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911 director urges use of restricted funds to smooth console replacement and lower city/county charges
Summary
The 911 center reported rising call volume and presented a FY2027 request that includes radio-console and infrastructure replacements; the director proposed using the center's $5.4M restricted balance up front to limit the city/county share under the joint‑powers agreement.
Kevin, the county's 911 operations leader, told commissioners June 24 that 2025 call volumes rose (about 66,000 911 calls and 155,000 non‑emergency inbound calls) and that dispatch incidents exceeded 300,000 for the first time. He presented a FY2027 request of about $673,000 that largely covers previously approved radio work plus console hardware and infrastructure upgrades.
Kevin said Motorola will not support the county's current dispatch radio consoles after 2030 and estimated full console replacement could cost on the order of $4 million (county share), though a potential statewide federal grant might offset most of the expense if awarded. He recommended the county use restricted 911 funds on the front end (a means‑of‑finance approach) to lower the city/county 2/3‑1/3 split that is applied at year-end under the existing joint powers agreement. "Our restricted fund balances at about $5.4 million," Kevin said, arguing the balance should be used to reduce pass-through costs and keep the fund at a reasonable level.
Commissioners requested legal and accounting clarification about whether restricted funds can be recorded as a revenue or a means of finance up front. Staff said the county auditor and outside counsel are reviewing whether the joint‑powers agreement interpretation needs clarification; the matter will be addressed in follow-up budget work.
Kevin also outlined emerging technology pilots (an AI phone bot to handle administrative calls) and the county's 10‑position warm backup dispatch center at Camp Rapid, which can be operational in about 15–16 minutes and is already used for drills and overflow in major incidents.
