City Not Ready To Agree On 911 Extension
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By MARK EVANS
STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD
Ste. Genevieve aldermen were not ready to pull the trigger on agreeing to continue to pay for 911 dispatching for an additional three to five years.
The new 911 Tax Emergency Services Board has requested that the current supporting entities continue to fund 911 dispatch operations until the new 911 sales tax gets up and running and the board is able to make the needed infrastructure and equipment upgrades.
The Ste. Genevieve County Commission had previously agreed to continue paying its share until the upgrades are made and the new 3/8 of 1% sales tax can take over annual dispatching expenses. The Ste. Genevieve County Ambulance District will make its decision at June 26 meeting.
The aldermen were hesitant to make an immediate agreement to continue the financial support, with the sales tax in effect.
Ward 3 Alderman Joe Steiger called it “a tough ask,” and Ward 4 Alderman Joe Prince expressed concern that it would constitute a “double tax” of sorts on residents.
Jason Schott of the new 911 tax board spoke to the board. He explained that it will be late in the year before the money – projected to be about $600,000 a year – starts coming in. He added that the board won’t really know how much money it has to work with until sometime in 2024. He explained that dispatching services cost $550,000 a year, where as the needed infrastructure upgrades will cost about $3.2 million.
“That way if the three entities paid their portion yet, the taxing board can focus on the $3.2 million with the tax money coming in, until we pay that off,” Schott said. “Then once that’s paid off we can start picking up the 911 services that the three entities would be paying.”
He detailed what the needed upgrades would include.
“That upgrade will consist of new towers, antennas, and equipment that will be in a digital format,” Schott said, as opposed to the current, aging analogue format equipment.
“Our current system is close to 30 years old,” he said. He explained that the hand-held radios used for dispatch to communicate with emergency crews will not work inside many of the modern buildings.
The changeover will generate 90-95% coverage.
The city has paid about 27% of the $550,000, or about $148,500 a year. The aldermen seemed taken aback to be asked to continue that funding after the passage of the 911 tax.
“I feel like when the proposal was made that this was going to fund the 911 dispatching services,” Steiger said. “So this I request is kind of outside what was proposed to the taxpayers at the vote.”
He said the board had anticipated being able to use that $148,500 for other needs within the city.
“It’s a tough ask for because I felt like this 3/8 of 1% tax hike was going to be a big chunk,” he said. He said he understands that the upgrades need to be made, but repeated that it is “a tough ask” for him.
Schott noted that no money has come in yet and dispatching services must be paid for. Steiger countered that he could understand continuing to cover the 27% for a year or so, until the revenue kicks in.
“It does seem like a doubled tax,” Ward 2 Alderman Bob Donovan said.
He later said he was not opposed to it, but “wanted to get a handle on such a big expense.”
It was agreed to put the topic on hold until the aldermen can get more information and feedback. Schott invited them to direct any further questions to him.
HANDICAPPED PARKING SPOT CONSIDERED
The second item on the work session agenda was a request for a handicapped parking space at 450 Walnut. Jim and Barb Grein had requested it. They complained at the April 27 board meeting about a neighbor who constantly parked in front of their house.
The aldermen followed City Administrator Happy Welch’s recommendation not to grant it, since it was on a public street and came down to an issue between neighbors.
“I don’t want to use this table to solve a personal problem,” Ward 4 Alderman Mike Raney said.
REMODELING GOES OVER BUDGET
Welch reported that the city hall/police department remodeling project, budgeted for $450,000, is going over budget.
He asked if the board wanted to budget extra, in the new budget year, to cover replacement furniture. After some discussion, it was agreed to do so.
“We’ve made great strides in updating everything,” Prince said. “If we need to take one more step to complete it, we need to take that one step and finish it.”