Emergency dispatch service for areas outside of city limits will be a topic of discussion during Thursday’s Ketchikan City Council meeting.
The issue is a point of friction between the city and the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. Officials disagree about how much the borough should pay for dispatching, with the city previously claiming that the borough’s share should be about $150,000, and the borough offering about $15,000.
According to a July 10th memo from City Manager Karl Amylon, the borough has looked into contracting with the Kenai Peninsula Borough for dispatching services. The calls still would come through the local emergency number, but then would be transferred to Kenai, which would contact emergency responders north and south of the City of Ketchikan.
Kenai has offered to provide the service for an annual fee of about $16,500.
Amylon seeks direction from the City Council about how to proceed, and whether to try negotiating an agreement with the borough.
Also Thursday, the Council will hear a presentation about Ketchikan Public Utility’s planned energy conservation program.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in City Council chambers. Public comment will be heard at the start of the meeting.
