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New Carlisle OKs Clark County dispatch contract after debate over coverage and ordinance enforcement
Summary
City Council approved a one-year contract with the Clark County Sheriff's Office for fire and EMS dispatching after questions about cost increases, how the county counts coverage days and whether deputies will enforce New Carlisle ordinances.
City Council of the City of New Carlisle approved a contract with the Clark County Sheriff's Office to continue fire and EMS dispatching services, with council accepting the agreement by a 6-1 vote.
The mayor and city manager told council the contract increases the city's dispatch cost by $2,398 over the prior year to a total of $35,948. The county computes the city's share by multiplying a $22-per-run rate by the city's annual run total, officials said.
Council members pressed staff and the fire chief for details about how the figure was calculated and whether the city could bill for dispatch expenses. The fire chief said the city bills only for ambulance transports; fire calls or non-transport EMS responses are not routinely billed. The chief also provided the recent run count used for the contract calculation (about 1,600 runs in 2023).
Several council members raised two recurring concerns: that county deputies may be off duty for up to 10 days with no replacement in the town and that deputies sometimes do not enforce local ordinances. Those concerns prompted a failed motion to table the ordinance so edits could be negotiated and then a subsequent motion to approve the contract. Councilmembers following the final vote said staff should discuss coverage levels and enforcement expectations with the sheriff and return with answers.
City officials said the contract is written for five deputy positions now, with the possibility to amend if council later decides to add a sixth deputy. The manager said amendments could be proposed if both parties agree.
Councilman votes on the final approval were recorded as: Councilwoman Wright, yes; Councilman Lindsay, yes; Vice Mayor Eggleston, yes; Mayor Cook, no; Councilwoman Grove, yes; Councilman Bond, yes; Councilman Chaney, yes. The motion carried 6-1.
Staff said the city will pay the contract in two semiannual payments and that the annual charge will vary with the number of runs in the next contract year.
Council directed the city manager to open preliminary discussions with Sheriff Chris Clark about the coverage and enforcement questions and to report back to council; officials said they would seek a written understanding where possible.
