New governor could provide incentive for Genesee
County and Flint 911 dispatch merger
GENESEE COUNTY -- The county's duplicate emergency dispatch centers
are getting new scrutiny from local government representatives, who
fear
Gov. Rick Sndyer will penalize the area if communities can't
cooperate on providing such a basic public service.
"You have got to do certain things like consolidate services," said
Flint Councilman Scott Kincaid. "If we don't willingly start to do
things, at least in the case of the city ... (Lansing) is going to
have somebody do it for us."
Flint and the rest of Genesee County have been running separate
emergency dispatch centers for 16 years. Dispatchers at the two
centers do essentially he same thing -- sending police, firefighters
and ambulances in response to calls for help.
Under former mayor Woodrow Stanley, Flint broke away from the
countywide system at tin 1995, taking its share of 911 surcharge
funds and setting up a city-only dispatch center.
The county's 911 consortium represents 31 local governments -- all
but Flint and the city of Fenton -- and
Fenton has been considering joining that countywide consortium
to save money as well.
After Snyder talked about the need for regional cooperation in his
Feb. 17 budget address, specifically mentioning consolidations of
regional dispatch centers, state Rep. Richard E. Hammel, D-Mt.
Morris Twp., told the county Board of Commissioners they should try
again to work with Flint on a single county emergency dispatch
center.
State Rep. Richard Hammel, D-Mt. Morris Twp.,
is among those suggesting it might be time to reconsider a merger of
the Flint and Genesee County 911 dispatch systems.
"911 consolidation seems to be on his radar screen," Hammel said.
"That looks like something -- one suggestion -- I would make right
off the top of my head."
Snyder eliminated statutory revenue sharing in his proposed budget
but also said the state should set up a pool of money that
communities could compete for based on their progress on issues like
regional collaboration.
Although talks haven't started, representatives of Flint and the
county said they are open to trying again.
There have been previous, unsuccessful efforts to put the two
systems back together again.
"You have to understand there's bad feelings the way that (the
split) happened," said Jamie Curtis, chairman of the county
commission. "In order for Flint to come back in they are going to
have to pay their fair share ... to get them back and properly
(equipped)."
"You've just to forget about pointing fingers and just move in that
direction," Curtis said. "Forget about who's to blame (and figure
out) what do you have to do, and how do u make this work?
"It needs to happen. I wish they would put more energy into making
it happen."
Flint Mayor Dayne Walling said he's willing to discuss a dispatch
merger as well but said he doesn't know the fix for some obstacles,
including finding the up-front money needed to bring Flint's
technology up to speed with the county.
There are also contractual issues that would have to be resolved
with Flint dispatchers, Walling said, but "in this financial
environment, it makes sense to work together when we can."
County 911 Director Lloyd Fayling said he hasn't yet talked to
Walling about the potential for creating a single county dispatch
system.
Fayling said he met with former mayor Don Williamson on the subject
but made no progress.
"Basically he told us unless its free, I'm not going to talk about
it," Fayling said.
A 2004 study about merging the dispatch centers was paid for by the
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation but never led to change. Former
Flint emergency manager Ed Kurttz asked his 911 director to prepare
a consolidation plan in 2002 because maintaining a separate dispatch
system was costing the city $750,000 per year in addition money
brought in by 911 phone charges.
Walling said the 911 center is still a money-losing proposition,
costing the city's general fund about $500,000 per year more than
telephone surcharges bring in.
Fayling agreed with Walling that a consolidation would cost money
up-front for new equipment. Fayling said another issue is whether
there is room at the Michigan State Police Post in Flint Township to
handle the additional dispatchers and equipment that a merged system
would require.
Hammel, who was involved in efforts to merge the 911 systems as well
as the Genesee District and Flint library systems when he served as
a county commissioner said he knows it won't be easy to put the two
systems back together again.
"It ain't going to be easy," he said. "I have been down that road."
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