Dispatch dispute: Borough, Palmer at odds over service’s future

PALMER — Officials at odds over the future of emergency dispatch services in the Mat-Su Borough said they would work hard to avoid a potential gap in emergency response dispatch services.

Officials have discussed improving emergency dispatch services within the borough for years. The City of Palmer operates borough-provided dispatch equipment, and the borough pays the city a contracted fee. The contract is worth about $800,000 per year and expires on June 30.

The borough provides IT support for the dispatch computers themselves, which borough information technology staff have said places an undue burden on their resources. Earlier this year, the borough assembly issued a request for proposal including IT support for the equipment as part of a planned new contract. Likely bidders include the cities of Palmer and Wasilla. The current borough equipment is E911, or Enhanced 911, computer systems that automatically provide some information about an incoming phone call, like a name and address, or approximate location of a cell phone call.

Borough Information Technology director Eric Wyatt said some bidders have repeatedly asked for more time to bid on the contract, which was originally issued with a March 11 deadline. Officials have extended that contract twice to allow bidders more time to prepare, and the current deadline sits at June 28. In addition to extending the request for proposal, officials must also extend the existing contract to allow time for the transition to happen, Wyatt said.

“We are negotiations with Palmer PD to extend the contract, and we have to extend it long enough to get the process completed,” he said.

That drew a sternly worded letter from Palmer manager Nathan Wallace.

“The borough has significantly altered its initial proposal for the length and cost of a service extension without meaningful coordination or consultation with Palmer,” the letter reads, after a brief summary of recent dispatch negotiations.

Instead, Palmer officials say the shortest period they’re willing to renew the contract for is a full year, Wallace said. They’re also asking for the contract amount to be increased by about $20,000 and asking for the borough to pay to install upgraded equipment to provide for better service.

“Palmer is not the Borough’s temporary employment service, willing to provide services on short notice at the Borough’s choosing,” Wallace wrote.

The upgrade is crucial to adequate service, Wallace wrote.

“It is critical the borough upgrade the CAD (Computer-assisted dispatching) and phone systems,” he wrote. “This equipment is outdated and risk of failure. Palmer will not accept responsibility or liability for their failure or inability to perform service functions.”

New equipment installed on the borough’s dime likely wouldn’t give Palmer a competitive edge in seeking the borough contract, Wyatt said. If borough officials upgraded the equipment, it could pass on to Palmer’s successor, Wyatt said. If officials elected to wait until after the contract was renewed to upgrade, that would likely impact the cost of the contract going forward, whether Palmer received the contract or not.

“When you get down to it, we’re going to pay for the service one way or another, and that check is going to be written by the borough,” he said.

Wallace was out of the office this week. However, Palmer Police Chief Lance Ketterling, who manages the Palmer dispatch center as part of his regular duties, and has been involved in discussions about the contract, said both sides have the public interest in mind. Palmer officials think a yearlong contract would create stability for the existing dispatchers, and would like the time to change the existing system, he said.

“I think a gap in coverage is certainly something that nobody wants,” he said.

Contact reporter Brian O’Connor at 352-2270, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.