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Erath County approves interlocal agreement with Stevenville to shore up dispatch staffing
Summary
At a June 1 special session, the Erath County Commissioners' Court approved an interlocal agreement with the city of Stevenville to allow Stevenville dispatchers to cover county dispatch shifts amid staffing shortages and high overtime; the agreement was approved by voice vote.
Erath County Commissioners' Court approved an interlocal agreement with the city of Stevenville on Monday that will allow Stevenville dispatchers to cover county dispatch shifts when the county is short-staffed.
County officials said the county currently runs two dispatchers per shift and has eight dispatch employees total, leaving frequent gaps when staff are sick or take time off. A presenter told the court, "we have eight total" and warned that staffing shortfalls have required heavy overtime, saying, "We're paying some of our guys are working 100 hours every paycheck trying to cover our dispatch shifts." The court said the arrangement is intended to reduce overtime costs and maintain 911 coverage until a joint dispatch transition is complete.
Under the agreement discussed at the special session, Stevenville dispatchers would operate under county protocol at the county dispatch center when covering Erath County shifts. County staff said they plan to track coverage with an online sign-up tool and maintain email records so the court can review hours and costs. A speaker said the parties would present records of signups and hours for county review.
Officials said the county expects a new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system to go live around June 19, 2026, a transition the presenters said will align procedures between the two dispatch centers and give dispatchers time to work together before the joint dispatch becomes fully operational.
Commissioner Stevens moved to approve the interlocal agreement between Erath County and the city of Stevenville; Commissioner Ray seconded the motion. The court approved the agreement by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
Other agenda items saw no action. The court deferred a decision on bids for a Precinct 1 maintenance park barn while staff review bond and bid compliance and recorded no action on a burn ban. Commissioner Stevens said a planned closing on a new juvenile building was delayed by incomplete title work and agreed to a one-week extension.
The court adjourned after completing the special session agenda.
