911 dispatch price tag for Scott County now $800K

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston's price to provide 911 dispatching for Scott County will be quite a bit higher than the county's offer.

Doug Friend, city manager, advised the Sikeston City Council during a reorganizational meeting Monday that staff have determined costs associated with the creation and operation of a joint dispatching center would require the city to charge the county about $300,000 more than the $500,000 suggested by Scott County officials.

Scott County approached the city asking to consolidate 911 services, Friend said. Over the last few weeks, city staff have worked to gather the figures.

The question city officials need to ask, Friend said, is: "What's it going to cost if we do 911 without the county?"

The answer, according to the latest figuring by city officials, is $935,886 per year without having the county involved, he said.

Friend said the city only needs to upgrade its mapping software and call recorder to keep its current 911 system running for the next couple of years. Upgrading the city's 911 equipment now, which is two years earlier than it needs to, would cost the city $855,000.

"If the county comes on, we have to have a whole system upgrade," he said.

Based on the cost of the upgrades, additional equipment and the additional personnel it would take to dispatch for the county and accounting for buying out the city's lease-purchase obligation on current 911 equipment at a cost of $375,000, city staff determined the additional annual cost for the city to dispatch for the county over five years would be $641,882.

After adding in $58,600 in annual interest costs and $105,072 in annual administration costs, staff recommended the city charge the county $805,555.10 annually to cover anticipated costs.

The number represents "the minimum we should receive" from the county to provide 911 dispatching services, Friend said, "if we're not going to subsidize the service."

He said those figures do not include the cost to the city for raises or cost of living adjustments for personnel, LAGERS retirement, workers' compensation and providing 911 services to other entities or the increase the city would have in liability insurance costs, among other items.

Friend suggested the city and county could also "look at it a few years down the road."

As previous figures presented to the county estimated the county's half would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.5 million over a period of five years. Presiding County Commissioner Jamie Burger had proposed the county contract with the city for those services and pay $500,000 per year rather than splitting costs in half.

Drew Juden, director of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, has recommended a decision be reached by April 15.

Pertinent address:

Sikeston, MO