Royalton, Berea dispatch share increasing
After reviewing call volumes, it was determined both were underpaying
After reviewing call volumes from Strongsville, North Royalton, Berea and Olmsted Falls, it was found that Strongsville was overpaying and both Royalton and Berea underpaying so both of the latter's dispatching fees will increase this year. File photo by TERRY BRLAS
NORTH ROYALTON – Both North Royalton and Berea’s share of costs supporting the Southwest Emergency Dispatch Center will increase this year.
After reviewing the dispatch budget and workload, it was determined that Strongsville was footing too much of the bill and both North Royalton and Berea too little. This information was relayed to city council during its safety committee meeting Feb. 21.
North Royalton and Strongsville merged their dispatches in early 2014. That first year, North Royalton paid nearly $373,000, or roughly $40,000 a month, beginning in April that year. In 2015, North Royalton’s share was $456,000, or $38,000 per month. The price increased last year beginning in March to $39,520 a month, a total of $471,200 for the year.
This year’s price will increase once again to $504,180, or $42,015 a month.
Ward 6 Councilman Dan Kasaris asked why it keeps creeping up each year.
Safety Director Bruce Campbell, who serves on the dispatch advisory committee, explained the hike. The committee comprised of police and fire chiefs from the regional dispatch center member cities meets regularly to review workload and cost analyses. It recently began digging into the budget and call volume and found North Royalton and Berea’s contributions were on the low side when comparing the workload each city creates.
“We took all the calls that came into the dispatch center and who used what percentage. So, out of 100 percent, who created what percentage of the workload. We realized that Strongsville was paying more than their share of the workload. We were paying about 15 percent less than what we should be. Berea was paying considerably less than what they should be. Olmsted Falls was on point,” Campbell explained. “We had to come up with a fair way, methodically, to spread out the costs more evenly.”
The call volume is currently about 88,610 calls annually. Of that 42.1 percent are Strongsville calls, 27.4 percent are North Royalton, 19.5 percent are Berea and 11 percent are Olmsted Falls. Based on these numbers, Strongsville was paying 15 percent more than it should have been and will now pay about $1.3 million annually.
“The call volume is stable in all four communities,” Campbell said. “We started in uncharted territory. This is how we are leveling it out. After a couple of years, it should be evened out and everyone should be paying their share as long as calls don’t increase too much. It’s a work in progress.”
A cap of 7 percent was instituted this year to begin aligning dispatching fees over time. That means an increase can be expected next year.
Kasaris said it makes sense.
“I didn’t realize,” he said during the meeting. “If 27 percent of the calls are North Royalton, we should be paying that. I get that.”
Berea, which joined in November 2014, was originally paying $25,000 per month, $300,000 annually. Last year, that amount increased to $26,000 monthly, $312,000. Their new share is $27,641, $331,700 annually.
Olmsted Falls pays $242,400 annually, $20,200 a month.
Funds are deposited in the city of Strongsville’s general fund.
These cities combined dispatcher services, or Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) as they are known, well ahead of the state mandate, House Bill 360, requiring every county to do so by 2018 or face severe cuts in funding.
The center’s building footprint would allow for the addition of more municipalities and the ability to expand.
“Strongsville is looking at other cities. They feel they have room for expansion should they get more cities to come on board,” Campbell said.
After reviewing the dispatch budget and workload, it was determined that Strongsville was footing too much of the bill and both North Royalton and Berea too little. This information was relayed to city council during its safety committee meeting Feb. 21.
North Royalton and Strongsville merged their dispatches in early 2014. That first year, North Royalton paid nearly $373,000, or roughly $40,000 a month, beginning in April that year. In 2015, North Royalton’s share was $456,000, or $38,000 per month. The price increased last year beginning in March to $39,520 a month, a total of $471,200 for the year.
This year’s price will increase once again to $504,180, or $42,015 a month.
Ward 6 Councilman Dan Kasaris asked why it keeps creeping up each year.
Safety Director Bruce Campbell, who serves on the dispatch advisory committee, explained the hike. The committee comprised of police and fire chiefs from the regional dispatch center member cities meets regularly to review workload and cost analyses. It recently began digging into the budget and call volume and found North Royalton and Berea’s contributions were on the low side when comparing the workload each city creates.
“We took all the calls that came into the dispatch center and who used what percentage. So, out of 100 percent, who created what percentage of the workload. We realized that Strongsville was paying more than their share of the workload. We were paying about 15 percent less than what we should be. Berea was paying considerably less than what they should be. Olmsted Falls was on point,” Campbell explained. “We had to come up with a fair way, methodically, to spread out the costs more evenly.”
The call volume is currently about 88,610 calls annually. Of that 42.1 percent are Strongsville calls, 27.4 percent are North Royalton, 19.5 percent are Berea and 11 percent are Olmsted Falls. Based on these numbers, Strongsville was paying 15 percent more than it should have been and will now pay about $1.3 million annually.
“The call volume is stable in all four communities,” Campbell said. “We started in uncharted territory. This is how we are leveling it out. After a couple of years, it should be evened out and everyone should be paying their share as long as calls don’t increase too much. It’s a work in progress.”
A cap of 7 percent was instituted this year to begin aligning dispatching fees over time. That means an increase can be expected next year.
Kasaris said it makes sense.
“I didn’t realize,” he said during the meeting. “If 27 percent of the calls are North Royalton, we should be paying that. I get that.”
Berea, which joined in November 2014, was originally paying $25,000 per month, $300,000 annually. Last year, that amount increased to $26,000 monthly, $312,000. Their new share is $27,641, $331,700 annually.
Olmsted Falls pays $242,400 annually, $20,200 a month.
Funds are deposited in the city of Strongsville’s general fund.
These cities combined dispatcher services, or Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) as they are known, well ahead of the state mandate, House Bill 360, requiring every county to do so by 2018 or face severe cuts in funding.
The center’s building footprint would allow for the addition of more municipalities and the ability to expand.
“Strongsville is looking at other cities. They feel they have room for expansion should they get more cities to come on board,” Campbell said.