Leanna Lehman
The Churchill County E-911 Committee’s meeting on December 3 focused on two longstanding challenges for the county’s emergency communications system: ensuring all required carriers contribute to the E-911 fund and determining how to modernize the 911 infrastructure without overextending local budgets.
The agenda called for members to approve funding for three new 911 servers for the Sheriff’s Office at a cost of $63,352, as part of the county’s ongoing efforts to upgrade its communications center to Next Generation 911 (NG911) capabilities.
During the last meeting held on June 13, 2024, Churchill County Comptroller Sherry Wideman reported an E-911 fund balance of $231,803, with the fund generating roughly $80,000 annually. General Manager Mark Feest questioned whether all companies providing phone service in the county are consistently submitting the required per-line fee, noting the fund report only reflects outflows.
Feest asked how the county confirms which carriers are paying in, how often they submit payments, and whether those contributions align with the estimated number of phone lines in Churchill County. “I think, for the committee, it is important that we look at this information to see who is paying in and, at least, give it a sniff test on whether this sounds correct,” he said. He added that the rise of VoIP systems makes it difficult to know whether all providers with customers in the county are accurately remitting fees.
Wideman said payments arrive unpredictably and are routed through the Clerk/Treasurer’s Office, but she receives forms from various companies, including some from out of state. She told the committee she could provide a listing of deposits for review. Members agreed that gaining a clearer picture of who pays into the fund—and whether contributions match expected per-capita averages—would help determine if revenue is being lost.
The committee then shifted to a broader discussion about future technological needs. Undersheriff Bill Lawry outlined the high cost and complexity of upgrading to a full NG911 system. Initial estimates approached $1 million, with Motorola’s proposal alone priced at approximately $817,000, payable over five years. “We do not generate $207,000 a year,” Lawry said, noting that the county currently operates on an Enhanced 911 system that works but lacks several modern capabilities.
Lawry described compatibility challenges between the county’s current system and newer management systems. He also noted uncertainty about whether outside vendors can support the county’s existing latitude-and-longitude-based call routing.
Committee members agreed at the June 2024 meeting that an independent evaluation was needed to determine realistic upgrade paths. After discussion, Feest made a motion “to identify third parties who can do an evaluation and provide us with a quote for such evaluation.”
Logically, a managed security and IT solution provider that offers server and infrastructure management confirmed the need for a system upgrade and submitted a $63,352 quote outlining a statement of work and a multiphase plan for servers, hardware installation, and remote assistance.
While the county will eventually need to consider the costly NG911 full system upgrade necessary to meet the demands of modern emergency services management, the committee approved the $63,352 purchase, with funding to come from the E-911 account.
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