Jake68111
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Article dated 9/24/11:
What will this mean for us around Morris as listeners? Anything ? I'm wondering if repeaters will go up to reach the far ends of the county......
Morris Daily Herald (IL)
September 24, 2011
Section: Local
Dispatch center should be ready in January 2012
Christina Chapman Cchapman@morrisdailyherald.Com
The Grundy County 9-1-1 board expects the new dispatch center to be ready for use in January 2012. "It's going well. They're pulling wire and we approved contracts to order the dispatch furniture," said Sheriff Terry Marketti, chairman of the Grundy County Emergency Telephone System Board (9-1-1 board) on Friday. "We approved the contract to erect a 250-foot radio tower, and they'll start that next week."
The 9-1-1 board and the 9-1-1 Executive Committee met in a joint meeting Wednesday at the new center.
Marketti said the dispatchers should be moved in sometime in January. The previous goal was for Dec. 1, but the controversy between the board and the Grundy County Board delayed the process.
While trying to come up with an intergovernmental agreement to unite the Morris and Grundy dispatchers in the new center, a road block was hit over continuing to give the Grundy dispatchers Sheriff's Law Enforcement Personnel (SLEP) benefits.
A temporary agreement is holding the parties over. It allows the Morris dispatchers and the Grundy dispatchers to move into the new center, which is owned by the Public Building Commission and leased by the county. The Morris and Grundy dispatchers will still work as they do now — Morris taking Morris police and fire calls, and Grundy taking the remainder of the county’s calls — but they will work in the same center.
In the meantime, the county and the dispatchers will negotiate the SLEP benefits that kept the county from approving the 9-1-1 board 's original agreement. Negotiations between the county and the union have not yet begun, Marketti said, who noted the parties are preparing to set dates.
Progress will still continue at the building. While waiting for the steel to come in for the new radio tower, workers will begin excavating next week.
While the 9-1-1 board approved contracts, the executive committee took no action outside of approving its minutes, said Morris Chief Brent Dite, who is chairman of the committee.
"We gave everyone an update on the progress of the building itself and, for those who haven't seen it, a tour," he said.
The offices are filled, Dite saiud, but the dispatch floor is still empty since getting the required furniture was just approved.
"It's coming along. We're not far," Dite said.
Marketti said the 9-1-1 board is keeping the executive committee up to date because once a contract is approved with the county, the executive committee will then oversee the new center.
The police managers meeting was also held at the center this week so those agencies could see the building as well, Marketti said.......
What will this mean for us around Morris as listeners? Anything ? I'm wondering if repeaters will go up to reach the far ends of the county......
Morris Daily Herald (IL)
September 24, 2011
Section: Local
Dispatch center should be ready in January 2012
Christina Chapman Cchapman@morrisdailyherald.Com
The Grundy County 9-1-1 board expects the new dispatch center to be ready for use in January 2012. "It's going well. They're pulling wire and we approved contracts to order the dispatch furniture," said Sheriff Terry Marketti, chairman of the Grundy County Emergency Telephone System Board (9-1-1 board) on Friday. "We approved the contract to erect a 250-foot radio tower, and they'll start that next week."
The 9-1-1 board and the 9-1-1 Executive Committee met in a joint meeting Wednesday at the new center.
Marketti said the dispatchers should be moved in sometime in January. The previous goal was for Dec. 1, but the controversy between the board and the Grundy County Board delayed the process.
While trying to come up with an intergovernmental agreement to unite the Morris and Grundy dispatchers in the new center, a road block was hit over continuing to give the Grundy dispatchers Sheriff's Law Enforcement Personnel (SLEP) benefits.
A temporary agreement is holding the parties over. It allows the Morris dispatchers and the Grundy dispatchers to move into the new center, which is owned by the Public Building Commission and leased by the county. The Morris and Grundy dispatchers will still work as they do now — Morris taking Morris police and fire calls, and Grundy taking the remainder of the county’s calls — but they will work in the same center.
In the meantime, the county and the dispatchers will negotiate the SLEP benefits that kept the county from approving the 9-1-1 board 's original agreement. Negotiations between the county and the union have not yet begun, Marketti said, who noted the parties are preparing to set dates.
Progress will still continue at the building. While waiting for the steel to come in for the new radio tower, workers will begin excavating next week.
While the 9-1-1 board approved contracts, the executive committee took no action outside of approving its minutes, said Morris Chief Brent Dite, who is chairman of the committee.
"We gave everyone an update on the progress of the building itself and, for those who haven't seen it, a tour," he said.
The offices are filled, Dite saiud, but the dispatch floor is still empty since getting the required furniture was just approved.
"It's coming along. We're not far," Dite said.
Marketti said the 9-1-1 board is keeping the executive committee up to date because once a contract is approved with the county, the executive committee will then oversee the new center.
The police managers meeting was also held at the center this week so those agencies could see the building as well, Marketti said.......
