Court directs staff to begin billing entities for dispatch; sets Oct. 1 baseline amid ESD transition

Deputy County Administrator Russell Schoffner briefed the court on how dispatch fees should be handled after voters created an Emergency Services District (ESD). Schoffner said staff has worked with the ESD board and that options include continuing the county's current practice of billing cities and ISDs directly or shifting costs and billing through the ESD. He recommended keeping billing separate and equitable and suggested using a reimbursement program so cities that run their own dispatch would be handled consistently.

Commissioners discussed timing and the impact on cities, and the court adopted a motion to begin billing every entity that uses county dispatch services directly in the same manner the county bills police contracts, with the change to take effect Oct. 1. Commissioners also directed staff to draft proposed language and to return with budget and implementation details so cities and partner agencies can plan for the change. The motion passed unanimously, 5–0.