Rawlins County to pay dispatch generator repairs from 911 funds; new two-week schedule proposed

The Rawlins County Board of Commissioners voted March 28 to pay the current repair bill and future bills for the county dispatch generator out of the 911 fund and discussed a proposed new scheduling model for dispatch staff.

Sheriff/Dispatch Catlyn Wahrman told commissioners the generator's main purpose is to keep dispatch operational and asked that repair bills be paid from 911 funds; the minutes do not state the dollar amount for the current repair. Commissioner Lincoln Pochop moved to pay the current and future generator bills from 911 funds; Commissioners Mark Mosley and Alan A. Solko seconded the motion, which the board carried.

Wahrman said dispatch is fully staffed and, once the newest hire completes training, she will ask the commissioners to approve a schedule in which dispatchers work 36 hours one week and 44 the next, totaling 80 hours over two weeks. "This would make it to where dispatch wouldn't be considered short unless they didn't hit their 80 nor would they get overtime unless they got over 80 hours in that 2 week period," the minutes say. She told the board the dispatchers were enthusiastic about the plan.

The board also entered a brief executive session with Wahrman and county counsel to discuss non-elected personnel and returned with no action. The meeting record shows routine motions and no formal policy change beyond the funding approval; any formal schedule change will require a future motion if brought back to the agenda.