QUINCY/ADAMS COUNTY 9-1-1 Steve Rowlands 222 N. 52 nd Street (217) 228-4572 Director Quincy, Illinois 62305 Fax: 222-9361 QUINCY/ADAMS COUNTY 9-1-1 GOVERNING BOARD MEETING Minutes January 16, 2008 9-1-1 Center, 222 N. 52 nd, 5:15 p.m. 10 members present: Adams County Board Member John Johnson (Governing Board Chairman), Adams County Board Member Dave Bellis, Adams County Board Member Billy Bennett, Adams County Board Member Jerry Smith, Quincy Alderman Skip Vahlkamp, Quincy Alderman Jack Holtschlag, Adams County Sheriff Brent Fischer, Quincy Police Chief Rob Copley, Quincy Fire Chief Scott Walker, Adams County Ambulance Director Paul Davis, Rural Fire Association Secretary Bill Johnson 1 member absent: Quincy Alderman Tony Sassen Also present: 9-1-1 Director Steve Rowlands, 9-1-1 staff members Mark Krzystofczyk and Sharon Tedrow. Quorum Call Chairman John Johnson called the meeting to order and indicated a quorum was present. Chief Copley made a motion to approve the minutes of the April, July and October meetings and Skip Vahlkamp seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously and the minutes were approved as distributed with no changes. John Johnson stated that his term expires this month and he will be leaving the 9-1-1 Governing Board at the conclusion of this meeting. He stated that the Adams County Board Chairman Mike McLaughlin has appointed Adams County Board Member Jerry Smith to replace him. John Johnson also noted that Alderman Virgil Goehl is also leaving the board with Alderman Jack Holtschlag s appointment by Quincy Mayor John Spring. Chairman Johnson stated this has been a good group to work with and the 9-1-1 staff has been great to work with. He stated that there have been a lot of accomplishments with the new facility and that the backup Center has come a long way. He stated that he appreciates the input he has received from the Board and the staff. Steve Rowlands gave John Johnson an engraved shovel from the new 9-1-1 Center s groundbreaking ceremony. 9-1-1 Governing Board Chairman selection John Johnson asked the Board for nominations for Chairman. Jack Holtschlag nominated Skip Vahlkamp for the position of 9-1-1 Governing Board Chairman. Paul Davis seconded the motion. Sheriff Fischer moved the nominations be closed. Scott Walker seconded the motion. Chairman Johnson called for a vote, 8 yes, 0 no, 3 absent. (9-1-1 Governing Board members Billy Bennett and Bill Johnson were not present for vote) Newly selected Governing Board Chairman Skip Vahlkamp requested that John Johnson continue to chair the meeting.
Chief Copley made a motion to go into executive session to review non-union 9-1-1 staff salaries. Sheriff Fischer seconded the motion. Executive Session The 9-1-1 Governing Board went into executive session. Bill Johnson arrived at the meeting at 5:30 p.m. and Billy Bennett arrived at the meeting at 5:35 p.m. Both participated in the executive session. The 9-1-1 Governing Board re-convened in open session. Skip Vahlkamp made a motion to table the salary adjustment until the next meeting, stating that with a new chairman and two new members on the board, time was needed to review the 9-1-1 Director s recommendations. Chief Walker seconded the motion. The motion passed with 10 yes, 0 no and 1 absent. The issue was tabled until the next meeting. 9-1-1 Director s Request for Mileage Reimbursement Steve Rowlands requested that the 9-1-1 Governing Board review and approve his request for reimbursement for 1,995.2 miles for the period October 1, 2006 through December 31, 2007. Steve Rowlands stated he did not track the mileage on his personal vehicle from the Courthouse to the new 9-1-1 Center during the period when the communications systems and E9-1-1 was being implemented in the new building. He stated that he realized that he had put nearly 3,000 extra miles on his vehicle during the construction and equipping of the new facility and that this mileage was solely attributable to trips made to and from the Courthouse 9-1-1 Center to the new facility sometimes two and three times a day between October 1, 2006 and March 13, 2007. He stated that a roundtrip from the City Hall and the Courthouse to the new 9-1-1 Center is 8.6 miles. He stated that in the past, he was only reimbursed for mileage for out of town trips and meetings but not for mileage within town as the distance from the Courthouse 9-1-1 Center and City Hall was only a few blocks. Between October 1, 2006 and February 28, 2007, Steve Rowlands stated that he made multiple roundtrips between Courthouse 9-1-1 and new 9-1-1 Center during WirelessUSA communications outfitting and testing of new building and E9-1-1 implementation. He further stated that one round trip, five times a week, is likely an underestimate for the period between October 1, 2006 and March 13, 2007 as indicated in his written justification to the Board. Steve Rowlands stated that he also made multiple trips to both the Courthouse 9-1-1 Center and New 9-1-1 building during his vacation days between November and December 2006 due to nature of installation and the importance of the implementation of Enhanced 9-1-1. Steve Rowlands stated that in hindsight, he should have kept a mileage log but that the written justification for reimbursement is his best, good faith estimate of the mileage utilized in the course of his job for the period October 1, 2006 through December 31, 2007. Steve Rowlands stated that beginning January 1, 2008, he was keeping a detailed mileage log for monthly mileage reimbursement. Steve Rowlands stated that he would like to have Governing Board approval, as he does not want any appearance of impropriety. Sheriff Fischer asked where the mileage rate came from. Steve Rowlands stated it is from the City reimbursement rate. John Johnson stated the County uses $0.35 per mile.
Chief Copley asked if others are reimbursed. Steve Rowlands stated 9-1-1 management gets reimbursed at the City s rate for out of town meetings and training. Dave Bellis asked what rate the other employees get. Steve Rowlands stated they have a rate that is set within the current union contract. Jerry Smith asked if there a log kept of why you are being reimbursed? Steve Rowlands stated that his written request would be submitted attached to the mileage reimbursement form to the City Comptroller s office and that he would want that document authorized by the 9-1-1 Governing Board and signed by the 9-1-1 Governing Board Chairman on the Board s behalf. Steve Rowlands stated that as Director he is probably empowered to authorize reimbursement for himself but felt that it was better to have the Governing Board approve this. Dave Bellis made a motion to give Steve Rowlands the reimbursement as submitted for $967.67. Paul Davis seconded the motion. Chief Walker stated that he has some concerns about doing the allocation from two different budget years, but that he will support the reimbursement request. Chief Copley asked how the County members felt about using the City s reimbursement rate. Dave Bellis said that he thought 9-1-1 has always used the City s rate. The motion passed 10 yes, 0 no and 1 absent. FY2008-2009 Budget Review Steve Rowlands referred to the draft budget that was sent to the members. He said the draft is 95% the same with very few changes. The summary page lists the items in blue that are the total of salary items. This budget overall has a 2.34% increase. He stated that the past two budgets increase 15% due to E9-1-1 implementation. Steve Rowlands went over the salary line items within the draft budget. Dave Bellis stated that other than the merit increase did all management received 3% in line with the union s 3%? Steve Rowlands stated management gets 3%. He requested that the Governing Board leave the amount for the merit increase in the budget so it is there if the Governing Board decides later to approve it. Chief Copley asked if the person with the merit increase also receives 3%? Steve Rowlands said yes plus the other figure. Steve Rowlands went over line items related to payroll and benefits. Dave Bellis asked the costs for the insurance and how much the employee had to pay. Steve Rowlands state that the employer pays for the employee and if the employee has family coverage, the employer pays half and the employee pays half of that cost. Steve Rowlands stated that the City s IMRF cost was reduced, the machinist pension, audit expense are listed. The cleaning service now only comes once a week for a reduced cost. Steve Rowlands went over the Repair and Maintenance line items in the draft budget. He noted that WirelessUSA charges for maintenance of $36,000 was considerably less than what Motorola quoted for $98,000 for the same maintenance. Chief Walker stated that Repair and Maintenance showed a 28% increase. Steve Rowlands stated that from what he knew last year he underestimated the maintenance and service agreement of the E9-1-1 telephone and radio control systems by $18,000. Now that he knows the exact cost it is reflected in the budget. He stated that we must have a maintenance agreement for the radios and telephone system, as it is the heart of our operation.
Steve Rowlands went over the communications line items. He stated that it is reduced from last year and includes the costs for E9-1-1, LEADS circuit, cell phones, pager rental and the satellite phone hookup. Steve Rowlands went over the line items for travel and training. The mileage reimbursement was increase for the inner City trips. Dave Bellis asked if the communications line items charges occur every year. Steve Rowlands replied yes. Steve Rowlands stated that electricity is running $1,700+ per month with the winter months being the highest. Maintenance supplies and clothing with a 2.4% increase. Steve Rowlands stated that he anticipates executing 98% of the budget. Chief Copley asked what the pay difference is from a new employee to a seasoned employee. Steve Rowlands stated $10.49 to $15.39. A former employee resigned recently and has mentioned coming back if there is an opening. If that happens, she will be paid at the higher rate. John Johnson stated if there were no further questions or comments he would entertain a motion to approve the budget request. Billy Bennett made a motion to approve the budget. Jerry Smith seconded the motion. The budget passed with 10 yes, 0 no and 1 absent. Status of Federal Funding Adams County Emergency Management Director John Simon was informed by Congressman LaHood s office that EMA will be receiving funding of $376,000 for 2008. The Quincy/Adams County 9-1-1 Center originally requested $400,000 Federal Funding in 2004 for the E9-1-1 project and continued to request funds in 2005 and 2006. As the money cannot be used to pay the loan or reimburse for past expenditures, Steve Rowlands stated that Quincy/Adams County 9-1-1 and Adams County Emergency Management so as not to lose the opportunity to obtain funding submitted a joint request in early 2007. EMA Director John Simon will oversee the grant process from this point forward. It will be used it for radios, an antenna tower and a reverse notification system. Dave Bellis asked if the money could be used for salaries. Steve Rowlands said no, it could only be used for equipment. Skip Vahlkamp asked if it can be used to help with the City Police and Fire with a radio system. Steve Rowlands said that in his opinion that it would not replace the QPD s voting repeater system or telephone line linked radio system transmitting from Central Station. Courthouse Retrofit Steve Rowlands stated that the backup 9-1-1 Center is complete and fully operational. He stated that 9-1-1 would look to exercise the Backup 9-1-1 Center by the end of January or early February 2008 by having a shift work out of it to test and make sure all of the equipment is operational. Paul Davis asked if all of the operators would work at the backup site during that time. Steve Rowland said yes, as it will be good practice moving from the 9-1-1 Center to the backup Center. Skip Vahlkamp asked Steve to inform the new members about the backup with Cass County. Steve Rowlands explained the backup and routing procedures with the Board. Dave Bellis asked if there is a charge or cost for Cass County and do we back up anyone. Steve Rowlands said there is a cost for telephone circuits and that it is reflected in detail in the budget draft.
Statement of Economic Interest Statement of Economic Interest forms were handed out to members who have not already received one. Steve Rowlands stated that all members should list being a member of the Governing Board on the form. Chief Copley left the meeting at 6:15 p.m. 310 Fund (Loan) status Steve Rowlands stated that the 310 Fund will be closed out after payment of two outstanding bills and that the remaining balance will be applied back to the building loan as a principal reduction payment. Steve Rowlands stated that future principal reduction payments from WETSA funds from the FY2008-2009 budget will also be used to pay down the loan. Skip Vahlkamp asked if the remaining balance in the loan expenditure line items be paid back to the loan principal right away. Steve Rowlands stated that he would get with Comptroller Ann Scott to do this as soon as the two outstanding bills are paid. Wireless 9-1-1 Phase II implementation Steve Rowlands stated that in 2007, 56% of 9-1-1 calls were wireless. In 2006, it was 47.5% and in 2005, it was 40%. Steve Rowlands stated that 9-1-1 is Phase II with AT&T, Simmetry, Sprint/Nextel and U.S. Cellular. Steve Rowlands stated that T-Mobile is Phase I and is currently not capable of Phase II. They have been granted an extension to March 11, 2008. He stated that this is a potential FCC issue with Phase II accuracy compliance. T-Mobile is the smallest provider to Adams County with 250 subscribers. Quincy/Adams County 9-1-1 requested Wireless Phase II from all providers on December 11, 2006. The FCC Consent Decree required T-Mobile to have 50% deployment within six months with 100% deployment after 15 months. T-Mobile did not meet the FCC requirement to provide 50% Phase II deployment by June 11, 2007. T-Mobile will not make the March 11, 2008 100% deployment milestone. Steve Rowlands stated that Lynn Mell, T-Mobile Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs, informed him by email that Quincy is approved for network expansion in 2008 and that T- Mobile plans to build several tower sites. He stated that he hopes that she will update us in a few weeks. Dave Bellis asked what kind of penalty would be involved with T-Mobile. Steve Rowlands said it is quite a big process to file a formal complaint with the FCC. Adams County States Attorney Jon Barnard would likely have to file legal work. He also stated that an informal complaint with the FCC should probably be pursued before a formal complaint. Steve Rowlands stated that he would recommend that we allow T-Mobile a reasonable extension to address this. He stated he would update the Governing Board at the April meeting. 204 Fund balance Steve Rowlands stated that the 204 Fund balance is $79,011.08 (both WETSA surcharge and Vonage VOIP E9-1-1 remittance fee). Vonage VOIP E9-1-1 remittance fee balance including interest earned if $8.583.99 as of January 16, 2008. Vonage is $1.25 per access line. The November 2007 revenue was $1,373.76 based on 1,133 access lines. WETSA balance is $70,527.09 as of January 16, 2008. The new law went into effect and the sunset for the WETSA surcharge is now April 2013. The surcharge is $0.73 per month. Revenue is $0.58 per wireless user per month, which is a change from $0.75 and $0.495. Steve Rowland stated that we receive an average of $20,300 per month plus $200 interest.
Steve Rowlands stated that the state is to transfer $8 million to PSAPs in the next 2-3 months. The monthly revenue check to us when that occurs will be 2 to 3 times normal monthly amount. The loan payment to First Bankers Trust is $16,224.84 per month. The last loan payment will be June 2014 assuming no principal reduction payments have been made John Johnson said this and previous budgets did not ask for capital money. With the WETSA fund money that does not go for the loan repayment could be used for equipment replacement and help with other needs. Steve Rowlands said the WETSA money must be used for expenditures only relating directly to 9-1-1 call taking and dispatching expenses and equipment. Steve Rowlands said the CAD, telephone and UPS system, etc. would be covered under WETSA. New Business There was no new business. Dave Bellis thanked John Johnson for his work on the Governing Board and as Chairman. Dave stated that he has done a lot of work on the building committee and with the implementation of Enhanced 9-1-1. Skip Vahlkamp said he is proud of the work John Johnson has done. John Johnson thanked everyone. Future meetings The next quarterly meeting of the 9-1-1 Governing Board is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 5:15 p.m. The meeting will be held in the conference room located in the 9-1-1 building, 222 N. 52 nd Street. Other quarterly meetings for 2008 will be July 16, 2008 and October 15, 2008. Meeting adjournment Dave Bellis made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Sheriff Fischer seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned.