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Commission approves iNDigital contract to modernize 9‑1‑1 system; county to absorb upfront costs
Summary
The commission approved a multi-year contract with InDigital to update the county’s 9‑1‑1 core services to next‑generation IP-based routing and text capabilities, approving an upfront integration cost to be covered from Marshall’s carryover funds; officials warned of higher recurring yearly costs.
Morgan County commissioners voted May 7 to approve a contract with InDigital (branded in the meeting as “InDigital”) to replace legacy 9‑1‑1 call‑handling technology with a next‑generation, IP-based system.
The county’s 9‑1‑1 coordinator presented the advisory board’s recommendation after a competitive procurement and scoring process; InDigital ranked highest on performance and implementation criteria and was selected despite litigation concerns previously raised about the top-scoring vendor. Commissioners approved payment of the initial integration costs drawn from the 9‑1‑1 carryover fund assigned to Marshall (the 9‑1‑1 center manager), with a planned contract kickoff in mid‑May and staged implementation through the summer.
Why it matters: Next‑generation 9‑1‑1 (NG911) moves from copper trunk lines to IP-based call routing, offers better location accuracy and text-message handling, and integrates translation services for non‑English callers. County staff said the new platform should reduce cross‑boundary location errors and improve interoperability with neighboring counties.
Key financial points: The presenter described a one‑time initial outlay for system updates of about $63,005 (figure provided in the vendor quote); staff reported the new package would increase annual operating costs compared with current spending. Meeting materials and the presenter indicated recurring annual costs would rise, with one meeting estimate of roughly $99,575 more per year under the selected configuration. The vendor also agreed to absorb some first‑year text‑service costs to avoid an immediate hit to the county budget; county staff said some ARPA funds had been used previously to pay for a text‑service contract that expires in 2026.
What the commission approved: A motion to accept InDigital as the vendor and to authorize the contract with the initial integration payment. The motion passed in open session; commissioners said staff will circulate the contract and schedule a formal project kickoff. Implementation milestones presented to the commission included a vendor project kickoff mid‑May, a network plan through early June, ESInet transition by mid‑June, followed by carrier migrations through year end.
Concerns and mitigations: Commissioners and staff flagged the higher recurring cost profile and asked the vendor and staff to provide detailed line‑item projections for future budgets; the presenter noted expected savings in trunk line fees and other efficiencies that would partially offset higher service charges over time.
Ending: The contract award sets the county on a multi‑year transition to NG911 technology; commissioners asked staff to brief the public and provide updated budget detail at an upcoming meeting.
