MINUTES

LAWTON CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING

                                                      DECEMBER 1, 2005 - 6:00 P.M.

CARNEGIE TOWN HALL

Mayor John P. Purcell, Jr.                        Also Present:

Presiding                        Larry Mitchell, City Manager

                            Randy Henning, Assistant City Attorney

                            Denise Ezell, Deputy City Clerk

                            

Mayor Purcell called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Notice of meeting and agenda were posted on the City Hall notice board as required by law.  

ROLL CALL

PRESENT:                Bill Shoemate, Ward One

Rex Givens, Ward Two

                                                            Janice Drewry, Ward Three

                                                            Keith Jackson, Ward Four

                    Stanley Haywood, Ward Seven

                    Randy Warren, Ward Eight

ABSENT:                   Robert Shanklin, Ward Five

Jeffrey Patton, Ward Six  

        

Ron Kirby called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. for the Board of County Commissioners. Notice of meeting and agenda were posted in the Comanche County Courthouse as required by law.

ROLL CALL

PRESENT:                Ron Kirby

                    Gale Turner

                    Susan Ulrich

Ron Kirby called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. for the Facilities Authority of Comanche County.  Notice of meeting and agenda were posted in the Comanche County Courthouse as required by law.

ROLL CALL

PRESENT:                Ron Kirby

                    Gale Turner

                    Susan Ulrich

BUSINESS ITEMS:

1.    Consider accepting the E-911 Consolidation Agreement between the City of Lawton, Oklahoma and the Board of County Commissioners of Comanche County, Oklahoma and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the Agreement.  Exhibits:  Proposed E-911 Consolidation Agreement and Proposed E-911 Consolidation Budget.

Kirby stated they are open for discussion.  The problem he would answered is why they would not locate the facility on the first floor of the Comanche County Courthouse.  The proposal is to merge the two systems, 911 and Emergency Management, with a backup system at the other location.  The plans have been drawn up for remodeling the Sheriff's Office along with the Emergency Management and/or 911 System.  This is an opportunity to design what we want and how we want it.  

Turner stated looking at Plan A and Plan B and it shows Plan B is more expensive.  Plan A is a piece mill/patchwork system.  Plan B is more expensive, but it appears at some point Plan B is where we want to get.  We shouldn't have a patchwork system today and one year to five (5) years down the road spend the money putting it all together.  It makes more sense to put everything together today.  We have the opportunity of space.  It can be designed any way we see fit.  There has been no money spent on the facility.  This is the opportune time to put a joint venture in the Courthouse.  The City and County could be on one system instead of being on two (2) piecework systems.  Leave the existing system the City has to have as the backup system.  This would give us a durable backup system and with a system put together as one (1) system in a new area.  It is more money at this point, but it would be a done deal.  We would not have to worry about two (2) or three (3) years down the road.  The County system was updated recently.  The GPS was already in place.  If the 911 question on December 13th passes, the County's system is ready to go.  

Kirby stated the Sheriff's Office would be on three (3) sides of the system so security would be in place 24/7.  

Mayor Purcell stated what was just being discussed was the merger and just the location of E-911.  Plan A is the consolidation of E-911 to be in the City Annex because of the cost and other things.  The Consolidated of Emergency Operations would be in the County Courthouse.  Purcell asked Turner if he was just referring to E-911.  Turner stated both could be done.  There is room for both to be housed in the Courthouse.  The County has waited to decide on what to do with the area until they knew what was going to happen with the merger.  If they do merge, we wanted the City to have a say in the way it was designed.  

Kirby stated we are proceeding along.  We are not looking somewhere down the road. The contract is being reviewed for the proposed remodeling.  There were some problems with the contract and these problems are being looked at.  This is not something we are holding back on.  The plans are there and we need to decide what we will do with Emergency Management and/or E-911.  

Givens stated he thought there was a committee that was studying this merger.  He thought the committee has certain recommendations and it doesn't seem this is correct.  It appears now they have decided to go to the Courthouse.  It seems it has been completely turned around.  

Kirby stated he was open to any suggestions.  This is the purpose of the meeting.  

Givens asked who was on the Committee.  He stated he would like to hear from the original committee.  Wasn't there someone from the County on the committee?  

Turner stated yes Sid Mendenhall.  

Turner asked Mendenhall to explain the proposal that came from the committee. Mendenhall stated the last meeting he attended it was agreed the E-911 should merge to the County Courthouse.  A week later Mendenhall was not invited to the meetings.  The paper stated the County would merge with the City and use the City's facilities.  The last meeting he attended the discussion was to use the County Courthouse not the City's facilities.  

Kirby asked what was the reasoning for placing the E-911 at the County Courthouse?  

Mendenhall stated the Courthouse has more security, to include the weather, than the City Annex.  There is 4000 or 5000 square feet at the Courthouse available that could be remodeled and hold the entire system.  The cost will be less for the County and the City if it is done now.  It will be five (5) years before the City has a facility available.  In five (5) years the facility will cost three (3) times more than now.  Seventeen (17) of the other eighteen (18) County Fire Departments agree.  

Warren stated part of the problem is there are two (2) committees.  The Mayor put the original committee together.  The Mayor then directed Council Member Jackson and myself to serve on a committee.  During our discussion we determined, through talking with numerous people from State Representatives to County Fire, the ultimate end point is harden facility in which a Regional 911 Center could be operated.  If we were talking about an interim plan maybe I could be convinced we should spend $400,000 as opposed to $120,000.  The City wants a harden facility that could be a Regional 911 Center.  The State and Federal government will not consider a basement facility in a Courthouse as a harden standalone Regional 911 Center.  There have been incidents of bombs in the Courthouse, and this is not to say the Annex is any safer.  The point in the initial merger is the first step.  There will be another step to a harden facility if we intend to have a Regional 911 Center.  It was my understanding we wanted a harden facility away from any other building which was a stand alone system that wouldn't be operated by the County or the City.  It would be operated by an entity that was created by those two (2) groups.  The individuals that were being served would control it.  There would be a steering committee made up of the people actually using the services such as fire, police, rural fire, small town police and everyone would have their own protocol and way of doing things.  This steering group would provide input to the board that runs the new entity.  

Givens asked who from the County was on this committee.  

Mayor Purcell questioned who the committee met with.  

Warren stated they met with each County Commissioner, all State Representatives, the Sheriff, local Mayors, local Police Chiefs, outlying law enforcement, and outlying fire departments.  He  felt this was the direction they were heading.  This was when Council Member Jackson and myself at this point starting advising Council where we were at.

Shoemate asked Warren if during the meetings was it discussed where the financing would come from?  

Warren stated financing was not discussed because we needed to decide what we would do before putting staff to working on financing.  There will be opportunities for the entity that is formed to gather grants that would be more readily available than it would be to the City or the County individually.  

Givens asked if the Commissioners felt there was a need for a harden facility?  

Kirby stated the desire is a harden facility.  It will be hard for the public to comprehend but there are other factors in play.  The Comanche County Industrial Development Authority is working with the Chamber of Commerce on the downtown revitalization program.  In the overall plans there are certain buildings that could be the ideal location. The two (2) could be located close together but separate.  Personally he believed the cause for a harden protected facility.  He is more concerned about security than weather.  

Givens asked if he foresees another facility other than the basement of the Courthouse?  

Kirby stated not necessarily.  The Courthouse, since it is in the phase of being remodeled, is very secure.  Once it is remodeled it will be a modern working place.  In his opinion he didn't see a better location.  If a storm comes through the Lawton/Ft. Sill area this is where he would want to be.  The Sheriff's Office is on location.  There are many advantages to the Courthouse.  He is open to suggestions.  

Mayor Purcell stated one of the things that needed to be decided is looking into the future. If we are going to have a Regional 911 Center, we are trying to get set up so it will stay in Comanche County as opposed to somewhere else.   If a new facility is needed that is separate by itself with wire or fencing around it and what ever Homeland Security says we have to do to be considered a Regional Center, if this will be done at some point in the future at anyplace other than the first floor of the Courthouse, then we will need to go and have an interim consolidation until the other things are sorted out.  To say it is going to go to the Courthouse and stay there and not have a harden facility this is another consideration.  We were under the impression if we were going to be a Regional Center through Homeland Security that it had to be a separate facility.  

Kirby asked if it was the opinion the Emergency Management would be located on the first floor of the Courthouse?  It is ridiculous to have two (2) separate Emergency Management Systems.  We have an air vac, ambulance service, two (2) regional hospitals and all this needs to be under the direction of one (1) office.  This will also become a Regional Emergency Management System.

Mayor Purcell stated under Plan A this is exactly what was envisioned with consolidation on an interim plan, E-911 would be in the annex but the consolidation of the emergency operations would be in the basement of the Courthouse.  They would both be consolidated.  The emergency operations would be under Chuck Jones and E-911 would fall under Derrell Morgan.  The City and County cannot staff two (2) different Emergency Operations Centers.  We would need just one Emergency Operations Center for the entire County.  This was the concept of Plan A.

Warren stated it would also include the backups for each one of the systems.  Emergency Operations had been envisioned to be in the basement of the Courthouse and a backup would be located where E-911 was and vise versa.  No matter what happened at either location you would still have the facilities to provide both services.  

Shoemate stated Plan B, under total unknown, list under construction, electrical, and heat and air.  Those three (3) items could add up to the total on the bottom line or possibility double.  Plan A does have figures.  

Kirby stated we are going to remodel the first floor of the Courthouse.  We can't tell what the electrical will be.  We are trying to keep the moving down to a minimal cost.  In the design we did make supplies and electrical outlets redundant.  

Jackson stated in the original committee the City Council voted not to participate in that program.  

Mayor Purcell stated they voted not to do it but when they put the committee together that consisted of everyone in the County.  

Jackson stated the Mayor asked, because of the finding from the Homeland Security, that there was as possibility of having a Regional E-911 System,  They wanted the capability to be here in Comanche County, to put together a committee with Council Member Warren and myself as co-chairs to bring everyone together to get feedback, input, etc. Council Member Warren and myself felt to do this as easy, simple and effectively as possible and not spend a lot of money  doing so.  On a day-to-day basis the City of Lawton handles about six hundred (600) dispatch calls a day.  The County has approximately fifteen (15) to thirty (30) calls on a daily basis.  Knowing this and knowing there is two (2) consoles in the County and the City has eight (8) or ten (10).  It would be easier to move two (2) consoles in with our eight (8) or ten (10) and then get the stand alone system.  In regards to security in the Courthouse, not to long ago there was an active bomb found in the Courthouse.  The Courthouse is a very active place.  There are court hearings on a daily basis and some are controversial hearings.  This doesn't seem to be secure.  The Sheriff's Office doesn't take an inventory of those entering the building any longer and it is an unsecured place.  People don't come in an out of the City's dispatch.  Security is an issue at the Courthouse also.  Maybe not the weather, but it has security issues.  From the original discussion it feels as if there has been a 180 °  turn.  The City Council voted to approve the idea of a merger at one time.  I also attended a meeting where the three (3) County Commissioners agreed to propose a merger.  This doesn't seem to be where the discussion is.  

Jackson stated he believes when everything is said and done the end users of this program will never know it has taken place.  They will get better and quicker response and the correct response.  It want be redundant.  The tax payers of Comanche County, people who live within the city limits are also residents of Comanche County, will not pay twice for the same services.  

Kirby stated he agreed.  He stated the Regional Center will happen.  At the Capital today in the Governors Office they have appointed a Homeland Security Director, which we haven't had before, and his first choice will be to start making Regional Hubs.  While we argue amongst ourselves someone else will be snatching it up.  We need to progress forward as quickly as possible.  We need people to relax, get involved, and it will be a seamless deal.  The object to this concept is to save money and to provide a service.  He sees both sides.  

Ulrich stated she was on the Homeland Security Board for the County Commissioners and they are going to tell you where the Center will go.  It doesn't matter what you come with they will tell you where it will go.  More than likely it will go into the largest county in that area.  This is not an excuse to use because they are going to come in and tell you what you are going to do and if they don't like where you have it they are going to tell you what to do to correct it.  

Mayor Purcell stated Ulrich just hit the point on the head.  If we put it somewhere they don't like they will tell us where we have to move it.  This is the point I was trying to make before about the harden building.  They may say put it in the Courthouse but they may say somewhere else.

Ulrich stated it makes more sense to place it in the Courthouse.  It would make more sense to put the Emergency Management in another building.  We have had one (1) bomb in how many years and how many tornadoes have we had.  

Turner stated to answer Shoemate's question, on the unknowns, this is County money. We don't know the cost because of the remodel.  This will not be any cost to the City.  He feels everyone is for the merger and a harden facility.  When talking about the harden facility we are talking about lots of money and it is uncertain as to where this money will come from.  We don't know when or where and there are lots of "ifs" in this.  Hopefully it will be here, but when and how we don't know.  We have no control of this today.  Today we can control putting this together, not piece milling it together, and not having two (2) systems under one roof.  We could be further down the road today by Plan A or Plan B instead of playing hopscotch for two to ten years.  We can fix it right today for more money if fixed right.  It will cost more money whenever it is fixed and it is safer and taken care of.  

Haywood stated he agrees it doesn't need to be separate, but if there is a routine of 600 calls compared to 30 calls it make more sense to move to the City of Lawton Annex Building.  

Turner stated if the County moves to the City there would be two (2) systems in the Annex Building.  They are two (2) different systems.  If the City moves to the Courthouse and everyone will be on one (1) updated system.  The system would be left in tact and would be used as the backup system in case of an emergency.  

Purcell asked Derrell Morgan to speak on what Commissioner Turner just stated.  

Morgan stated Turner suggested leaving the City system in tact and the County would expand their CAD system to eight positions.  There are issues with this being the City's current CAD system ties together the Fire Department, Police Department and the Municipal Court.  For example if the Fire Department makes a call they will automatically get the run times and are able to do their reports from this system more efficiently.  Every call the Police Department receives goes to a central system and is combined with Police records and the ticketing system.  The ticketing system also goes to Municipal Court.  If we move to the County it will completely take those three (3) departments out of the system.  

Morgan stated another issue brought up is the lack of mapping for the City.  This was a lack of software.  The software is in place and we have just completed inputting this data. At this point we are working through to get the best maps and setting up the best system possible.  The map has been added.  After looking at seven (7) other systems the system we have is the best.  After speaking with Chief Hadley and Chief Smith they were not in favor of moving our CAD System because it is tied into their system.  If we moved the CAD System they would not have the capabilities they have now.  

Turner asked if it would be possible tie them into the County system.  

Morgan stated with any computer software company they are made where you have to have their systems.  The last upgrade the City did to the CAD System cost approximately $200,000.  Part of this cost was so the three (3) departments could tie into our CAD System.  The City's CAD System is more than just a dispatch.  It is a network infrastructure from a single company.  For the City to move their system to the County the dollar amount received was about $85,000.  For the County to expand their CAD System would be $217,000, but this would not tie the Police, Fire and Municipal Court into the system.

Drewry asked Kirby what the County's reason was for not wanting to move into the City Annex.  

Kirby stated he wasn't opposed to moving into the Annex.  They are trying to satisfy as many people as possible.  He sees both sides of the issue.  They need to take advantage of the fact that the first floor of the Courthouse will be remodeled.  They have held up on the remodeling waiting to see the outcome of this meeting.  There is the opportunity to design exactly what they want in the Courthouse.  This should be painless to the residents.  They should never know this takes place.  

Givens stated obviously anything could be done if you want to pay for it.  The cost here doesn't indicate what it will take to make the Fire, Police and Municipal Court compatible at the Courthouse.  He doesn't feel the Council will vote for anything that will not allow the Fire, Police and E-911 to operate as it currently does.  He doesn't believe we have the correct cost.  

Kirby stated he didn't think we did.

Jackson stated this is why it needs to stay as simple as possible.  During the month of October, the City of Lawton received almost 15,500 emergency calls.  During the month of November we received 13,000 calls.  This is a lot of calls verses the County system that may receive 1,500 calls in a months time.  He can't see the logic of the cost involved of merging a system that carries this load verses one that carries a small load.  

Purcell stated this would be seamless to the public.  Everyone believes this isn't true but we have the facts down from merging with Ft. Sill.  No one at Ft. Sill, knew for months that all the emergency being dispatched from Ft. Sill were being dispatched from this Annex.  Once they are merged, the citizens will not know any difference.  They probably will get better service.  After talking with Tulsa County it worked there and it was seamless.  

Warren stated the statement was made earlier that it wouldn't cost the City anything as far as structural improvement to move to the County.  This isn't the issue.  He believes the whole mission has been to provide a better service for less money.  If we are not going to provide a better service and it doesn't cost the citizen less money then why go through the motions.  What it comes down to is do we think we will end up with a stand alone harden system.  Just choosing a number, if it cost five (5) million dollars to build a harden facility, and he believe the $437,409 will become a minimum of a million dollars after moving our CAD System and so forth to make Police and Fire operate the way they do now.  Why would be spend a million dollars and then five (5) million when we could spend $120,000 and then five million.  The whole time we have been looking at the end product.  It was never a concern as to whether it would be at the County or the City, or who would control it, this was not the initial mission.  The mission was to have a regional 911 Center and how do we get there.  After speaking with Ms. Askins, she is going to do everything possible to place this facility in Duncan.  If we have a harden facility in place that is secure, and Homeland Security sees we have the facility, this will be the way they will go.  They will go where the infrastructure exists.  This was the mission to provide good service for the citizens of Lawton and Comanche County, to provide it as cheaply as possible, not pay for the same services twice.  A regional 911 is truly going to happen one way or another.  The best foot we can put forward and the more infrastructure we can have in place the better the chances for Comanche County.  

Mitchell asked Morgan if the number for computer aid dispatch is the $217,000 number Chuck Jones gave to us.  

Morgan stated yes.  

Mitchell stated if you plug in the $217,000 and subtract the $85,000 now your City's cost is up to $500,000.  Morgan stated yes.  

Turner asked Morgan to explain the Police and Fire issue.  He has been lead to believe that Police and Fire could be done at the County very simply without a major amount of money.  Morgan asked if he was referring to a remote viewing of the CAD System?  

Turner stated he had been lead to believe the County had the same exact services the City has.  

Morgan stated he wasn't sure what their Plantronic would charge or PSSI would charge to make an interface between the Plantronic CAD System and PSSI.  He stated everything the City does filters down a server and others like the Amber System will take what it needs.  Basically you have databases and you have computer programming.  It is possible for that to happen.  Usually it is expensive, if you have one company doing the whole system it is less expense.  When you have two (2) different companies trying to work together it will cost more.  

Mayor Purcell clarified with Morgan that it would cost an additional $217,000 minus the $85,000.  

Morgan stated when Jones came in he gave the amount of $217,00 to expand their CAD System.  This was simply to expand their CAD System.  It did not include any networking or anything so Fire or Police could use the information.  This was a bare bone estimate from Southwestern Bell to expand the CAD System from two (2) consoles to six (6) consoles and then to upgrade their Vista phone service to Vista Plus.  This was also the cost to expand the trunk line.  

Mayor Purcell stated he must have misunderstood.  He thought the $217,000 was the cost to move to the Courthouse and get a system that would be compatible with what can be done now for Fire and Police.  

Morgan stated the $217,000 was just to expand the CAD System.  It you took Commissioner Turners suggestion you take the $85,000 out to expand the terminals and place $217,000 in there.  Then you would put a question mark as to how much it would cost to expand to include Fire and Police.  Purcell stated the difference between the $85,000 and the $217,000 is now $132,000, so there is an increase cost of $132,000, which brings the City’ s cost up to $500,000.  There will be another unknown amount to bring it up for Fire and Police.

Turner stated this is where we will get the difference in prices.  He can't believe this is $385,000 and that includes what Morgan is talking about.  Is the interaction part in this figure?

Purcell stated the City's ready right now if we were going to do this; the City's cost is $500,000 plus whatever.  

Turner stated no it is $385,000.  

Purcell stated the numbers are right here.  You have $362,000, you take away the $85,000 and substitute the $217,000 and this comes to $493,000.  This doesn't include what Morgan was talking about to have the capability for Fire and Police.  The number just keeps going up.  

Turner stated it needed to be noted in regards to the cost, no one could make a correct judgment without knowing exactly what would be done to know what the cost would be. He understood the theory, but he has other theories that show $385,000.  

Purcell stated this is $385,00 verses $121,000.  No matter what it will be at least a quarter of a million more from the City.  

Turner agreed.  

Purcell stated there is a difference between Plan A and Plan B and if there is more on top of this it could go up to $500,000.  It is a lot more money to move to the County and this is one of the main issues.  Does this money go down the tubes if we have to move again to a harden facility?  

Turner asked Morgan if the system was moved five (5) years from now, is this equipment what we want in the new facility.  

Morgan stated no.  At this point we should set up a project where not only are we building the building but also building a system.  This is what Tulsa and Wichita Falls both have done.  When they did this they had no interruption in service.  The old system is used as the backup system.  

Turner asked if we stay in the same place today, approximately how many years down the road before we spend $200,000 or $300,000 for an update.  

Morgan stated in 911 it is very easy to spend money.  For instance the 911 cell phone. There are lots of things that have to happen to switch from traditional landline to cell phones.  Another is the voice over IP.  This is where people are making calls over the Internet.  There is constant change in the communication industry that is driven by technology.  It is very easy to spend money to upgrade a system.  The CAD System is good and will be good for a while.  

Turner asked when he says a while what is he referring to?  What is the estimated time?  

Morgan stated the best time to do the complete merger is when the harden facility is done. If the harden facility will not be done for ten (10) years we can't go this long without an upgrade.  Initially we had plans to bring them both in under their own system and operators.  One reason it takes a while to train on a new system and it takes a while to figure out what you will keep and what to get rid of.  

Jackson stated he wasn't sure an agreement could be reached tonight either positive or negative.  

Turner stated he would like for everyone to think about everything and come back with some hard numbers that everyone is comfortable with.  

Jackson stated the City of Lawton's operating budget for it's E-911 System is a little over $1,200,000.  The .57‘ per telephone bill that is charged within the city limits generates approximately $500,000 to help operate the $1,200,000 budget.  The County's operating budget for the year is around $458,000.  Their .57¢ generates approximately $125,000 to go toward their $458,000 budget.  The City's operating budget is huge and could absorb the County's on a very simple basis.  The computer system, as Morgan has explained it in regards to Fire and Police,  makes more common sense and simplicity, the City could absorb the County very easy.

Kirby stated technology is moving faster than the consumer can grasp.  The fact remains we are one community and the County cannot afford two (2) modern state of the art systems.  Whatever we come up with needs to work for the community.  

Purcell asked if any of the Council Members had anything to say.  He stated the Council Members have a proposed E-911 Consolidation Agreement in front of them.  We can vote on this today and so can the Commissioners.  

Kirby stated for purposes of discussion before voting, he has been advised by the District Attorney any action taken tonight will be subjected to review by the District Attorney and the Attorney General.  Kirby asked Reeves to explain.  

Reeves stated if the Commissioners approve the agreement it should be done subject to the approval as to form and legality by the Assistant District Attorney Jerry Cude.  He and Henning agree that with any interlocal agreement, the law requires the agreement be submitted to the Attorney General.  The Attorney General has sixty (60) days to review the agreement.  He could within this time determine the agreement was illegal or valid. After sixty (60) days have passed the agreement is deemed approved.  There could some time lag.  Also under the Open Meeting Act they could continue or move to reconvene and direct staff on any further information.  

Mitchell stated this is standard procedure for any local agreement.  Any interlocal agreement entered into by any two (2) municipalities, two (2) governmental entities, automatically goes to the Attorney Generals Office for review.  This is standard practice.  

Henning stated this is a secondary step to any inter-local agreement.  

Jackson stated this couldn't take place until both agree.  

Purcell stated there would have to be a vote by the Council and then see what the Commissioners decide to do.  It is then subject to approval by Cude on behalf of the Commissioners.  

Purcell stated they have agreed to disagree.  The City Council has agreed and will sign an agreement in favor of the consolidation.  The ball is now in the County Commissioners court.  If the Commissioners decide not to be involved the issue is dead.  

Warren asked that staff be directed to begin discussion with other municipalities and entities in regards to consolidation.  

Purcell asked if he was referring to other cities in the County that might want to consolidate with the City of Lawton.  Warren stated yes.  Purcell asked if everyone on the Council agreed to directed staff to do so.  

Purcell reminded everyone about the exercise "Raging Waters" at 10:00 a.m. at Medicine Park.  

Morgan stated the facility would be open at 8:00 a.m.  The Police Chief of Medicine Park has asked that everyone car pool as much as possible due to parking.  There will be people from Homeland Security, Oklahoma Emergency Management and Oklahoma Highway Patrol.  

Kirby allowed the Sheriff of Comanche County to speak.  

Stradley stated the first floor of the Courthouse could accommodate the City.  If you build something in the middle of nowhere, where is the security?  Security is one reason for placing it on the first floor of the Courthouse.  Can you make a contract that states the small towns will never be charged for dispatching services.  The small towns cannot afford to be charged.  They usually have two (2) officers and they cannot afford a charge of $500 to $700 dollars a month.  There needs to be an agreement this will never happen.  

Purcell stated he didn't know of any discussion where this was an issue.  

Stradley asked that it didn't happen.  

Warren stated if we contract with the County we can't charge.  

Kirby stated the rumor mill has started.  This is the problem we are having getting this together.  Nobody seems concerned about the safety aspect.  There has never been a discussion of fees.  

Stradley stated all he is asking is that they never be charged.  

Mitchell stated if you look at the interlocal agreement it sets forth that the City will pay 75% and the County will pay 25%.  This means we would not be allowed to charge anything more than that.  

Purcell stated there has never been any discussion of charging the rural cities.  Even with Council Member Warrens’  suggestion about contracting with the rural cities, there is no discussion about charging them.  The City could pick this up with no problem.  The fee issues have never been discussed.  

Purcell asked if the Council has any further discussion.  

                            JOHN P. PURCELL, JR., MAYOR

ATTEST:

DENISE EZELL, DEPUTY CITY CLERK