County leaders talk money for dispatchers

FORT SMITH — The Sebastian County Intergovernmental Cooperation Council discussed a proposed interlocal agreement Thursday for radio dispatch service.

The proposal is meant to address a staffing issue in the Sheriff’s Office in relation to some of the services it provides to 10 cities in the county.

The agreement states the Sheriff’s Office has provided these cities, which doesn’t include Fort Smith, with radio dispatch services using money from the county general fund and no reimbursement from the cities.

The dispatch center is understaffed by two fulltime dispatcher positions, which are required to provide effective services according to officials. In addition, the cities it serves have grown, resulting in increased required dispatch staff services.

The agreement states the general fund can’t and shouldn’t bear the cost of all the dispatch staff required. Instead, money for the two full-time dispatcher positions would be provided by the 10 cities, with the payments from each city being determined on a percentage based population.

For example, Greenwood, having the largest population at 8,952 people, would pay $27,948 while the town with the smallest — Midland at 325 — would pay $1,015.

The total proposed contribution by the 10 cities comes to $62,674 and is subject to annual adjustment by the Sebastian County Quorum Court.

The annual 2019 cost for two full-time communications deputy positions is $78,454, according to the agreement. However, 20% of the dispatchers’ salaries and benefits would be reimbursed by the Sebastian County 911 Board at $15,691. The cities served by the center include Barling, Bonanza, Central City, Greenwood, Hackett, Hartford, Huntington, Lavaca, Mansfield and Midland.

Sheriff Hobe Runion said although it’s difficult to come to the cities, the reality is the Sheriff’s Office can’t do what it’s doing for the 10 cities. If the department doesn’t come up with a way to hire personnel, there are certain services it will have to stop offering.

Runion said, for instance, although the Sheriff’s Office would still answer and dispatch any emergency calls, it would stop paying for National Crime Information Center queries for traffic stops and not answer non-emergency calls when there’s not somebody out, in addition to other services.

“In other words, if somebody calls and Johnny’s bicycle got stolen, well, they could wait until a police officer comes on the next day,” Runion said.

Essentially, Runion said he would try to eliminate as much as possible to be able to properly provide the emergency services the Sheriff’s Office is required and obligated to do and would continue to carry out. The Sheriff’s Office, according to him, needs help.

“There is not an obligation for the Sheriff’s Office to provide these services,” Runion said. “I think we started off doing it a long time ago and we just kept going, and I want to do it.”

Lavaca Mayor Hugh Hardgrave asked Runion how he would hire the two full-time dispatchers should some of the cities listed in the interlocal agreement not participate in it. Runion said he’s going to do the best he can.

County Judge David Hudson said while he understood the amounts each city would contribute as part of the interlocal agreement are all relative to the size of their budgets, the amounts for the small communities are “pretty minimum” when considering the services they’re getting and the impact on their operations.

Hudson said he, Runion and Assistant County Administrator Jeff Turner would do their best to come to future meetings held by the cities named in the intermodal agreement to answer questions about it.

Runion said the dispatch center has nine dispatchers and one supervisor.