His skepticism ebbed when he saw a demonstration of 911 response software, Allen County Commissioner Dick Works told colleagues Gary McIntosh and Rob Francis Tuesday morning.
Angie Murphy, the county’s dispatch director, proposed purchasing software programs to facilitate quick response time to emergencies. Today, they use flip cards, a cumbersome and time-consuming process.
Murphy’s proposal was to spend $66,389 to buy programs for medical and fire calls. She declined to recommend a police call program because of the multitude of possibilities and it being more pricey.
The demonstration was at Labette County’s dispatch center in Oswego, the county seat.
Purchase of medical and fire calls programs “may be justified after all,” said Works, for three reasons: “They could save lives, reduce the county’s liability exposure, and there is money in the 911 fund.”
Murphy said last week the fund, generated by 53-cent-a-month surcharges on landline and cell phones, contained nearly $159,000.
Commissioners said they would visit further with Murphy before deciding whether to authorize purchase of the programs.
BILL KING, director of Public Works, told commissioners he likely would request authorization to purchase a backhoe sometime this spring.
“The one we have is 10 years old and has 5,000 hours (of operation),” King said. “I’ll probably ask for bids for a new one, as well as for one that is used and has few hours.”
A new grader also may be in the offing. King said all those in the county’s fleet were aging and one was in Wichita this week for repairs.
A reinforced building that had been used to store dynamite at the landfill will be refitted as a storm shelter. The structure, large enough to house a dozen employees, will be positioned near the scale house at the landfill’s entrance and anchored to solid rock, King said.
When King mentioned hiring seasonal workers this summer, Works chimed in that the county should move away from its cost-cutting policies of the past two summers and “keep the ditches mowed.” Commissioners made no commitment on hiring part-time workers, mainly for mowing duties, but may “when we have a better idea of where we are financially in a few weeks,” said Francis.
In response to a query from County Clerk Sherrie Riebel, commissioners declined to make the assembly room on the basement level of the courthouse available for partisan political meetings.
Also, they refrained from extending courthouse hours to 6 p.m. at the request of state driver’s license agents, who now are open until 4:30 and wanted to add 90 minutes when they are at the courthouse on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
A DECISION on health insurance for county employees — the county has paid a single membership for years — was put off at least until next Tuesday.
The county is completing the third year of self-insurance. Commissioners said they wanted to see a statistical analysis of this year’s experience before making a commitment for next year, which starts on April 1.
