By Caroline Stephenson

Correspondent

WINTON – Hertford County will proceed with the construction of an E911 Communications Center.

County Manager Loria Williams recently presented a capital project ordinance for the proposed E911 Center to the county’s board of commissioners for their approval.

“We were fortunate enough to receive $4,250,000 to construct the E911 Center,” Williams said. “At the last meeting you all authorized me to negotiate a contract with Becker Morgan and L. R. Kimball (architects for the new facility). What you have in front of you is the capital project ordinance that we need to put in place to start to spend money.”

The multi-million dollar project will be 100 percent grant funded.  In addition, Williams noted that once the bid is in hand, the commissioners would have to go back and amend the capital project ordinance to fit more specifically to budgetary needs.  The ordinance was unanimously approved.

Williams then reviewed an architectural agreement from Becker Morgan for the board’s consideration. She explained, “You will see the first part of the document is the scope of services, the process, and the work plan that will begin immediately upon the signature of the standard AIA contract or architectural services agreement.  It goes through phases.  We will have an initial assessment.  All of it is eligible through the E911 grant.”

Williams also said that there was no dollar amount in that agreement until the first Phase I assessment and construction budget were completed.  At that time, Williams said she will bring back the actual dollar amount to the board and amend the budget ordinance to reflect the estimated cost of construction and the estimated design fees.  The board approved the architectural agreement.

Hertford County currently has three Public-Service Answering Points (PSAPs). Those are located at the Ahoskie Police Department, Murfreesboro Police Department and in Winton at the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office. Upon its completion in June of 2016, the new Hertford County E911 Center will consolidate the three existing PSAPs, to include dispatchers, under one roof. The new Center will handle all calls, to include fire, police and rescue.

On a state and national level, 911 services are moving to become more regionalized.