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From excerpts on MySuburbanLife.com:
In a recent decision, the city of Woodstock has agreed to join the McHenry Police Department's dispatch center through an intergovernmental pact. Operating the current Woodstock dispatch center costs approximately $856,000 annually, but estimates suggest that this expense could drop to around $502,000 in the first year under the new arrangement.
However, there are additional one-time expenses involved in the transition. The city will need to allocate roughly $144,000 for dispatch equipment and another $189,000 as severance packages for the Woodstock dispatchers whose roles will be phased out, as outlined in the agreement.
Woodstock's Police Chief, Robert Lowen, acknowledged the downside of this shift, pointing out that the local dispatch center will no longer operate 24/7 at the police department. Additionally, he expressed concerns that the new dispatchers might not possess the same level of familiarity with the city.
"Although we’ll miss the personal touch, over time, the consolidated dispatch center will grow accustomed to the intricacies of our town," Lowen stated.
The newly expanded center will be referred to as the McHenry County Northeastern Regional Communications Center, or NERCOMM. Currently, it handles dispatch services for agencies like the McHenry police, Johnsburg police, McCullom Lake police, the McHenry Township Fire Protection District, Marengo fire, Marengo rescue, and Union fire. It’s also in the process of incorporating Harvard and Marengo into its operations due to a state directive aimed at halving the number of dispatch centers.
At present, the Woodstock dispatch center employs eight full-time and two part-time dispatchers. Under the new agreement, one full-time employee will move to a records clerk role within the Woodstock police department, while five Others will transition to become NERCOMM dispatchers.
The city of Woodstock receives around $84,000 annually from the Woodstock Fire Rescue District for dispatch services. With the new agreement, the district’s costs are projected to rise to $120,000. To assist during the initial adjustment period, the city plans to subsidize the fire district by up to $36,000 each year for the next five years.
"This move allows us to save money, and we want to support the fire district by sharing some of those savings for the first five years to help offset their increased costs," explained Woodstock’s Finance Director, Paul Christensen.
The proposal was approved unanimously during Tuesday night’s Woodstock City Council meeting. While there are challenges ahead, supporters believe that consolidating resources will ultimately lead to more efficient operations across the region.