911 board arrangement still unresolved

Talks stalled Thursday over an agreement to settle how Flathead County and three city governments will oversee development and operation of a consolidated 911 dispatch center.

While the Flathead County commissioners and the city of Columbia Falls have approved a new interlocal agreement, some reluctance has developed among Kalispell and Whitefish city officials to do so.

At a meeting with moments of friction, county Commissioner Joe Brenneman pressed an interim committee of county and city officials to adopt the agreement so that a formal six-member committee can be established to prepare for construction of the new 911 center on Stillwater Road west of Kalispell.

"Within a week we'll open bids on a building and we don't have any clear governance plan in place," Brenneman said.

Kalispell Mayor Pam Kennedy and Whitefish City Council member Turner Askew pushed back, saying that the interlocal agreement is not detailed enough and can be improved.

In early March, a group of Flathead County law enforcement and emergency services officials traveled to King County, Wash., for a look at a recent 911 consolidation project involving a dozen agencies. They came back with the interlocal agreement that was developed for that effort.

Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset told the interim committee that the King County document is similar but more detailed than the agreement for the Flathead 911 center. For example, it includes a dispute resolution plan in cases where King County's 12-member board comes to a tie vote.

The six-member Flathead board would include a county commissioner, the county sheriff, the county attorney and members representing Kalispell, Whitefish and Columbia Falls.

Kennedy and Askew said that framework is prone to tie votes. The county would have the ability to thwart the cities in managing the center's $2.1 million annual operating budget, and the cities could do the same to the county, Askew said.

"The county has the ability to force an issue … and not allow for any change," Kennedy said.

But Brenneman has a different view.

"Since the board is balanced, the county can't force its way on the board … unless at least one of the city representatives goes along with it," he said.

Kennedy insisted the interlocal agreement should at least include language outlining how the agreement can be amended, and it should include a dispute resolution plan similar to the one developed in King County.

"We should embrace the work other people have done … to get the best possible document," she said.

Askew expressed reservations about the six-member board structure, saying that the board should include a seventh member who has technical expertise for overseeing a center that will be loaded with computer servers and advanced communications technology.

Brenneman ultimately agreed to have a deputy county attorney review the King County agreement to see if some of its provisions can be adopted. But it will be up to at least one of the other county commissioners, Dale Lauman or Jim Dupont, to adopt an amended interlocal agreement.

The new 911 center will consolidate separate dispatch operations run by the county and the three cities. Last November, Flathead County voters narrowly approved a $6.9 million bond issue to build and equip the 11,800-square-foot building.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com