Plans proceed for $40 million 911 dispatch center on Lake County's campus in Libertyville

Progress continues on various aspects of a plan to consolidate 911 dispatching and emergency operations in a new $40 million facility at Lake County's campus in Libertyville.

The county would build the center at its own expense in an open area west of its Central Permit Facility on the campus north and west of Milwaukee Avenue and Winchester Road.

County officials informally have approved borrowing $31 million by issuing bonds to raise money for the Regional Operations Center. A public hearing held this week by the county board regarding the bond issue sets the stage for final consideration Aug. 9.

If approved, a bond sale is planned for late August, said Patrice Sutton, chief financial officer. It is likely all proceeds will go to the 911 center, but they can be used for other building projects in the county's capital plan if grants are received to offset the 911 center cost, she added.

As it stands, $9.9 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds and a $1 million grant are the other funding sources.

Building design is ongoing and includes input from telecommunicators and operators. Generally, the building will have an east-to-west configuration, maximize natural light and integrating geothermal and solar power, according to Jim Hawkins, deputy county administrator.

Lake County anticipates the bond process to be completed this fall and the architectural plan finished in spring 2023. Groundbreaking is possible in late summer with a possible completion date in summer 2025, county officials said.

"It's a tremendous upgrade from where we are right now, county board member Kevin Hunter said during a recent discussion. "I've said it before, if you can't communicate you can't operate. This is a huge step to that."

The building will be the end point in an ongoing, multipronged approach involving updating various procedures and policies.

This week, the county board also approved an intergovernmental agreement involving eight 911 centers, known as public safety answering points, to dissolve and create a new operating entity.

Committed parties include the county, Lake County Sheriff's Office, CenCom E911, Fox Lake, Gurnee, Lake Zurich, Mundelein, Vernon Hills and Waukegan.

Each participating agency's public safety answering point will pay $50,000 to hire a project manager and support expenses.

"The goal is to establish a new intergovernmental cooperative that does 911 for the county," said Hawkins adding, "The key thing is 911 is not being taken over by the county."