Saturday, October 22, 2011
 
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ETS board considers document of support for cellphone surcharge

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[October 22, 2011]  Funds that help cover the cost of operation for Logan County's E911 call-taking and dispatching center -- the Emergency Telephone System -- are declining due to the decrease in landline phones. There is no source for replacement of those funds unless the Illinois Legislature addresses the situation and increases the wireless 911 surcharge. Dan Fulscher, Logan County E911/ETS director, presented a possible solution to the ETS board Wednesday and received board members' support and input for his plan.

Much of what Fulscher described seemed to reflect a situation in which no one anticipated the number of consumers who would eventually switch from landline phones to wireless usage. When the original surcharge on phones was approved by the legislature, cellphones were not an issue. The problem isn't the number of cellphones, but the need to acknowledge them as a major utility with service providers capable of implementing fees to support the E911 systems.

There were 994 calls to the local E911 in September.

"We have lost approximately $30,000 per year, at least for the past three years," Fulscher stated. "Three years ago we received $288,000, and now we are receiving $200,000 from those fees as consumers drop their landlines and depend on their cellphones."

It takes the fees from 3.75 cellphones to equal one landline phone's surcharge fee. In 1989 when the Illinois General Assembly approved legislation allowing surcharge fees on landlines to support E911 systems, the fee was 85 cents. In 2004, Logan County voters were asked to pass a referendum to increase the local fee from 85 cents to $1.95. Voters passed the referendum.

Prior to that primary election, a contractual agreement was approved by the Logan County Emergency Telephone System Board, Lincoln City Council and the Logan County Board that gave the Emergency Telephone System Board a supervisory position over the communications room at the Logan County Safety Complex.

The agreement stated that the city of Lincoln and Logan County would pay for a share of the services of ETSB's staff, facility maintenance and equipment purchases by each contributing $14,195 per month. The ETSB agreed to shoulder its third of the costs from the increase received from the referendum-approved surcharge.

This all worked fine until the $1.95 fee on each phone bill began to disappear, one at a time, as home phones were dropped.

Fulscher's proposal -- a document of support -- would request that the state legislature address the discrepancy. In essence, the document describes the situation and suggests increasing the cellphone surcharge to equal the surcharge fee ($1.95) on landlines.

Fulscher told the board a recent survey predicted that in 15 years there would be no landline phones in use. If the General Assembly changed the legislation to apply to all phone service, regardless of service provider or method of use, fees could be an ongoing revenue source for future upgrades and equipment replacement.

"We have to let the senators and representatives know we're standing strong," board member Rick Aylesworth said. "Do they even know this situation exists?"

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"There are lobbyists for the telephone-cellphone companies in the legislators' offices all day long," Fulscher responded, "and we don't have that kind of money to match their presence. If we send this document to our senators and representatives, they will know what we're up against, if they didn't before."

Fulscher said the cellphone fee has actually fallen to 75 cents. The government charges 3 percent for collecting the fee, and after cellular phone companies take another amount for unknown charges, the county receives only 57 cents. From the $1.95 landline fee, Logan County receives $1.87.

The board discussed wording and minor changes to the document as presented but basically agreed it was the best method of introducing change to the situation. The corrected document will be presented to the Logan County Board and the Lincoln City Council for approval.

"Assuming that it will pass," chairman Mike Patridge said to Fulscher, "we should begin to make personal visits to legislators' offices."

"It's clear-cut we have to get revenues up on wireless or we'll go broke," Patridge said.

Next on the director's report, Fulscher noted a new rural and ground frequency would be implemented Nov. 1-15. Pagers will go to narrowband. There are 45 responding departments in Logan County, including fire departments, rescue squads, law enforcement and animal control. (Atlanta decided to use a separate frequency.)

The next E911/ETS board meeting is at 5 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Logan County Safety Complex, 911 Pekin St. in Lincoln.

[By MARLA BLAIR]

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