Excerpts from MySuburbanLife.com:
The city of Woodstock has taken a major step toward streamlining emergency services by approving an intergovernmental agreement to connect with the McHenry Police Department dispatch center. This move is expected to bring significant cost savings, as the current Woodstock dispatch center costs around $856,000 annually to operate. With the new arrangement, the first-year operating costs are projected to drop to about $502,000.
In addition to ongoing savings, the city will also make two one-time payments during the transition period. These include approximately $144,000 for new dispatch equipment and $189,000 in severance packages for Woodstock dispatchers whose positions will be eliminated under the new system.
Woodstock Police Chief Robert Lowen acknowledged that there are downsides to the change. “We’re going to lose some of that connection; however, over time the consolidated dispatch center will become more familiar with the intimacies of town,†he said. He noted that the new dispatchers may not be as intimately acquainted with local neighborhoods or specific details of the city at first.
The new dispatch center, known as the McHenry County Northeastern Regional Communications Center (NERCOMM), already serves multiple agencies, including McHenry, Johnsburg, McCullom Lake, and several fire departments in Marengo and McHenry Township. It’s currently expanding to include Harvard and additional services, in line with a state directive to reduce the number of dispatch centers in the region.
Woodstock’s current dispatch center employs eight full-time and two part-time dispatchers. Of those, one will transition to a records clerk role within the police department, while five will move to NERCOMM. The remaining staff will be let go as part of the restructuring.
The city currently receives about $84,000 from the Woodstock Fire Rescue District for its dispatching services. Under the new agreement, the district's costs are expected to rise to $120,000 annually. To ease the financial burden, the city will subsidize the fire district with up to $36,000 per year for the next five years.
City Manager Roscoe Stelford explained that the city sees long-term benefits from the agreement. “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,†said Finance Director Paul Christensen.
The decision was unanimously approved at Tuesday’s Woodstock City Council meeting, marking a major shift in how emergency communications are managed in the area.
High Chrome Casting Balls,High Chrome Iron Balls,High Chrome Casting Steel Balls,Casting Balls For Cement Mill
SHANDONG SHENGYE GRINDING BALL CO., LTD , https://www.sygrindingball.com