LaSalle County officials debate offering county 911 dispatch to other communities, consider outside study

A committee meeting in LaSalle County turned to the question of whether additional municipalities could be brought into the county's 911 dispatch system, with one committee member saying any offer to a single community should be offered more broadly and an ETSB representative saying no formal offer has been finalized.

The discussion began when Ali, a committee member, asked whether the committee had "offered an opportunity for a new LaSalle County community to join the county's 911 dispatch," and whether that had been discussed in open session. Ali said that if an offer is made to one community it should be offered to all and that there should be a financial plan to ensure the service can be sustained.

An ETSB official responded that the board had discussed the idea with several communities but that nothing had been finalized. "Our ETSB is primarily funded through 911 surcharge fees," the ETSB official said, adding that the county also contributes funds to help keep dispatcher wages competitive. The official said the board has spoken with many communities and that "they're more than welcome" to join the county dispatch if they choose.

The exchange covered concerns about a piecemeal expansion. Ali warned that adding communities "piecemeal" could put other communities with existing contracts in jeopardy and stressed the importance of a plan describing how multiple South County communities could join a single dispatch center. The ETSB official said the board would be willing to discuss options further and that communities may remain where they are or choose to move their service to the county center.

The chair of the meeting urged the idea of commissioning an outside consultant to study the question. The chair noted that the county once had seven public-safety answering points (PSAPs) and consolidated to three, and suggested a study could identify options ranging from a shared CAD (computer-aided dispatch) system enabling virtual consolidation to more extensive structural changes.

An ETSB official emphasized operational complications tied to county dispatch, saying the center handles many court-related records and workflows that other local dispatch centers do not, and noting roughly "3,000 active LaSalle County warrants" are maintained in the county system. That, the official said, makes moving or separating the county dispatch center more complex than simply relocating call-taking functions.

The meeting produced no final decision; members debated planning, funding and contractual impacts and agreed an outside study could be helpful. The chair then moved to adjourn; Joanne moved to adjourn, Craig seconded, the members voiced support and the chair declared the motion carried.

Questions raised during the discussion included: which body would lead a consolidation effort, how revenue from the 911 surcharge and county funds would be used, and whether contracts and existing service agreements would be renegotiated. Committee members asked that any next steps include a clear financial plan and that options be presented to all affected communities, not only to a single town.