Mike Wolanin | The Republic The exterior of The Commons with the Bartholomew County Courthouse pictured in the background in downtown Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017.
While the current contract won’t expire for two to three years, several public organizations will still face a 61% annual cost increase at the end of this year for their remote communications systems.
For several years, an interlocal agreement has existed between the E911 Emergency Operations Center and three other organizations: The city of Columbus, the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. and Columbus Regional Hospital.
Each entity has paid about $9,400 annually in the past few years to use the communications system and tower off Carr Hill Road, according to E911 Emergency Operations Center Todd Noblitt. For several years, the facility has served as the principal tower for emergency dispatchers until it was replaced with a newer system, Noblitt said.
Today, the county uses the Carr Hill Road tower as a secondary or backup emergency communications system, the E911 director said. It also serves as the primary communications system for the Bartholomew County Jail, he said
But the school district, the hospital and the city of Columbus also utilize the Carr Hill Road tower extensively for communications, Noblitt said.
Earlier this year, the city of Columbus, which negotiates matters regarding the interlocal agreement, received word from Motorola that parts and equipment for the Carr Hill Road facility will no longer be serviceable after December, Noblitt said.
While the Bartholomew County commissioners have agreed to do their part for the upgrade, the cost for each individual organization will rise to $15,171 annually over the next five years, he said.
Although the 61% increase can certainly be viewed as substantial, Noblitt said all parts and machinery will be 100% covered.
“No mater if the equipment blows off or falls off, it will be covered for the next five years,” Noblitt said.
Under the older agreement, those using the tower were responsible for a number of repairs. he said.
Communications systems aren’t the only items that have a limited lifespan within the local 911 system. In 2018, a total of $671,000 was paid to replace the center’s 11-year-old telephone system.
However, Bartholomew County has always maintained a strong relationship with the statewide E911 system, and has received financial and other forms of assistance from them, as well as other organizations, in the past.
