Public Safety Committee updates Germantown dispatch consolidation, adopts ordinance and approves radio grant requests
Loading...
Summary
Washington County Public Safety Committee heard an update on Germantown dispatch consolidation, approved an ordinance creating county code 172-24, endorsed continued funding for the county radio grant program, and approved a $60,000 radio grant for West Bend Fire Department that would deplete the program's remaining funds.
The Washington County Public Safety Committee received an update on a multi-stage consolidation of dispatch services with the village of Germantown and approved several related items, including an ordinance and radio grant requests.
County staff reported the consolidation process began in late 2023. On Sept. 3, 2024, Washington County assumed Germantown's third-shift dispatch operations. The county began second-shift dispatching for Germantown on Monday, June 16, and staff said the first-shift takeover is scheduled to start July 7. Project leaders said the overall radio/system cutover is expected to finish in October or November, and those milestones will determine available funding for grants.
On the agenda, the committee adopted Ordinance 2025 to create county code 172-24; a vote was taken in open session and the motion carried. The transcript records no extended debate on the ordinance.
The committee also considered the Washington County Radio Grant Program. A motion to advise staff and the county board that the committee deems the radio grant program important for Washington County carried unanimously. Committee members and staff described the program as a shared-services effort, established several years ago by the county board and used by municipal partners.
Separately, the West Bend Fire Department requested $60,000 from the radio grant fund; the committee approved the request. Committee discussion noted that approving the $60,000 request would deplete the remaining balance in the radio grant fund, and members discussed possible timing and budgeting options, including delaying payment until equipment is needed. The record shows the county's radio-project budget is running under budget but not as much as initially anticipated.
No specific deadlines for returning to the board with a new funding plan were recorded in the transcript; the committee identified the need to find funding in the near future and noted the October-November cutover as a milestone for final project accounting.
