Fox Lake says report doesn't help with 911 center decision

A report on the future of the Fox Lake's 911 emergency dispatch center doesn't provide the information village officials say they need to make a decision.

Village board members now want consultant Richard Tucker to make a recommendation to keep the center, merge it with the Round Lake dispatch center, or bring in an outside agency to staff it.

The current report, officials say, contains what they already know -- the center is costly and merging it with a neighboring center is a good idea, but may not be in Fox Lake's best interest.

"Honestly, this report is something we could have written ourselves," Mayor Cindy Irwin said Tuesday night. "We need answers on what we should do, not a recap of what we already know."

Tucker will attend a special meeting Dec. 20 to review the report with trustees. He said he will help officials weigh the options available.

"I think the board needs a little more background to help them with this decision," he said. "They have several options available to them and the report covers all of them. So, basically, I'll meet them, help them see the different options, and hopefully help them resolve this."

Irwin said she will ask Tucker what he thinks the village should do with the dispatch center.

"We want to know what he thinks the best option is," she said. "We're looking for guidance."

Village officials have been wrestling with the future of the 911 center for about six months.

Some officials -- including Irwin -- support merging it with Round Lake's Cencom emergency dispatch center.

The merger could save the village $500,000 to $700,000 annually, depending on the amount of Fox Lake calls dispatched annually.

Other officials say the village could make money off the facility if operated correctly.

Trustee Ed Bender, who served on the committee that decided to keep the dispatch center going, said the goal was to bring in other agencies to help cover its $1 million annual cost.

The village has a contract with Grayslake for fire, police and village dispatching services at the cost of $350,000 a year, but more agencies are needed for it to start breaking even, officials say.

Trustee Nancy Koske suggested delaying paying the consultant until he provides what officials want.

"I'm not saying don't pay him, but he didn't do what we requested," she said. "I'm just saying we should hold off payment until we get what we want."