Logan-area 9-1-1 director asks Trenton council to consider fee increase to boost dispatch staffing

At the Trenton City Council meeting, Christie Walker, director of the regional 9-1-1 dispatch center housed at the Logan City Police Department, asked the council to consider an amendment to the dispatch service fees that pay for the center’s operations.

Walker said the dispatch center’s fee structure was established in February 2002 and a related radio account fee was added in February 2013 and “there hasn't been any adjustment to either of those since.” She told the council the center is funded by 9-1-1 fees on utility and wireless bills and by contracts with agencies such as the Utah Highway Patrol and Utah State University. “We are an enterprise fund,” she said. “All of the revenue that comes in, we are able to sustain ourselves in where we're at.”

Why it matters: Walker said call volume is up and staffing has not kept pace. “In 02/2013, we're taking now 20,000 more calls of service a year than we were in 2013, but our staffing is the same,” she said. She described current staffing and recruiting challenges and urged the council to consider the proposed fee amendment so the center can raise wages and add personnel to maintain public-safety response capacity.

Details of the proposal and staffing: Walker said the center has funding for 20 full-time dispatcher positions, currently employs 14 full‑time dispatchers and has two employees in training, leaving “4 full time positions that are open and unfilled.” She described recent starting‑wage increases and competition from nearby employers, saying, “Box Elder pays $27.50 for their starting wage, and Rich County pays $26. Right now, our starting wage is $22.85.” Walker also said that as of November the starting wage had been $20.85 and that the center reduced headcount to fund emergency raises.

On funding, Walker explained how fees appear on bills: “On your utility bill you paid, $3,” she said, and added the center also receives wireless 9-1-1 fees and revenue from agencies that pay the center to dispatch for them. She warned that grant funds cannot be used for guaranteed wage increases because grants are not guaranteed revenue.

Walker summarized the fee amendment she presented: a 10% increase in the first year starting July 1, which she described as “a $36.30 cent increase for that 1 year,” followed by 3% increases each year for four consecutive years, “for a total of approximately 71¢ per month per household,” as she described it in the meeting. (Numbers presented in the meeting were stated by the director and quoted exactly where phrasing was unclear.)

Council reaction and next steps: Council members asked procedural questions, including whether the council would need to adopt the amendment immediately. City staff present said the item was not placed on that night's agenda. Walker said she would provide the council with clearer information about what a council vote would mean for residents and welcomed council members and staff to tour the dispatch center. She also accepted a council member’s suggestion to share job‑opening notices more widely and said she would provide material the council could include in its newsletter.

No formal motion or vote occurred on the fee amendment during the meeting.

Context: The center is housed at the Logan City Police Department and staffs dispatch for multiple agencies, Walker said. She urged local officials to see the operation in person: “I invite you to do that,” she told the council. The discussion did not produce a council decision; Walker requested the council consider the amendment for a July 1 start and said she would follow up with requested information.