Document text
City Council expected to ship dispatch to Medford By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings If it follows city staff recommendations, the Ashland City Council Tuesday will give the go-ahead to contract with Medford for Ashland's emergency dispatch services, despite the fact that the state Office of Emergency Management has recommended Southern Oregon Regional Communications (SORC) become the exclusive 911 dispatch agency in Jackson County. "The bottom line here is (the state's support of SORC) will not have any affect on the savings to the city of Ashland," Ashland interim Administrator Brian Almquist said. The council meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Ashland Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main St. The meeting will be carried live on Rogue Valley Community Television Channel 9. Medford Central Communications and SORC have been competing for the for the 911 responsibility since 2001 legislation required the consolidation of dispatch services. The state's decision has not been finalized, but either way, the city makes out better by going with Medford, Almquist said. "The price we got from Medford was less," he said. Also, present Ashland dispatchers can keep their retirement benefits with Medford, and five of the seven employees will have new jobs in the Medford center. The remaining two will likely be laid off within the next year, but will be first in line for rehire at the new center, which has a high turnover rate, according to Almquist. "Over the next two or three years, they will be absorbed," Almquist said. Ashland gets about $90,000 a year in 911 money from the state. After consolidation, that money will be assigned to Medford. If the state makes the final decision to give the funding to SORC, Ashland will not be affected. The change is expected to save the city about $400,000 a year. In other business, the council will: give the oath of office to new councilors Alex Amarotico, Kate Jackson and Chris Hearn, and new Parks and Recreation Commissioners Rich Rosenthal and Mike Gardiner; hear Mayor Alan DeBoer's "The State of the City" address; recognize the Ashland Finance Department's securing the Government Finance Officers Association Award; consider confirmation of the mayor's appointments of Bruce Bayard, Sharon Dvora, Richard Benson, Kip Todd, Inger Jorgensen, Arnold Kriger and Ron Demele to the newly created Public Arts Commission; consider confirmation of the mayor's appointment of David Dotterer to the Ashland Planning Commission; consider confirmation of the mayor's appointment of Carol Carlson to the Conservation Commission; hold a public hearing on vacating three unopened alleys between Hersey Street, Helman Street and the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad and a potion of the east-west alley between Laurel and the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad; consider first reading of an ordinance vacating three unopened alleys; hold a public hearing on the appeal of the planning commission's denial of a request of site review approval for the construction of four units at 916 East Main street; Discuss a communications services subscription agreement with the City of Medford for 911 services; elect a new member of the Citizens' Budget Committee; elect a council chairperson; consider mayor's appointments of council liaisons to various boards and commissions; and, consider authorizing sale of a 1997 Melroe Bobcat loader, which is surplus city property valued at more than $10,000 LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -