Saint Clair County Commission renews 9-1-1 software contracts, approves engineering work and grant pursuits; SRO funding tabled

The Saint Clair County Commission on Sept. 23 approved a package of operational renewals for the county 9‑1‑1 communications system, authorized an engineering agreement for work related to the I‑20/Kelly Creek interchange and agreed to pursue multiple grant opportunities while tabling a separate decision on SRO (school resource officer) funding until its Sept. 30 called meeting.

The meeting, held in Asheville, opened with the commission taking voice votes to approve renewal subscriptions and maintenance for the county 9‑1‑1 computer-aided dispatch and support systems and related software. The board approved line-item renewals that the 9‑1‑1 director presented, including a CAD system support contract ($93,750) and several smaller subscriptions and mapping and analytics tools. The commission also approved a second set of digital and mobile subscriptions, including Starlink connections, mobile carrier services and mapping licenses; the item was approved by voice vote as read into the record.

Why it matters: the renewals keep the county’s emergency-dispatch software, mapping and mobile data services active for fiscal year 2026, which county leaders described as essential to operations in a rapidly evolving digital environment for dispatch.

The commission approved an engineering agreement with Sane and Associates for corridor survey and roadway plans tied to the I‑20/Kelly Creek interchange. County Engineer Dan Dahlke identified the contract amount as $230,239 and said the work will be the first of multiple engineering phases that the project will require. Dahlke and commissioners noted that part of the project work involves state and federal property and approvals and that the county has previously received an allocation that will cover portions of the work; the county must provide a 20% match on some funds. Dahlke and the board described the project as long-term and said additional engineering and coordination with state and federal agencies will be needed before major construction begins.

The board also authorized county staff to pursue a Rural Transportation Assistance (RTA) grant and other transportation funding opportunities and ratified…