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Del Norte County staff outline congressionally directed spending request to develop new emergency operations center
Summary
County staff told the Board of Supervisors they submitted a request for congressionally directed spending to develop or repurpose county space into an emergency operations center (EOC) and PSAP/dispatch hub, citing support from the city, sheriff and fire districts and noting a funding gap between preliminary estimates and requested federal dollars.
County staff updated the Board of Supervisors on a congressionally directed spending (CDS) request intended to develop a more permanent Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and relocate the county’s public-safety answering point (PSAP)/dispatch functions.
A county staff presenter said the proposal would repurpose an upstairs area adjacent to the fairgrounds/annex (currently used for storage and archives) into a properly configured EOC with space for Office of Emergency Services (OES) staff and a dispatch center. He said the project would improve day-to-day coordination for emergency partners and provide a better space for dispatch operations than the sheriff’s existing facility.
Staff said the county submitted a CDS request (transcript language about the exact requested amount was unclear) and estimated the project at "a little over $3,000,000," leaving a funding gap that would need to be filled with capital-improvement funds or other sources. The speaker said the county already received support from the city, the sheriff and multiple fire districts and noted prior success with CDS/earmark requests in recent years.
Supervisor Wilson asked whether the EOC would be developed in coordination with the city to avoid operational fragmentation; staff replied that the plan envisions a unified operational-area approach. Multiple public commenters urged caution about long-term operating costs, staffing and maintenance obligations if the county builds new infrastructure, and suggested the county carefully identify ongoing expenses before committing to the capital investment.
The board received the update; no formal action was taken to approve funding beyond the application process. Staff said timelines for CDS submittals are tight and indicated they would advise the board as the federal process moves forward.
The county's next steps include tracking the federal review of the CDS request, pursuing complementary local funding options if the request is partly funded, and coordinating with city and emergency partners on operations planning.
