The Union County Quorum Court agreed last month to approve the construction of a new, centralized 911 dispatch center that has been under consideration for nearly a year.
The construction of the new dispatch center will be funded with federal COVID-19 relief money distributed to counties and municipalities through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The new facility will also be eligible for state funding, following a 2019 update to the state's regulations on 911 dispatch that specifies that funding can be provided for only 77 dispatch centers in the state.
Union County is one of only a few of the 75 counties in Arkansas with two dispatch centers -- one for the El Dorado Police Department and one for the Union County Sheriff's Office.
History and vision
District 1 Justice of the Peace Mike Dumas, who chairs the Quorum Court's Finance Committee, first suggested using ARPA funds to construct a new, central dispatch center last June. He said at the time the center could also host mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics.
In October, JPs voted to allow Union County Judge Mike Loftin to enter into a contract with CADM Architecture, Inc. to design and oversee construction of the new dispatch center.
CADM, a local architectural firm, has previously designed and overseen construction of the new El Dorado High School campus, El Dorado Police Headquarters, the Union County Local Health Unit and restoration at El Dorado City Hall, according to the company's website.
Dumas said again, then, that both COVID and flu vaccination clinics could be held at the center.
The center will serve as a hub for dispatching 911 calls to the appropriate first response agency. All 911 calls will first go to the dispatch center, from which the appropriate first response agency -- whether that is a municipal fire department, the county sheriff's office or a public or private ambulance service -- will be notified of the caller's emergency.
Dumas said last month that operating the facility will cost about $1.4 million annually; about half of which will be paid for with designated 911 funds.
"The rest will be funded by local taxpayers, either through the county, through the City of El Dorado or through the other municipalities," Dumas said. "There'll also be an agreement, once it's prepared by the legal counsel and the Quorum Court, that will be an ordinance that will have the other cities paying their fair share of this thing."
Funding
JPs in April held a lengthy discussion about the center's funding. Dumas said architects estimate the cost to build the facility will be about $4 million, considering an increase in construction costs caused by current inflation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, construction costs increased by 17.5% from 2020 to 2021.
By the end of May, the county will have received $7.5 million from ARPA, Dumas said
"About $1.5 million has already been spent for various COVID reimbursements and what have you," Dumas said. "Maybe (we could) drag our feet a little bit and maybe the prices will come down some... We have the funds, we just don't want to spend them yet if we can get the costs down some."
District 7 JP Johnny Burson asked what the county would do if prices increase instead of decreasing.
District 3 JP Greg Harrison, who is a financial advisor, said it's possible prices could come down, but they would likely increase again at some point in the future.
"We'll never get back to where we were," he said. "And if they come down slightly, you'll eventually see another leg higher."
"Inflation initially goes up like that and then levels off, and then you may eventually have another leg after that, historically speaking. When you have periods of cash injections -- but this is unprecedented, so $787 billion in 2008 is much different than $7-8 trillion the past year," he said, referring to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 passed in response to the financial crisis that befell the country that year, and the ARPA and CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which cost about $3.5 trillion combined according to the U.S. Treasury.
District 2 JP Justin Hendrix and Harrison offered a motion and a second to approve the ordinance that would authorize the dispatch center's construction, but discussion continued before a vote was held.
"We're making a decision to utilize these funds for this -- which it can be used for -- but there are some other things that may crop up... that we may not be aware of yet, so we're using a pretty significan chunk towards this," Harrison said. "In my opinion, I feel like it's one of the things that's needed."
Loftin noted that in order to recieve state funding for dispatch operations, the new central facility would be necessary, and several JPs agreed.
"This is perfect timing because we've got the funds available from the American Rescue Plan and then they said that they wouldn't fund but one 911 center in each county," Burson said. "We had to do it; this is the way to pay for it."
"We've got these funds, this is something the state is telling us we need to do, and I think this is a wise way to spend the money, "Dumas said.
Present JPs voted unanimously to approve the new central dispatch center's construction. JPs also approved an interlocal agreement between Loftin and El Dorado Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer providing for the joint operation of the new 911 dispatch center.