For the first time Tuesday, the San Benito County Board of
Supervisors heard the possible benefits and issues in possibly
transferring 911 emergency response services to Santa Cruz
County.
For the first time Tuesday, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors heard the possible benefits and issues in possibly transferring 911 emergency response services to Santa Cruz County.
The report, which was presented in draft form to the board, outlines savings that could exceed $350,000 per year and presents no issues in regard to time delays or loss of 911 services.
The annual savings of the combined services would be $97,450 for the county and an additional $260,447 for the city, according to the report. The savings are expected to grow after the first two years, after transition costs are exhausted.
The transition and startup costs that would create additional phone lines in Santa Cruz and expand on the Santa Cruz located dispatch center by 6.5 full-time equivalent positions, according to the report. The cost could range from around $370,000 to $445,000.
The report comes after the county approached Santa Cruz Regional 9-1-1 in September of last year to research the feasibility of transferring the services to the nearby county to save money. Dispatchers who are members of the local Service Employees International Union criticized the idea, calling into question the Santa Cruz dispatchers’ knowledge of San Benito County.
A short presentation from Santa Cruz Regional 9-1-1 General Manager Scotty Douglass tried to show the benefits of such a deal, and the ability of the Santa Cruz dispatchers to perform the job for locals.
Douglass said Santa Cruz Regional 9-1-1 would be open to hiring dispatchers from San Benito County – paying them more because of travel cost – and staying true to their current CalPERS benefits.
“Can we do San Benito? Yeah, but we are very happy with the business we have,” Douglass said. “We are trying to help out, trying to be good neighbors.”
Look for more in the Pinnacle on Friday.
