Officials discuss management of 911 center

Law enforcement officials are working to update the interlocal agreement that governs the 911 dispatch center on Gore Hill, and the process led to a joint meeting of the Great Falls City Commission and Cascade County Commission on Tuesday.

Great Falls Police Chief Dave Bowen sent a draft of the agreement to county officials and the county officials had concerns, primarily about budget control and management of the joint center that is under city control with county support.

Tension between city and county officials was clear during Tuesday’s meeting, but Bowen and Undersheriff John Stevens stressed that at the law enforcement level, things are largely going smoothly.

“This was an effort to get the two political entities together to talk about the governance of the 911 center,” Bowen said. “Operationally, users of the 911 center, we get along.”

Bowen said that after the meeting, he’s continued conversations with the sheriff’s office to make adjustments and that they’re creating a formal working group to further flesh out a draft interlocal agreement.

“Operationally, I think we’re going to be OK,” Bowen said.

The working group will include Bowen, the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, the city and county emergency managers, the 911 center manager and the city’s fire chief. Bowen said they’re working to include the county medical director.

Discussions about updating the interlocal agreement started in fall 2013, and Greg Doyon, city manager, said in a meeting with city commissioners that he’s “not suggesting to splinter that relationship” with the county.

But they need to talk about how to move forward, he said.

“We do want to work with the county, it just makes sense,” Doyon said.

County commissioners indicated they want more input on budget decisions for the 911 center, but since the center’s budget falls within the city budget, city officials said there’s some legal and fiscal rules they have to follow.

City Commissioner Bob Jones was police chief when several dispatch operations were combined into what is the 911 center now. He said he wants the partnership to stay in place with the county but without giving up budget control for the city.

County Commissioner Jane Weber said that more meetings between users and local government officials might improve communications and resolve some of the issues.

Jones said that when the center first got started, the users had regular working group meetings, but “as things started working and working well, it dropped off.”

County Commissioner Joe Briggs said he hears complaints from the sheriff’s office about being treated “like second-class citizens” and was concerned about the city making decisions without county input.

He said the county has used some of its grant opportunities for 911 center projects, diverting the funds from county needs.

“I don’t think it’s us helping the city, I think it’s helping public safety,” Weber said. “I kind of view it as funneling back to us.”

Doyon said complaints from the sheriff’s office haven’t been brought to his attention and Bowen and Bill Hunter, the 911 center’s manager, said they hadn’t heard of major complaints and were working with the sheriff’s office to address their concerns.

Stevens, a county undersheriff, said their issues have improved in recent years and the users continue to make adjustments to improve relations and operations.

Briggs asked city officials why they believed it was so important to the city to maintain control of the 911 center.

“I think we do it more effectively,” Doyon said.

Briggs suggested that an independent entity be established to govern the center, but Bowen said a similar model in Flathead County is struggling to function due to political infighting and a lack of structure.

“Just because we have some issues doesn’t mean we create another entity,” Jones said.

Bowen said the user groups came up with what they think is a workable model but need guidance and approval from the commissioners.

“There’s a desire on all of our parts to move forward,” Bowen said of the working group.

Doyon said that while commissioners consider Tuesday’s discussion, the working group can get together and they’ll organize a joint commission meeting on the dispatch center budget.

City Commissioner Tracy Houck suggested that the working group create a list of concerns and plans, but Stevens said that’s what the group did more than a year ago and little came of it.

“You’re asking us to do something. We did it,” Stevens said. “We’re asking you to look at it.”