The Town of Culver is preparing for a cost-sharing plan that will allow the community to continue receiving dispatch services.
Marshall County is struggling to fully fund the service due the way revenue obtained through landlines and cell phones is applied in the state of Indiana. To combat this, county government and Marshall County’s various municipalities are joining forces to operate the service differently.
Police Chief Wayne Bean says Culver’s choices are limited.
“It was basically put to me, in not so many words, in a hallway discussion that we either get this done, or we’re getting turned off on January 1st,” says Bean.
A meeting was recently held amongst Marshall County law enforcement that attempts to organize a board to oversee dispatch services. It will be made up of nine members with a representative of each community serving on a rotating basis.
The take away, according to Bean, is that Culver’s funding obligation is about $10-thousand. Each town’s payment was determined based on population and the number of calls in a typical year.
How to allocate funds will be decided by the Culver Town Council going forward. Town Council President Ginny Bess Munroe says there are cost considerations.
“It would certainly cost us a lot more than $10-thousand, some-odd dollars if we had to dispatch on our own,” says Munroe.
An intergovernmental agreement will likely be signed between Culver and the county as the effort progresses.
The Culver Town Council will consider the matter further as the deadline draws closer.
