counties) and the county’s difficulty recruiting and retaining certified dispatchers. Commissioners proposed and debated several approaches — flat per-hour increases, tenure-based steps and certification‑linked raises — and directed staff to produce an updated salary allocation to present at the next meeting. As part of the overall amended budget the board added approximately $41,000 to the salary line (amendments applied to the packet presented) and made other small adjustments; the board then voted to accept the budget as amended.

Other service and maintenance notes: Staff asked the board to budget for routine service plans and remote diagnostics for generators and UPS units, noting a contractor recently quoted about $400 for generator service visits and staff recommended factoring recurring battery replacement costs into future budgets. Staff also reported several software and hardware vendors — GeoConnect (CAD vendor), Zetron (radio equipment) and third‑party generator/dealer service vendors — will perform upgrades or provide integration services in coming weeks.

Votes at a glance - Motion to allow hiring a part-time dispatch support position (up to 24 hours/week at $15/hour), with hire to begin in two weeks and no later than May 1 — Passed (mover: Speaker 2; second: Speaker 1). Note: motion text and timing were recorded in the meeting packet and minutes. - Motion to use current‑year funds to pay for two near‑term equipment upgrades (9‑1‑1 phone/computer replacements, $13,800; and Zetron/gateway updates, $16,500) — Passed (mover: Speaker 2; second: Speaker 8). - Motion to accept the budget as amended (salary-line increases and other line adjustments described in the meeting) — Passed (mover recorded; motion carried by voice vote).

What remains: The board directed staff to return next month with a specific salary-revision proposal (including costs and phasing) and to finalize vendor quotes and service agreements for the UPS/generator maintenance and radio equipment purchases. Staff also said they will continue RapidSOS and GeoConnect integration work and report back about training and any recurring costs.

Ending: The board set the next meeting for the fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. and asked staff to circulate the revised budget figures and vendor quotes to commissioners by email before the next meeting.