Keokuk, IA – The dispatch center was not included in the original design for the Lee County Jail expansion and renovation. It was also not included in the $6-million bond issue.
That means the county must come up with about $80,000 to construct a secure room. Another $400,000 would be needed to purchase the proper dispatch equipment.
Supervisor Larry Kruse says the center's oversight board would like the county to borrow the money for the construction and the equipment. He says the proposal would allow the center to open much earlier than the original Oct. 1, 2010 deadline.
Kruse says borrowing the money now could actually save the county money. He says, if the new equipment is not purchased, older equipment would have to be moved several times, with a price tag of $10,000 each time.
Kruse estimates the county would have to pay about $70,000 each year, at about 4% interest, to repay the loan. He says the county plans to use E-911 funds, as opposed to property taxes.
Kruse says the county does not have to seek public permission for the borrowing. Instead, he says Lee County will hold a public hearing on Monday, January 4.