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York County officials review safe-room grant and NextGen 911 rollout; board keeps 911 surcharge at $1
Summary
Officials updated the board on a proposed tornado safe-room grant and the Southeast region’s NextGen 911 implementation; the board set the 2023 landline 911 surcharge at $1 and adopted Resolution 23-1 to formalize funding for 911 services.
York County officials used their Jan. 10 meeting to update commissioners on emergency preparedness projects and the region’s 911 modernization while formally setting the county’s 2023 911 landline surcharge.
Gary Peterson, the county’s emergency management director, said the county has applied for a grant to install a community safe room at the Aging Services building but must meet specific state requirements. "I'm Gary Peterson. I'm the emergency management director for Miller and Seward Counties," he said, and explained that grant rules require layout changes — including a portable restroom — that affect the room’s usable footprint and design. Peterson said he is seeking clarification about engineering-quote and bidding rules so the county can meet procurement requirements while securing necessary quotes for the project.
On NextGen 911, Layla briefed the board on the Southeast region’s transition from copper-based circuits to an IP-based 911 network managed by Lumen, with an estimated nine-month rollout. "When we join NextGen, all of your 911 calls would be routed over IP," she said, adding that the upgrade should speed routing and, over time, allow multimedia such as photos and video to be delivered with emergency calls.
Commissioners also discussed staffing: two new dispatchers were hired and a third will start Feb. 1; Layla noted training for dispatchers typically lasts several months.
To fund 911 operations, the board voted to set the 2023 911 landline surcharge at $1 — the current level — and adopted Resolution 23-1 to formalize the surcharge. A board member noted the surcharge is at the statutory/local maximum and recommended leaving it in place.
Public comment included a resident who criticized the safe-room requirements as overreach; the board acknowledged the comment and said staff will pursue clarifying guidance on procurement and engineering requirements.
Next steps identified in the meeting included staff follow-up on grant procurement details, continued coordination on NextGen implementation, and routine reporting on dispatcher staffing and training.
