http://www.michigancityin.com/articles/200.../23/news/n4.txt

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911 center will move, be updated

By Laurie Wink, The News-Dispatch

LaPORTE - A $2 million appropriation requested by the LaPorte County Commissioners to move and equip the county's E-911 department was unanimously approved by the County Council at Monday's meeting.

Nearly $1.5 million will be used to purchase new telephone and radio equipment through Minor Electronics, with the rest going to DH2W of Michigan City for refurbishing the former museum space on the main floor of the County Complex.

In making the E-911 request to the Council, Commission President Barbara Huston said, “There's an urgency in this (request).” Huston said the emergency services department equipment is nearly 20 years old and the service had outgrown its available space in the lower level of the County Complex, where water damage has also been a problem on two occasions.

Before granting approval, several council members expressed concerns about the Commission's lack of prioritization for projects presented to the Council for funding approval.

Council member Mark Ludlow said, “This is the last $2 million I will vote for without a (project) priority list.” He said in the six years he's been on the Council, this was the first time an appropriation request was made for additional E-911 equipment and space. “It makes us look like we've not done our job,” Ludlow said.

Prior to the 6:30 p.m. Council meeting, a 5 p.m. workshop was held for members of both the Council and the Commission to discuss the E-911 situation as well as possible moves by other departments housed in the County Complex.

Brent Sollar, E-911 director, said more space will be needed if Michigan City emergency services merges with the county service. The state is expected to require each county to have only one public service answering point by 2009.

Sollar said the move to the main floor will more than double the amount of space presently used by E-911 and funding would be used to purchase 8 up-to-date telephone consoles equipped with GIS mapping capability to pinpoint the location of a caller, in addition to the caller's phone number.