Murray County OKs dispatch agreement

Talk about it

SLAYTON — With one dissenting vote, Murray County commissioners approved a suggested interim agreement Tuesday morning for formation of a regional dispatch center, but not without a significant change — their version of the agreement would give each member county three votes, but the city of Worthington would not be afforded the same voice.

A tentative interim agreement was distributed at a regional dispatch meeting earlier this month, and Kyle Oldre, who has been administrating the group, asked those present to bring the proposed arrangement to their county boards for discussion.

The agreement asked that each county pursuing joint powers for a regionalized dispatch center — Cottonwood, Murray, Nobles and Rock — appoint two commissioners and the sheriff to the interim joint planning board. The city of Worthington would appoint two city council members and the police chief.

According to Nobles County Administrator Mel Ruppert, the Nobles County Board approved the agreement as written. Oldre, who is the Rock County Administrator, said his board did the same. He was told, he said, that the city of Worthington made minimal changes. Cottonwood County informed the rest of the group last week that it was no longer interested in pursuing a joint powers agreement regarding regional dispatch services.

Last week, Murray County commissioners discussed changes. The revised version was presented to the their board Tuesday for approval.

“The first (agreement) gave Nobles County six votes,” Vickerman explained. “We thought that was unfair to the rest of the counties.”

At the moment, the counties interested in forming a joint powers agreement have no formal structure for putting into discussion the wishes and concerns of the members, nor do they have a system to bind any consensus votes. The interim agreement would be put into effect while a subcommittee works to draft a joint powers agreement.

But Murray County’s concern is giving both Nobles County and the city of Worthington voting rights would mean a double amount of votes on any issue.

“We did a rewrite after last week’s conversation to reflect the board’s wishes,” Vickerman stated. “This addresses the city of Worthington.”

The original interim agreement states a contiguous county or city within the member counties with a population of 7,500 or more may make application to join the interim board through a resolution directed to the chair. Murray County’s version replaces the phrase regarding population, stating that “a county” may make application. The rewritten agreement replaces the point regarding joint planning board membership of city council and a police chief with the statement that a county board may, at its discretion, substitute a commissioner with a city council member from a city within the member county.

“Why is Worthington involved?” asked Commissioner Bill Sauer. “This is a county thing — if they want, they can contract with the city.”

“That is why we put in (that section),” Vickerman replied. “Nobles can substitute a city council member if they want. They are also elected, so there is some credential.”

Commissioner Bob Moline and Chair John Giese both stated they wanted to “keep the door open” on regional dispatch, and Moline made the motion to approve the rewritten agreement and “send it on to the group.” A dissenting vote came from Sauer, but the other commissioners approved the motion.

The regional dispatch group has twice voted to place a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) at Prairie Justice Center in Worthington. Twice, Murray County has countered a month later with a suggestion it be in Slayton. Both times, group members expressed frustration in having to revisit something that had already been discussed and voted upon.

After the August meeting, Murray County had the engineering firm Short Elliot Hendrickson (SEH) map out a plan to turn the law enforcement center in Slayton into a six- to eight-seat dispatch center, which would eliminate its two jail cells. The plan was sent to the regional dispatch group for consideration and discussion at the meeting that took place in September, prompting Oldre to set the next meeting date — Oct. 4 — as a date for the final vote on a proposed site.

Tuesday morning, the Murray County Commissioners approved an agreement to pay $30,000 for phase II plans for regional dispatch and appoint SEH’s Steve Robinson as project manager.

“This doesn’t mean we’re going to do it,” Moline stated.

“We just have the option to do it if we want,” Commissioner Gerald Magnus added.

The Oct. 4 meeting will be in two parts — the first meeting of the joint powers planning committee will take place in the morning, and the final vote on the location will be in the afternoon.

“If it is raining I’ll go,” said Magnus, who is one of the two commissioners chosen to represent Murray County within the regional dispatch group. “But if I’m combining, I’m not going to go.”

Tags: murray county, city of worthington, news, dispatch