$1 phone line fee almost defeated

A request to add a $1 surcharge on every phone line in Boundary County just squeaked by during Tuesday’s General Election.

Sixty percent of the county’s voters were required to pass the issue. Sixty-one percent said “yes,” according to unofficial results.

“I think it’s great,” said county commissioner chairman Ron Smith. “It will be good for Boundary County and for emergency services.”

“That will let us have a serious 911 system, instead of the antiquated mess we’re using,” added commissioner Walt Kirby. “It backs up the efforts we put into getting the county addressed.”

By approving the fee, the county stands to receive $250,000 to $300,000 to upgrade its 911 system, which will allow for quicker responses during emergencies.

That money, which is expected to come from the state, will cover the cost of providing the equipment for establishing an Enhanced 911 system.

The monthly $1 surcharge will be included for all telephone lines, cell phones and Internet telephone connections in the county. The $60,000 that’s expected to be generated from the $1 fee billed to telephone lines will be used to maintain and operate the 911 system, Smith said.

In actuality, residents could end up paying $1.25 a month for each phone line. The three-person board of commissioners have the option add the 25 cents. Smith and Kirby said Wednesday they will support the adding the 25 cents.

The sheriff’s office serves as a dispatch center for firefighters, police and ambulance personnel. The current 911 system requires that a caller tell the dispatcher the location of the emergency. If a caller falls unconscious or cannot talk, it can take up to 20 minutes to trace the call to find out its origin.

With Enhanced 911, dispatchers are provided with the name, address and telephone number from where the call is made. In addition, a map shows the location from which the call was made and location of the nearest emergency responder available.

The county is somewhat set up for Enhanced 911. That involved the process of assigning 3,800 new addresses to residents.

Enhanced 911 system could be available in about one year..

The county can always reduce the $1 fee.