In special meeting:
Logan County and Lincoln aim to cut costs with new 911 contract
Sheriff named as 911 director

 

[March 08, 2019] 

LINCOLN  --

On Tuesday, March 5th, the Logan County Board held a Special Regular meeting. The voting session that was announced on Friday March 1st, was held in Logan County Public Safety Complex Blue Room.

The meeting attracted standing room only interest.

The topic: Operations and oversight of the 911 dispatch center.

The 911 system is multi-dimensional impacting multiple emergency agencies providing public safety - the 911 Dispatch Call Center, Logan County and area municipality law enforcement, fire and rescue, paramedic operations and the Logan County Emergency Management Agency and others serving the public.

The state also hosts its equipment sharing resource operations 'EMCOM' out of the Logan County Emergency Dispatch Center.

Representatives from each of these entities was present on Tuesday evening. [See a full list of all in attendance at the bottom of the article.]

The county and city of Lincoln have a joint agreement that financially supports equipment and staff.

Four motions were on the agenda for the evening, all under new business.

1) Intergovernmental agreement [for the costs of operations for the emergency dispatch center]
2) Appointment of EMA director
3) ETSB Ordinance – Replacing ordinance from 1989
4) ETSB appointments

In attendance representing the city of Lincoln interests were Administrator Beth Kavelman, Alderman Ron Keller and Police Deputy Chief Matt Vlahovich.

Ten Logan County board members were present - Chairman Emily Davenport, Vice Chairman Scott Schaffenacker, Kevin Bateman, David Blankenship,
Robert Farmer, David Hepler, Steven Jenness, Charles Ruben and Annette Welch. Janet Estill, was absent for the evening and one seat was vacated last month by Gene Rohlfs when he took the county airport manager position.

Chairman Davenport opened the meeting saying that the county has had the current intergovernmental agreement with the city since 2003. "I would like to back out the city and county, to look at how to possibly decrease the amount being spent," she said.

The topic had not been brought before any committees or the board prior to this evening. So the board could openly discuss matters, Safety/Law Enforcement/EMA/Coroner/Ambulance Committee Chairman Bob Sanders moved for the board to go into executive session pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (1) - personnel matters; and pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (14), which regards personnel, equipment and operations. It was seconded and unanimously agreed by all 10 board members.

Guests cleared the room. The open meeting resumed about 40 minutes later.

Board member David Hepler announced before voting began that due to the integrated nature of the motions on the table with other matters he is involved in, he would be abstaining in his votes.

Intergovernmental agreement between Logan County and city of Lincoln

The city of Lincoln representatives were asked to give their opinion on the intergovernmental agreement.

City Administrator Beth Kavelman said, "I think we are in agreement to the same position the county has. It's time we separate the two entities. We'll get some city input on this as well."

Speaking supportively, Alderman Ron Keller said, "This (the intergovernmental agreement) is definitely county driven." He thought that the city would likely support what the county would want to do. It would be put before the council for discussion on the (March) 12th.

Mayor Seth Goodman was out of town and unable to attend.

Lincoln Deputy Police Chief Matt Vlahovich spoke from the law enforcement side of the issue. He said first and foremost it is an officer safety issue. Officers need to be able to communicate with one another and be able to ask for help. "Our radio systems are failing, they're not good enough for the way buildings are being built now." There was an incident at the high school last year "where an officer was engaged in a fight, screaming for help and couldn't get out, asking for help!" he said.

Vlahovich said there is another expense the department is facing that is necessary, "We need upgrades to our report writing system. The department is behind by 10 upgrades and it will take 18 months to get it caught up when that does begin."

He added that the yearly five percent increase written into the agreement has become too exorbitant.

Logan County and the city of Lincoln each paid the following amounts to support the 911 system operations and equipment for the past seven years (including 2019):
2013 - $171,837
2014 - $180,429
2015 - $189,451
2016 - $216,323
2017 - $231,944
2018 - $242,293
2019 - $228,035 (budgeted)

Appointment of 911 directorship to change

A motion was made to make the sheriff, that would be whoever is holding that position at the time, as the director.

Currently, Logan County EMA Director Dan Fulscher oversees the dispatch equipment and operations. Fulscher has been at the center of designing and continued operations.

Chairman Davenport said, "Basically we are trying to do a little restructuring. Mr. Fulscher (the current EMA director) would stay on as an advisor until his retirement.

Safety Committee Vice Chairman Schaffenacker explained the change to naming the sheriff as director, "I think this is something that should be put in the hands of a full time elected official."

Kevin Bateman said, "No one is losing their employment." He said it is just a restructuring giving oversight to the sheriff, same as most counties in Illinois.

ETSB Ordinance

The original ordinance was created in 1989 and has been updated at various times. It decided that it would be best to create a new ordinance at this point.
There was an update to the Illinois state statute for ETSB in 2017 that has not been addressed. The new ordinance would be more in line with the current state statue for the ETSB.

50 ILCS 750/ Emergency Telephone System Act. - Illinois General Assembly

A new ordinance would replace the ordinance from 1989. The new ordinance would be posted for 30 days and any amendments could be made after that before the final vote.

ETSB appointments added

Two names were proposed to be added to the ETSB: Lincoln Police Chief Paul Adams and Lincoln Fire Chief Mark Miller.

When called to a vote, all four motions
- A new intergovernmental agreement with Lincoln for the costs of operations for the emergency dispatch center
- Appointment of sheriff as 911 director
- New ETSB Ordinance
- ETSB appointments adding Adams and Miller were approved with 10 board members voting yes, and Hepler abstaining.

Other guests present for the evening included 911/ETSB Board - Chairman Glen Shelton, Vice chairman Norma Bates, Kirby Rogers; Logan County - States Attorney Brad Hauge, Sheriff Mark Landers, EMA/911, Dan Fulscher, LC EMA Kendall Caruthers, Cheryl Hedricks - LC EMA/911, Logan Dispatch Supervisor Rebecca Langley, Patrick Langley, Logan EMCOM Director Bucky Washam, LC Treasurer Penny Thomas.

Representing the city of Lincoln were Administrator Beth Kavelman, Alderman Ron Keller, Assistant Fire Chief Bob Dunovsky, Deputy Police Chief Matthew Vlahovich. Also present were Lincoln Rural Fire Chief Chris Buse; from Atlanta - Police Chief Chad Eimer, Fire Chief Ric Cheek, Assistant Fire Chief Denis Kindred; and for Mount Pulaski - Police Chief Anthony West and Fire Chief John Aylesworth.

Logan County Board members who serve on the Logan County Safety / Law Enforcement / EMA / Coroner / Ambulance committee: Chairman Bob Sanders, Scott Schaffenacker, Emily Davenport, Janet Estill, Steve Jenness and Annette Welch.

[Jan Youngquist]

Additional information

Proposed new ordinance for Logan County ETSB - Pdf