Toni Hopper
The Duncan Banner
NORMAN —
Voters countywide can expect a special election Dec. 14, to decide on two issues regarding 911 emergency services. If the two issues on that ballot are passed, once it is in place, individuals living throughout the county will be able to dial 911, from their home or cell phone, and receive local emergency services.
Stephens County Commissioners approved two resolutions Monday, to hold an election that poses the question of assessing a 911 emergency wireless telephone fee for each wireless connection in the county. A second question expected to be on the ballot would address a fee for land line telephones.
Attending the commissioner’s meeting to add input on the countywide E-911 issue were Duncan’s city manager Jim Frieda, county communications director Robert Lynn and First Assistant District Attorney Dennis Gay. From Marlow, city manager Janice Cain and police chief Jimmy Williams, and attorney Tom Frailey attended. Marlow has its own communication’s dispatch center, as does Duncan. The county comm center does handle calls for Duncan emergency services.
Sheriff Wayne McKinney was unable to attend the meeting, as he was dealing with other matters, but heard of the news.
“I am happy to bring all the community together to help the people of this county. This is for the safety of our county and to achieve that we all have to be headed in the right direction,” he said.
During the county meeting, several issues were raised, including that a special election does bear considerable additional costs. Originally, the commissioners were considering the issue be placed on the November general election.
The Banner asked Election Board Secretary Peggy Winton, who was not at the meeting, about the costs associated with a special election. She said that if it had been put on the November ballot, the county would only be responsible for costs of a 3 column ballot, or $4,098.
“Now they have to pay for all of the precinct officials, ballots, it’s approximately $10,000,” she said. If only a 2 column ballot is needed, depending on the wording of the issue, the cost for that would be lower then the $4,098, but it still means the election costs more than double.
Both Frieda and Cain said that their cities would be willing to contribute funding to help pay the difference of that special election.
At the meeting, it appeared everyone was in agreement about the cooperative effort needed in order for the issue to pass.
Commissioner Dee Bowen asked about the fee that Marlow is already collecting, based on a 1994 election that the county paid for. The fee covers any 658-prefix, and Marlow gets that fee through the AT&T telephone company collections for its own system.
In contrast, on March 20, 1990, the City of Duncan hosted its own election for a 911 system, including footing the bill for that. Duncan voters overwhelmingly approved the issue, with a 2,112 for, to 827 against votes.
McKinney said he only wants to give county residents the same opportunity for emergency service response, that those within Duncan and Marlow receive.
“To include land and e-911 (wireless) under one system best benefits the entire county,” he said.
“We encourage an interlocal agreement,” Frieda said. He noted that the City of Duncan reaps $70,000 off 911 fees that are put back into the comm center, so an interlocal agreement would be beneficial.
Commissioner Darrell Sparks and Todd Churchman both agreed, along with Bowen, that the county, not just the cities, need the 911 services. By this election, if passed, that would mean if a resident who does not live in Duncan or Marlow, but somewhere in the county, made a 911 call, it would automatically generate at the county’s communications dispatch center. Currently, that doesn’t happen. Calls are susceptible to routing to other counties.
It was noted that this is not a tax, but only a useage fee that will be applied to landline and cell phone services.
McKinney said even if the issues pass, it is not an overnight fix and getting everything in place will take some time.
In the meeting, Gay said a wireless 911 system is designed to accommodate those individuals who are not currently receiving immediate 911 services.
— Toni Hopper is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. She can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 132 or by e-mail at: toni.hopper@duncanbanner.com.
