The Union County Fiscal Court adopted an inter-local agreement between the county government and the cities of Morganfield, Sturgis, Uniontown and Waverly for the creation and operation of the “Morganfield Public Safety E-911 Center” on Tuesday.

The E-911 Center, or central dispatch, will be housed in the Morganfield Police Department. A goal of EMA Director Vernon Martion for years, the project is finally starting to see daylight.

A local board will be created to oversee the development of the center, conduct annual performance reviews, and monitor revenue and expenses in relation to the approved annual budget. Each of the following agencies will fill one position on the board: Union County EM, Morganfield City Police, Uniontown City Police, Sturgis Police, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Union County EMS, Tele-communicator, Rescue Squad, Fire Department, Morganfield City Government, and the Union County Fiscal Court.

Judge Exec. Jody Jenkins says the Fiscal Court has agreed to fund one-half of the present salaries (or five tele-communicators), equal to $110,000 annually through either cash funds or the equivalent of sewer and water funds paid to the City of Morganfield. The City of Morganfield will remain the owner of the building and employer of employees but the court will be designated as the owner of the equipment purchased during the renovation of the site.

911 funding from landline phones and wireless phones will also be used to pay 911 bills at the facility. “With a certified central dispatch, the county will be eligible for wireless 911 funds,” says Martin, “funds we have been missing out on for years.” Judge Jenkins says presently those funds equal about $65,000 a year.

Jenkins issued congratulations to Martin for all his continued hard work on this project.

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