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Kootenai County outlines ~$8.5M plan for new 911 center, officials say Motorola discount could cut equipment costs
Summary
County staff presented a concept to duplicate the OEM building for a new 911 center (9,000 sq ft plus 6,000 sq ft basement) with a preliminary construction estimate of about $8.5 million and equipment quotes from Motorola that county staff said could fall from $7.3 million to below $5 million; officials said E911 fees and fund reserves would be primary funding sources pending final quotes.
Jeff Oler, Kootenai County's building and grounds director, presented a concept to build a new 911 center adjacent to the county's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) facility and walked the board through preliminary plans and cost estimates.
Oler said the concept would duplicate the OEM building to create roughly 9,000 square feet on the main floor with a 6,000-square-foot basement to house infrastructure, plus a communications tower. He described the layout as a dispatch center colocated with OEM to improve coordination during critical incidents.
The county's preliminary construction-cost breakdown included an estimated $6.5 million for building construction, about $280,000 for contingency, roughly $170,000 for permits and fees, $600,000 for architecture and engineering, $125,000 for special fees, about $500,000 for high-end dispatch furnishings, and a $250,000 communications tower. "So, we're looking at approximately $8.5 million would be our rough estimate for the center in terms of construction costs," Oler said.
Oler also described a separate equipment-and-technology estimate from Motorola covering 911 call handling, radio consoles, long-term recording, a new radio tower, mass notification, and the county's Spillman Flex CAD subscription. He said the un-discounted estimate was about $7.3 million but that Motorola had proposed bundled discounts that could reduce that equipment cost to below $5 million, which Oler characterized as a roughly $2.3 million savings. "They've assured me that they can get the price down from 7.3 down below $5 million," he told the board, and he said he expected written quotes before April 1.
Funding questions focused on the E911 fund and annual 911-fee receipts. Oler said the county nets about $1.4 million in 911 revenue after remittances to the city of Post Falls. Budget staffer Brandy Falcon told the board the E911 fund balance in the transcript was described as "about 1.2 2 million" and that the county currently nets roughly $700,000–$800,000 a year after remittances; she emphasized the precise amount that could be applied to this proposal would depend on finalized vendor quotes and a detailed review of current maintenance obligations.
Board members probed alternatives, including renovating the existing building. Presenters said the current facility is old and cannot be remodeled without interrupting operations; they noted the county already maintains backup arrangements with Post Falls and the Idaho State Police, reducing the immediate need for a fully separate local hard backup. Oler emphasized operational benefits of co-locating OEM and 911, saying proximity would improve communications during major incidents.
Next steps: Oler said he would share finalized written quotes when they are available and the board did not take a formal vote on the project during the meeting. Staff indicated more detailed cost and funding analysis would be provided for a future decision.
Ending: The board moved on to other agenda items after the presentation; no contract or appropriation was approved at this meeting.
