Athens County 911 seeks contract with Hocking College

During this week's Athens County Commissioners meeting, 911 Emergency Communications Director Teresa Fouts-Imler sought the board's approval to negotiate a contract with Hocking College for 911 dispatch services.

However, in emails responding to the Messenger's request for comment, Hocking College President Betty Young denied any plans for changes, stating negotiations are not in progress. Fouts-Imler asserted that Hocking College Police Chief Jennifer McClain-Eskey initiated the contact and Young expressed support for a dispatch contract.

The commissioners met Tuesday in the conference room on the second floor of the courthouse annex.

Fouts-Imler requested permission from the commissioners to negotiate and recommended that Athens County 911 enter a contract with Hocking College, similar to the one it has with Nelsonville. Fouts-Imler also serves as the county's Emergency Management Agency director.

Under such an agreement, Hocking College would pay $85,968 for dispatching services. The contract would last three years and increase by 3% annually.

“We’ll be handling all dispatchable calls, just we won’t be handling any non-emergency traffic for them,” Fouts-Imler explained. “I think that we can offer them a better service and offer them the backup, or the redundancies, versus one dispatcher.”

In an email, Young said, “(I’m) not sure how this rumor got started. We are not in negotiations on any changes to our current operations.”

Fouts-Imler disputed the claim saying McClain-Eskey contacted her regarding a dispatcher contract. During a meeting, the police chief said she had Young's support.

"During this meeting, I informed her that to negotiate a contract, I would have to receive the Board of Commissioners' approval to negotiate the contract price," Fouts-Imler said in an email. "I did not reach out to Hocking College; they contacted me by phone and came to the new 911 Center to negotiate dispatch services. I do not understand how Betty Young can say this is a rumor when this directly involves her Police Chief at Hocking College."

Because Nelsonville began its contract six months earlier, Fouts-Imler proposed charging Hocking College 1.5% more than what Nelsonville currently pays, which would ensure that both Nelsonville and Hocking College would pay the same amount.

Hocking College currently provides its own dispatching services to its campus police department.

In a previous report, Young told Nelsonville City Council the Hocking College’s dispatch is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Its lead dispatcher is responsible for training the rest of the staff — all part-timers. During that meeting, the actual number of employees was not indicated.

Commission typically meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays on the second floor conference room of the Athens County Courthouse annex.