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Commissioners debate moving 911 into health department building as one urges urgent action
Summary
A commissioner urged the board to decide quickly to move 911 operations into the county health department building, citing staff morale and a realtor listing; other commissioners said they want detailed plans and cost estimates before committing to roughly $6 million in retrofit work.
During public comment and subsequent board discussion, one commissioner urged the Board of Commissioners to approve moving 911 operations into the Board of Health building, saying the health board has advertised the space and that a tenant could be found if the county delays.
"We really need to make a decision on this because the decision won't be ours to make within the next couple weeks," the commissioner said, urging colleagues to tour a candidate building and to act so 911 staff are not left in deteriorating conditions. He said the health board has hired a realtor and that the county risks losing the space if it does not move quickly.
Commissioner Tony Bernard responded that he was not prepared to spend roughly $6 million to retrofit a building the county does not own. "I'm not ready to put $6,000,000 into a building that the county doesn't own," Bernard said, and he asked for detailed plans and a line-item review before approving such a move. He also cited a recent discovery of a $400,000 heated floor in a dog-pound project as an example of unexpected costs that counsel caution.
The exchange highlighted a division between urgency to improve 911 working conditions and caution about large capital spending and ownership. Commissioners agreed to continue the discussion and review architect estimates and cost breakdowns before taking a formal vote; no formal motion to relocate 911 was made at the meeting.
