Vivian Sade, The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

Plans for a new public safety communication system moved ahead Thursday after county officials approved funding for their $7.3 million share of the project.

Allen County Council members will pay cash and draw money from the county’s rainy day fund and from income tax revenue the county recently received after the state discovered an accounting error.

The vendor, Motorola, has agreed to a 1.35 percent discount for the cash payment.

County Council members will also recommend to the Allen County commissioners that they chip in $1 million from the county’s flood- control fund, which was set up years ago when the county received money from the state because of a different accounting error on the state’s part.

The long-awaited $17 million radio project will include upgrades and new equipment for the city and county’s emergency 911 call center.

The county’s share includes new radios costing about $2.9 million and about $4.3 million for half of the total infrastructure cost of $8.5 million. The city will pay the other half and about $5.6 million for its radios.

In addition, a maintenance agreement for the system would cost the city and county about $5 million over the next 20 years.

County Commissioner Therese Brown suggested the council use cash on hand from the rainy day fund and income tax revenue, but seemed to be taken aback when Councilman Darren Vogt, R-3rd, suggested using $1 million from the flood-control fund that is under the jurisdiction of the commissioners.

“It concerns me that we might be going too deep into the rainy day fund,” Vogt said. “And I don’t like the way we have all these different pots of money. I don’t like the setup.”

Brown said she could not speak for the other commissioners. “What if they do not agree with this?” she asked.

“Then you would hold up the project,” Vogt said.

County Auditor Tera Klutz suggested the council set aside extra money from the rainy day fund to cover the county’s share in the event the commissioners do not agree to using the flood-control money.

That account has a balance of $1.5 million, and the last withdrawal was last year when $500,000 was used for renovations to the Rousseau Centre, formerly the City-County Building, Klutz said. Once the special account is depleted, it would be closed, she said.

Under a new state law, the council will begin receiving from the state and administering 911 user fees in July. In the past, that income has been under the administration of the commissioners.

Brown suggested the council hold onto that money – about $2.3 million a year – to cover any future funding gaps.

Brown also said the county is working with the city to draft a new interlocal agreement for the 911 call center that will better reflect the budgetary issues and responsibilities of all sides.

The project’s schedule calls for Motorola’s staff to begin delivering and installing equipment this summer and have the entire system operational by fall 2013.

In order to stick to that timetable, the County Council and commissioners must conduct special meetings within the next two weeks to formally approve the spending. Fort Wayne City Council is also expected to take a final vote on the issue Tuesday.

Also discussed at length Thursday was the unknown cost of a new home for the radio system, which will be required since there is not enough space in the current 911 operations center in the basement of the Rousseau Centre.

Brown said officials are looking at several options, including collaborating with a community partner on moving the 911 office. The decision will have to be made in 45 to 90 days, she said.

Tom Harris, R-2nd, expressed concern about the possible expense of relocating the 911 center.

“So, here we go again,” Harris said. “Every consolidation of government that is supposed to save money seems to grow more costs.”

Copyright © 2012 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.