The Marshall County Commissioners were updated by their attorney on the dispatch agreement during Monday’s meeting. Jim Clevenger said he’d received the projected 2016 contract amounts for each community and inserted those numbers into the proposed dispatch agreements. A copy of the agreement was sent to the sheriff but he hasn’t responded back yet. In his update Clevenger said, “We are ready to propose to Plymouth and the towns if acceptable to all county officials.”
Representatives from a couple of the communities in Marshall County attended the meeting with concerns on the proposed dispatching agreements. Kim Berger, the Bourbon Town Clerk said they has paid a $4,000 fee to the county in the past but hadn’t been invoiced in several years for dispatching of non-emergency calls.
Wayne Bean, Culver Chief of Police said, “I don’t have a problem helping but I would like to be included in the discussion.” Initially it was stated at a Commissioner’s meeting that Culver’s fee would be an estimated $29,000. The chief said learning that through the media was rather shocking.
After looking at the percentage of non emergency calls over the last 30 months and averaging them these are the projected fees: Argos would pay $5,528; Bourbon $6,754; Bremen $4,023; Culver $7,310; LaPaz $3,925; Marshall County PD $74,736; Plymouth $59,658; Polk Township $834; Tippecanoe Township $327; and Walkerton EMS $442.
Commissioner Kevin Overmyer said budget shortfalls continue to increase from $96,243 in 2013 to an estimated $163,537. He said, “The increasing cost with operating and a decrease in revenues from the state have caused the shortfall.” The proposal now only includes funding the shortfall and not the entire budget as stated with Culver’s estimate at $29,000 during last month’s meeting.
The towns had not been given the figures earlier because the county had not been ready to propose agreements to them. With the details presented a Monday’s meeting it was suggested and agreed to have a general meeting with the communities to hear their thoughts on the proposal.
