Fact Check - 911 IMPROVEMENTS

Written By George Bray

There has been a great deal of discussion generated by last week’s public forum about two issues: the history of our 911 improvements and the City of Paducah’s annexation policy.

Rather than debate over memories or political claims, I think the best way to address these questions is to look at the public record.

First, I want to address 911 improvements.

I am happy to give the Fiscal Court credit for being partners in getting this project done.

But saying the County initiated the 911 modernization effort is a campaign fabrication or a product of a faded memory. There were negotiations on both the 911 system and the Paducah Sports Park ongoing, and the city led the efforts to upgrade 911 and the County led the efforts to establish the Sports Park. Both important projects. But the County taking credit for driving the 911 upgrade is as erroneous as the City taking credit for leading the Paducah Sports Park Project.

The documented history begins with the City, which owned the 911 system at the time, hiring Federal Engineering in 2016. The remaining radio and tower problem was still unresolved when I became Mayor. In my first months in office, we made it a formal City Commission priority, updated the City's 2016 engineering work and brought the City and County together to establish the partnership that ultimately moved the project forward.

That's not my recollection. That's the public record.

Let’s take a look at the public record – it provides a pretty clear timeline.

911 Project - The Work Did Start Long Before 2021

First, I want to give credit where it is due.

Judge Executive Craig Clymer is correct that he participated in discussions about 911 before I became Mayor. There was a joint City-County meeting in March 2019 involving then-Mayor Brandi Harless, Judge Clymer, Police Chief Brian Laird and Sheriff Matt Carter.

But that was not the beginning of the 911 modernization effort.

The City of Paducah owned the 911 system and had already retained Federal Engineering in 2016 to perform consulting work related to upgrading the 911 system.

By the March 2019 meeting, approximately $1.7 million had already been invested in improvements to the 911 Center, including telephone, logging recorder and computeraided dispatch systems.

What remained unresolved was the biggest and most expensive piece: the aging radio infrastructure, towers and radios.

The City's records from that 2019 meeting estimated those remaining improvements at approximately $13 million.

So, the timeline matters.

 

2016

The City of Paducah retained Federal Engineering to begin professional consulting work related to upgrading the 911 system.

2019

Judge Executive Craig Clymer and Mayor Brandi Harless participated in a joint discussion about 911's financial challenges, organizational structure and remaining equipment needs. The record shows that City and County officials discussed possible funding and even a different organizational structure. But the radio and tower replacement remained unresolved.

January 2021

I took office as Mayor. I met with the Fire Chief and Police Chief shortly after taking office and the aging 911 and tower system became one of my very highest priorities.

February–March 2021

During our first City Commission strategic planning sessions, the Commission selected “911 Radio/Tower Upgrades and Operational Funding” as one of our 12 priorities. On March 9, 2021, the Paducah Board of Commissioners formally adopted that priority. This wasn't simply another discussion about 911. We established a specific objective: address the radio and tower infrastructure and establish a sustainable partnership and funding solution.

March 2021

Representatives from the City, McCracken County and the McCracken County Sheriff's Office began meeting as a working group to review the 911 services agreement.

April 27, 2021

The City Commission authorized Federal Engineering to update the City's original 2016 radio-system report. McCracken County agreed to pay half the cost. That fact is important because the 2021 project was not starting from scratch. It was specifically an update of work the City had initiated in 2016.

June 24, 2021

The City Commission and Fiscal Court met jointly and agreed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding to split the capital costs of upgrading the 911 system, establish a joint oversight committee and develop a sustainable funding plan.

August 10, 2021

The City approved the City-County MOU and later a more detailed joint Interlocal Agreement. Under those agreements, the City and County became the owners and equal partners in the capital expenditures necessary to upgrade the equipment. That partnership ultimately led to the radio and tower project we have today. I invite you to check the facts yourself. Next up – we will discuss Annexation later this week.

 

Proof Sources:
911

George Bray
Previous

Fact Check - Annexation
Next

Will Paducah Voters Get to Elect a New Mayor?