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Bountiful council approves 90‑day trial of Hyper nonemergency call software to ease dispatch workload
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Summary
The council approved a $60,000 agreement and a 90‑day test of Hyper’s virtual call‑taking software intended to handle routine nonemergency calls; staff said Hyper could potentially handle up to 75% of nonemergency volume and that audit tools and a contract true‑up are part of the proposal.
The Bountiful City Council on March 10 approved a contract and trial period for Hyper, a vendor offering automated nonemergency call‑taking software, with the stated aim of reducing pressure on dispatchers and improving bilingual handling and translation services.
Chief Bealer presented the proposal, saying the software is “designed to function as a virtual call taker, which relieves staffing pressures by automating a portion of the routine non emergency phone calls” and that Hyper estimates it “could potentially reach 75% of that call volume.” He told the council Hyper would provide system configuration, training and quality assurance and that Bountiful would retain ownership of its data.
Council members pressed on auditability and costs. Chief Bealer said calls and transcripts would be reviewable so staff could determine whether callers needed to repeat themselves and whether adjustments were required, and that the city could back out of the agreement if the system did not perform as hoped. He estimated first‑year costs between $13,000 and $20,000 and said the vendor offered a discounted trial price of $0.75 per call for about 90 days; the city’s proposal would apply what the city pays in the test period to any later purchase.
Council members contrasted the software cost with hiring additional dispatchers. Chief Bealer provided a rough comparison, saying an entry‑level dispatcher’s salary alone would be about $54,000 and $91,000 including benefits, and explained the city’s staffing goal of roughly 20 dispatchers even if software reduces call volume.
After discussion about contract terms, reporting and quality assurance during the trial, the council voted to approve the $60,000 contract and trial period and asked staff to work out final contract language and audit procedures with legal counsel.
What’s next: Staff will return with contract details and an agreed audit plan to evaluate the 90‑day trial; continued use and budget treatment will be considered in the next budget cycle.
