911 fee increases starting March 1
Logan City Municipal Council and Cache County Council voted on a 911 Communications fee increase from $1 to $2.
The 911 Communication Center consolidated in 1991. At that time, Cache County managed the center and two separate boards governed it: The executive board and the user board. The executive board was responsible for overseeing the operation. A director was responsible for day-to-day operation according to the Dispatch Rate Increase Report from the Logan City Police Department.
The purpose for the rate increase is “to raise money to be able to purchase equipment for the future,” said Randy Aumen, the lieutenant at the Logan City Police Department.
“It will cost about $100,000 a year to upgrade,” Aumen said.
Karen Borg, a member of the Logan City Council, said, “I think it is necessary, and I think that police have done a fine job of using these sources up to this point.”
In 1994, the 911 network fees were $82,000 and in 2000 it was $135,000. The calls received in 1994 were 110,000 and in 2000 there were 240,000 calls. The overall budget in 1994 was $501,327 and was $779,461 in 2000 according to the dispatch report.
According to the budget history in the dispatch report, since 1991 the communications budget has not generated excess revenue nor did it contribute any funds to the capital improvement funds.
The budget has been flat, relying on growth in population to fund any increases. The equipment purchased to start the dispatch center in 1992 was $438,536. As far back as 1994 the director of the dispatch center advised the users committee a rate increase was necessary according to the dispatch.
The present equipment is so old, parts to fix them are no longer stocked. There needs to be additional money allocated to meet the increasing needs that are coming. The population is growing, and as it does, so does the need for additional dispatchers and equipment updates. The Capital Investment account is used to purchase equipment, as it becomes outdated according to the dispatch.
Aumen said, “The rate increase is not just for new equipment but also we need to put on more dispatchers and employees because of the increase in 911 calls from 110,000 a year to 240,000 a year.
“The rate increase will be implemented on March 1, 2002 and will not affect students who are in on-campus housing,” Aumen said.