SCOTT COUNTY SIGNS 911 ORDER, STUDIES HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY

BENTON -- The Scott County Commission proceeded Tuesday with implementing an Enhanced 911 System and heard proposals for making the county courthouse handicapped accessible.

The commission signed an order authorizing Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. to start collecting a 15 percent surcharge on basic phone bills as of July 1.

The commission also signed an agreement with New Madrid County to establish a New Madrid-Scott Enhanced 911 System Advisory Board to implement and maintain a combined system between the two counties.

The agreement says the two commissions will establish the bylaws for the board and name the members and their terms. The two counties also agreed to contribute their appropriate portions of the expenditures if revenues are not enough to pay for the new system.

Scott County's order to Southwestern Bell excludes the surcharge collection in Scott City and Kelso. Those towns will continue with the enhanced 911 system that Scott City has operated since November 1993.

Scott County residents, except for those in Sikeston, will see a $1.13-per-month increase in their phone bills with the 15 percent surcharge.

Sikeston residents will pay $1.19 more per month for the enhanced system, which provides the name, address and phone number from which a 911 call is made. They already pay 18 cents per month for a basic 911 system, which only provides the phone number.

The telephone surcharge is expected to generate more than $1 million during the first two years in both counties. County officials think that will finance the equipment, the site for answering 911 calls and the addressing project.

Since state law allows the surcharge to be collected for 27 months to build a new system, it must be in place by Oct. 1, 1997.

Both county commissions will appoint four representatives to the advisory board. A ninth board member will be a commissioner from one of the counties on a rotating basis.

On renovating the courthouse for handicapped accessibility, Sikeston architect John Sargent presented a two-year plan for the commission to consider.

He estimated that it would cost about $40,000 this year to renovate 15 doorways and two restrooms in the courthouse, add signs and railings, build an outside ramp and modify parking spaces.

Sargent estimated that it would cost about $80,000 next year to finish the project. The major expense will be an elevator to provide access to the second floor of the courthouse.