Excerpts from MySuburbanLife.com:
The city of Woodstock has taken a major step toward streamlining its emergency response by approving an intergovernmental agreement to join the McHenry Police Department dispatch center. This move is expected to save the city approximately $354,000 annually, as the current Woodstock dispatch center costs around $856,000 per year to operate, while the new system is projected to cost about $502,000 in the first year.
In addition to the annual savings, the city will make two one-time payments during the transition period. These include roughly $144,000 for new dispatch equipment and $189,000 in severance packages for Woodstock dispatchers whose positions will be eliminated under the new arrangement.
Woodstock Police Chief Robert Lowen acknowledged that the shift could mean a loss of local familiarity, as the dispatch center will no longer be staffed 24/7 by Woodstock personnel. “We’re going to lose some of that connection,†he admitted, “but over time, the consolidated NERCOMM center will become more familiar with our town’s unique needs.â€
The new dispatch center, known as the McHenry County Northeastern Regional Communications Center (NERCOMM), currently serves multiple agencies, including McHenry, Johnsburg, McCullom Lake, McHenry Township Fire Protection District, Marengo Fire, Marengo Rescue, and Union Fire. It is also expanding to include Harvard and Marengo, in line with a state directive to reduce the number of dispatch centers by half.
Currently, Woodstock’s dispatch center employs eight full-time and two part-time dispatchers. Under the new agreement, one full-time employee will move to a records clerk position within the police department, while five will transition to NERCOMM. The remaining two will be laid off.
The city of Woodstock receives about $84,000 annually from the Woodstock Fire Rescue District for its dispatching services. However, under the new agreement, the district’s costs are expected to rise to $120,000. To help ease this financial burden, the city will provide a yearly subsidy of up to $36,000 for the next five years, according to Finance Director Paul Christensen.
“The city is seeing savings, and so we’re willing to share some of our savings for the first five years to help them mitigate the increase,†Christensen said.
The agreement was unanimously approved at Tuesday’s Woodstock City Council meeting, marking a significant shift in how emergency services are coordinated in the area.
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