911 board makes progress with interlocal agreement

By Damon Stone

Freelance Reporter

 

The 911 Governing Board met on March 26 in the Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communications Center in Glasgow appearing to be moving forward in finding some kind of potential resolve on the years long funding disagreements between the two counties.

As a part of the board’s interlocal committee report, it was reported the board did receive a response from Edmonton City Attorney Brian Pack on their position to consider changes to the interlocal agreement, which will change the current agreement that was adopted in 2013. The original agreement for the agency was created in 1993.

Barren County Judge/Executive Jamie Byrd and chair of the 911 board said Pack had sent an email response the day before the meeting to a January email she had sent with proposed changes that have presumably been discussed in prior meetings and conversations.

Pack disagreed on behalf of the City of Edmonton to several provisions in the proposed changes including the City of Edmonton and Metcalfe County paying towards the $1.2 million in salaries among other things.

However, Pack did say, according to Byrd, that Edmonton did agree to allow taxing entities to consider different revenue sources for funding 911.

The board said that they were fine with the changes, but were still waiting to hear back from Pack for another response and that whenever the response comes in, it will be a big step if they can get it down.

The interlocal agreement is comprised of the Cities of Park City, Cave City, Edmonton, and Glasgow, and the Counties of Barren and Metcalfe.

Additionally, it was reported that they submitted a grant on a recorder, having gotten it in before the deadline. They also reported that they were working on getting upgraded CAD software, having signed invoices for servers for when the upgrade comes.

Also discussed was the server room, having plans to look into added protection for the system due to the windows in the room. They also discussed expenses for improved furniture, being slated for next year.

It was reported that a contract had been signed with Safe Haven Defense, which will make the windows bulletproof using a film, with there being a two-week turnaround to start the process.

In new business, the board announced that Brenda Leftwich, the bookkeeper for Barren-Metcalfe Emergency Communication Center, announced her resignation from the position after the records from the 2023-2024 fiscal year ends, and records are delivered to auditors, estimated to be sometime in August.

The board discussed options to fill Leftwich’s position, with it being said that she will need to be involved in the training process, as a full-time administrative secretary for Barren and Metcalfe County.

Meetings for the board are scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of odd months, with the next meeting to be held on May 28.