E-911 board can't be reorganized for four years

In response to complaints made last year about the operation of Bedford County Communications Center, one commissioner -- who wasn't named at Tuesday's meeting -- had suggested that the current citizen board be replaced by a board composed of emergency department heads. The citizen board members would be kept in place as an advisory board.

Some simmering complaints about the com center came to a head in December 2007 when a fire crew was dispatched to the wrong location. Several emergency department representatives who were present Tuesday night echoed those concerns but said that conditions have improved somewhat since that time.

"Things are definitely better than they have been in the past," said Tony Barrett, a captain with the sheriff's department who is also a county commissioner.

But Director Chad Graham of Bedford County Emergency Medical Services said the center needs more staffing, so that two dispatchers are on duty at all times.

E-911 board chair Charles McDonald said, "I feel very comfortable with the level and quality of service that the 9-1-1 center is providing."

Four years ago, the com center was run by a board of department heads -- but not all of them were committed to the task, and the department head board frequently failed to have a quorum at its meetings, meaning that no action could be taken. There was also a confusing system in which two overlapping boards ran different aspects of the operation. A com center board ran the communications center, while an E-911 board (composed of the same members, plus two citizens) ran the "enhanced 911" program which provides information about callers' address to emergency dispatchers.

So, four years ago, the system was overhauled. The E-911 board was reorganized to include citizens, not department heads, and was given responsibility to run both the com center and the enhanced 911 program. That program was set up through a contract between the county and the Emergency Communications District.

The contract was for a four-year term, which automatically renews unless one party gives notice six months before the contract is scheduled to end. The contract renewed on Jan. 1 of this year; in order to terminate it, commissioners would have had to give notice on or before July 4 last year. So unless both parties were to agree about restructuring, the contract -- and the current method for selecting board members -- is locked in for the next four years.

The contract as it now exists does allow for an advisory board composed of emergency department heads. The com center discussed forming such a board last May, and has met informally with department heads, but hasn't set up a formal department head advisory committee.

The rules committee discussed passing a formal motion asking E-911 to establish an advisory committee but decided instead to wait and see if E-911 does so on its own.

In other discussion Tuesday night:

* The rules committee recommended a proposed change to county subdivision regulations which would require developers to have uniform front setbacks within a subdivision when submitting it for approval. Subdivisions where some houses are closer to the street than the houses next to them are considered unattractive and poorly-designed.

* The committee also voted to keep the current regulations governing houses for family members in the zoning resolution. The county's zoning resolution has a requirement of one principal structure per lot (not counting accessory buildings). But if a property owner has a lot of more than 15 acres, he or she may build up to two additional homes on the lot, provided that the homes are for family members or full-time employees (not for rental to the public) and that each home is situated so that the property could, if necessary in the future, legally be subdivided into separate lots, meeting setback, lot size and road frontage requirements for each one.

* The committee placed seats on Bedford County Planning Commission on the full county commission's April agenda. The seats are currently held by Virgil Beasley, Wayne Simons and Phil Cook. County Mayor Eugene Ray will make appointments or reappointments, subject to confirmation by the commission.