Kendall County Board Counters KenCom Offer

The Kendall County Board wants to pay $105,000 less for KenCom 911 dispatch services than the coalition of Oswego, Yorkville and Plano would like them to. And the three municipalities would have to make up the difference.

After nearly two hours of debate Tuesday, board members voted 7-3 in favor of contributing a cap of $1.775 million annually, rather than a proposed cap of $1.88 million proposed by the cities to fund the service.

The village of Oswego and the cities of Yorkville and Plano will begin contributing to KenCom in May 2014 for the first time, based on the portion of calls that come from each municipality.

Theabout a month ago after KenCom leaders threatened to cut off their service Dec. 1 if town leaders didn't sign a new cost-sharing agreement.

The original agreement proposed by KenCom in November had Kendall County contributing about $1.6 million, with the towns covering whatever expenses went beyond that $1.6 million and the telephone surcharge amounts. There was no 911 surcharge referendum in that proposal.

KenCom also provides dispatch services for the village of Newark, the Lisbon-Seward Fire Protection District, the Newark Fire Protection District, the Little Rock-Fox Fire Protection District, the Bristol-Kendall Fire Protection District and the Oswego Fire Protection District.

During Tuesday’s meeting, board members also agreed to place a referendum asking for a 75-cent increase to the 911 surcharge on the March 20 ballot, which was part of the coalition’s proposal. If that measure should fail, the agreement states the county will try again in the next election.

However, some board members balked at agreeing to the referendum without hearing whether the three cities will accept the proposed $1.775 million cap.

“I think it’s putting the cart before the horse,” Suzanne Petrella said.

But board member Nancy Martin said the money is needed.

“I have no problem putting it on the ballot no matter what the cities do,” she said.