The Montezuma County Board of Commissioners has approved a fee increase for the 911 emergency service to pay for equipment upgrades.
They agreed to a surcharge of $1 per month for every cell phone and land line, up from 70 cents. The increase now goes to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for final approval, which will then notify telephone service carriers.
The additional funding will be used to upgrade outdated equipment at the Cortez-Montezuma County Communications Center.
The dispatch center handles 911 calls and radio communications for local police, sheriff, fire departments, coroner and ambulance responders, plus Mesa Verde National Park and Empire Electric Association.
“They system has outdated technology and has reached the point where they can’t get parts,” said commissioner James Lambert. “The 911 service is essential for the people of the county, and the fee increase was needed so the system does not go down.”
In 1997, the city and county agreed to a consolidated dispatch center and to use the 911 surcharge funds to cover capital needs, including 911 phone systems, radio systems and recording equipment, reports Dispatch Center supervisor Lori Johnson.
The recording system was replaced in 2009 with the funds. In 2013, the phone system was upgraded at a cost of about $325,000.
Currently, there is a need to replace the radio communication system, which will cost about $800,000, Johnson said.
The radio system has not been replaced since 1997, and 2018 is the last year replacement parts will be manufactured for them.
“Right now, we’re buying the replacement parts off of eBay,” she said. “It has come time to replace those radios.”
The 911 Surcharge for Montezuma County was originally set at 50 cents per phone line. In 2008, it was raised to 70 cents, which generates about $200,000 per year. The new $1 rate will generate an additional $85,000 per year, Johnson said.
Statewide, the average 911 surcharge per line is $1.05. La Plata County has a surcharge of $1.30, and Archuleta and San Miguel counties are set at $1.25.
The dispatch center has been seeking grants from the Department of Local Affairs to help pay for costs of the radio system upgrades, and were informed they needed to raise the 911 surcharge to have a chance for the grant funding.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com