by Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com reporter
MOUNT VERNON — 9-1-1 Coordinator Richard Dzik assured members of City Council that he would not seek additional funds from them to pay for the 9-1-1 consolidation project. Dzik addressed council members in a Fire, Police and Civil Defense Committee meeting held before Monday’s council session.
“I am aware that some members of council are concerned that Knox County 9-1-1 will seek funds from the City of Mount Vernon for this consolidation project,” said Dzik. “In the 20-year history of Knox County 9-1-1, it has never sought additional funds from any local government entity nor from the county’s general fund, and I can assure you that it will not seek funds from you for this project. If anything, Knox County 9-1-1 has been overly generous in providing resources to our adequately funded public safety partners in the past.”
He went on to say that “historically, Knox County 9-1-1 has been too generous to our public safety partners in providing them with radio equipment and reporting software ahead of the needs of the 9-1-1 agency itself. Before another dollar is spent directly on the needs of our public safety partners, Knox County -1-1 will provide itself and its hard-working employees with a modern, yet modest, dispatch facility that prepares it for whatever the future might hold.”
The original projected cost of consolidation was $377,575 with another $145,250 in additional future costs. Thus far, $467,043 in contracts has been awarded. Dzik said the increased is explained by several factors:
*Inflation. Estimates were compiled 18 months before bids were received and 24 months before project completion.
*Additions. Security cameras and new carpet were added, and soundproofing and HVAC work initially planned for the future were incorporated into the work completed before the center goes operational.
*Diesel generator. By the time the project started, state building code required a diesel generator rather than the less-expensive natural gas generator.
As of March 1, the 9-1-1 fund had a balance of $736,126. Combined with $350,000 from an LGIF loan from the Ohio Department of Development, $1.08 million is available for use. Dzik had previously said the entire loan does not have to be spent, but what is spent has to be matched at 13 percent; this equates to $47,250. “Very few people knew of the 13 percent match,” said Councilman Mike Hillier.
Numbers breakdown:
$467,043 in contracts awarded
$47,250 interest on loan
$514,293 cost
$350,000 paid by loan
$164,293 paid from 9-1-1 fund
Dzik said about $1.5 million annually comes into the fund through a 0.25 percent countywide sales tax; voters renewed the five-year levy in 2012. In response to what happens if the levy is not renewed, Dzik said he would look for other funding sources in addition to the opportunity to put the levy on the ballot again.
In his address to council, Dzik said that when he became 9-1-1 coordinator three years ago, almost the entire balance of the sales tax was going toward personnel expenses with other expenses such as training, supplies, equipment and maintenance contracts slowly eating into the remaining cash on hand. In his first month he faced mandated and required systems improvements totaling $420,000, plus a report stating it would require $4.5 million to upgrade the radio system to the level desired by public safety agencies. “Due in no small part to improvements in operational efficiency embraced and spearheaded by the employees of Knox County 9-1-1, we managed to perform the necessary upgrades outlined above while retaining nearly as much in surplus funding today as we had three years ago with the expectation that some would be needed for this project,” said Dzik. “This consolidation project brings a task that seemed impossible three years ago, upgrading our public safety radio system, into reach.”
Dzik said work began on March 3 and is expected to be complete by mid-June. Consolidation of personnel will be completed by the end of June. Licking County has requested that Knox County serve as its backup for 9-1-1 calls in times of emergency; Morrow County has also requested backup desks and equipment be installed in the Knox County center if Morrow County continues to provide 9-1-1 services. In April, Morrow County will receive proposals from entities interested in taking over its 9-1-1 and/or EMS services; Dzik said he and the Knox County Commissioners are considering this option. “To be clear, none of these discussions or cooperative agreements would be possible unless we had embarked on the consolidation project in its current form,” said Dzik.
Dzik says he will not seek money from the city for 9-1-1 consolidation
