COUNTY COMMITTEE MEETS TO STUDY NEST STEP ON E-911

JACKSON - A countywide 911 emergency telephone system should be in place within two years, officials of Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. told members of a Cape Girardeau County 911 Committee and the county commission Friday.

The meeting was held to discuss the next phase of the 911 process, following the favorable vote by Cape County citizens on Nov. 5.

Charles Bonney, area manager for marketing sales of E-911 for Bell Telephone, said the implementation phase will take a while and it is important that parties involved are patient and work to install the best system possible.

"We will put it in as quickly as we can, but two years for a project this size is pretty quick," declared Bonney. "I hope the people will be patient with it."

Bonney and Carolyn Stevens, communications consultant for Bell, discussed what was needed to implement the tax on telephone service that will pay for the system and other steps the county needed to take. Both pledged to work closely with the committee and county commission.

Brian Miller, director of the county's emergency operations center who chaired the initial study committee, was again elected chairman of the advisory board. Elected as vice chairman and secretary was Allan Moss, an assistant Missouri attorney general based in Jackson.

Miller stressed the committee plans to recommend "the best system possible for the best price."

He added, "What we will be proposing is not a gold plated boondoggle."

One of the most time consuming aspects of the project will be providing addresses for all residences in the county, including those in rural areas.

Leonard Hines, chief deputy for the sheriff's department and a member of the 911 committee, said rural addressing would be a major project. It is likely that a firm specializing in addressing projects like this will be hired.

Ron Andrews, director of the county's data processing office, has been helping the committee find a firm.

Bonney told the county commission that his company needed a letter of intent that Cape County is ready to proceed with the system, a voter abstract of the election results, a letter outlining when the tax for the system should be assessed and the amount, and a copy of the county commission's ordinance putting it into effect.

Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep said he anticipated the commission would approve an ordinance when it meets next Wednesday and take the necessary steps to begin the tax.

The assessment will likely appear on telephone bills starting Jan. 1.

Because of voter approval, Southwestern Bell may assess a 15 percent charge on the basic monthly rate of telephone bills to pay for the system. In most instances, this rate will not exceed $1.35 a month for residential customers.

Huckstep said the tax will generate about $600,000 a year to pay for the initial costs of the system. Once the system is installed, then a reduced charge will be applied to cover maintenance and for a monthly line charge payment to Southwestern Bell.

It will be up to the 911 advisory committee to recommend what future rates should be to the county commission. Huckstep and Bonney agreed it is important to set a future rate that generates enough money to maintain the system adequately, and to see there are not frequent fluctuations in the amount of the tax.

Bonney said the telephone company will distribute the money it collects to the county within 60 days after the close of each quarter. Southwestern Bell will also retain a 2 percent collection fee.

Bonney distributed a copy of a sample ordinance for the commission to consider. A new ordinance will need to be approved every three years.

Huckstep referred the information to Moss and asked that he help prepare a final draft for the commission to consider.

Huckstep said Friday the county would absorb the $5,000 cost of holding the 911 election, rather than bill it to the 911 account. But he stressed all future costs associated with implementing the system would have to be paid from 911 tax funds.