City Council Preview: 911 and Master Plans Slated for Decisions

As the last six months have shown, having an agreement for 911 services on a council agenda does not mean an agreement will be made.

While the council has come close to choosing either staying with DeKalb County service or heading to ChatComm, the private service provider that currently serves Sandy Springs and Johns Creek, no decision has been made yet.

On Monday’s agenda, City Manager Warren Hutmacher is recommending, again, that the city council pick ChatComm.

But the Council will first discuss the issue at a 6 p.m. work session.

The session will include a briefing from Hutmacher who is expected to give updated numbers on cost estimates (see meeting documents here).

While going with DeKalb County wouldn’t cost the city anything from the general fund annually, other than a one time start-up fee of $135,000, the cost estimates for ChatComm have wavered some over the last few months, as it has become clear there are several cost factors at work with the ChatComm option.

ChatComm would cost about $1.15 million per year, and there would be a $570,000 start-up fee.

Most of the annual cost would be covered with 911 fees collected on cell and house phones (those fees will pay for DeKalb County service in full). However, the city’s earlier estimates on how much would be collected city wide on those phone fees could be off. The administration had calculated $1.50 per phone, but cell phone carriers are allowed to recollect as much as 45 cents of that fee.

Further, the county would charge the city for fire dispatching and radio use.

The council will also hear from councilman Danny Ross, who pointed out the extra possible costs with ChatComm.

Ross has been advocating staying with DeKalb County, because of the cost differences as well as what he says will be a problem with fire and EMS calls. Fire and EMS calls will initially go to ChatComm, but then have to be transferred to DeKalb County, which Ross says would put in an unnecessary step between the initial call and the response, and add to response times.

Master Plans

Months of work on developing several master plans for the city of Dunwoody will come to a head Monday night, when all four plans are on the agenda for adoption.

Each plan will get a public hearing before being put to resolution.

The plans are:

• Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan

• Comprehensive Transportation Master Plan

• Dunwoody Village Master Plan

• Georgetown/North Shallowford Master Plan

Among other items on the agenda:

• Updates and financial reports from the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Dunwoody

• Ordinances and public hearings on amendment the 2010 and 2011 budgets

• a public hearing and second read on a pain management clinics ordinance