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E911 board approves $85,000 reinstatement to Cortez dispatch; Laurie Johnson says phone system site‑B will be tested Oct. 16
Summary
At an E911 board meeting Laurie Johnson reported the site‑B phone system should be ready for testing Oct. 16 and a remaining contract payment of $155,547.42 will be requested; the board voted to reinstate an $85,000 payout to the Cortez dispatch center to help offset user agency costs in the 2026 budget.
At the Montezuma County E911 board meeting Laurie Johnson provided equipment and budget updates and the board voted to reinstate an $85,000 annual payout to the Cortez dispatch center from E911 authority funds.
Johnson said the long‑troubled site‑B phone system had progressed to the testing phase and the vendor planned to test on October 16; if testing is successful the vendor will request the remaining contract payment of $155,547.42. "They let me know this week that they're ready to test it. They think they've got all of the bugs worked out, and we'll be testing it on October 16," she said.
Sheriff Don Wilson reported his agency's new dispatch center console and glassed‑in layout are installed and that the upgraded radio system has improved safety for dispatchers.
The board reviewed budget projections and a proposal from a county communications advisory group to return $85,000 from the E911 fund to help offset user‑agency charges for dispatching services. The administrator noted the county had last made a similar payment in 2020 and that the fund balance, after maintaining a $500,000 reserve, would remain sufficient under current projections until approximately 2029. The board debated whether the payment should be recurring; one member recommended leaving it as a discretionary annual decision rather than automatic.
A formal motion to reinstate the $85,000 payout for fiscal year 2026 passed after a second. Members present responded "Aye" and the chair declared the motion approved.
Ending: Johnson said the phone‑system finalization and any remaining invoices will come through the E911 budget process; the board will continue planning radio and dispatch infrastructure replacements.
