Editor’s note: This story has been updated to add comment from the City of Fayetteville.
Under the gun from a state lawmaker who wants a resolution to a years-long conflict over how to merge separate city and county 911 call centers into one operation, the Fayetteville City Council and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Thursday and Friday approved proposed joint resolutions to advance their plans.
But the resolutions differ in several ways.
Significantly, the county’s version says the county would run the joint 911 center, a move the city has opposed. Previously, the City Council and Fayetteville’s police and fire chiefs have said they want the city to run the merged center.
The city’s resolution, approved by the council on Thursday, proposes using a consultant to evaluate the merger and make a recommendation on whether it should be city-run or county-run, which would then be followed.
“We tried to compromise and say, ‘Hey, y’all want to run it. You’re probably not going to concede. We want to run it. We’re not likely to concede,’” City Councilmember Deno Hondros told CityView on Friday. “So, let’s have a tiebreaker, if you will. An unbiased opinion.”
Elected officials should determine who runs the joint 911 center, County Commission Chair Kirk deViere said.
“I think in our board’s opinion that’s a question about public accountability, and really, when you speak to accountability, accountability should lie with elected officials,” he said.
The county commissioners approved their resolution on Friday.
State Sen. Tom McInnis, who represents Moore and Cumberland counties, has given the city and county until 5 p.m. Monday to reach an agreement. Otherwise, he has said, he will seek to pass a law to force their merger.
McInnis previously had legislation that would have imposed the merger and put the county in charge. He belayed this legislation to give the city and county time to work on a compromise.
“The City remains committed to achieving a consolidated 911 system and appreciates Senator McInnis’ efforts to encourage a local solution,” city spokesman David Scott said via email. “Our focus continues to be reaching an agreement that provides the best long-term emergency communications system for the residents of Cumberland County.”
The city’s 911 call center is in downtown Fayetteville. It takes calls and dispatches emergency services for incidents inside the city limits.
The county’s 911 center is in Fayetteville near the Harris Teeter-anchored shopping center on Raeford Road. It dispatches emergency services for most of the rest of the county, including the eight towns outside Fayetteville. Fort Bragg operates its own 911 center.
The city and county have long sought to merge their 911 services, with the goal of saving money and improving the service. Past talks have failed on the question of which government would run the consolidated service.
The city council may not accept the county’s proposal. The county has a meeting scheduled for Monday, deViere said, should the commissioners need to vote on a revised proposal.
The city is reviewing the county’s proposal, Scott said email. “Because discussions are ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment on specific provisions at this time,” he said.
“We remain hopeful that a mutually acceptable path forward can still be achieved,” he said, and without intervention from the General Asssembly.
The city and county have overall agreement, with some differences in the details, on other matters related to the proposed 911 center merger. Some of these points:
- Both want to reach a memorandum of understanding within 45 days of their agreement for consolidating the 911 services.
- Both want to hire the consultant to advise on the merger, even though the county doesn’t want to use the consultant to decide which government ultimately runs the merged operation.
- After the merger consultant submits its report, the city would like the merger to be finished within 18 to 24 months. The county called for a 36-month deadline.
- The county said the joint 911 center’s performance should be evaluated four years after the merger, and the county, as the operator of the 911 center, would address any deficiencies.
- The city’s resolution calls for including Fort Bragg’s 911 service in the merger. Cumberland County’s version changes that to an invitation to the military to discuss whether the Army base would be involved.
Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.
Did you find this story useful or interesting? It was made possible by donations from readers like you to the News Foundation of Greater Fayetteville, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to an informed democracy in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation so CityView can bring you more news and information like this.
