TO: CCCDA Governing Board of Directors
FROM: Jeff Troyer, Executive Director
Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority
DATE: Monday, December 3, 2012
SUBJECT: Fiscal Year 2013 Executive Director’s Recommended Budget
INTRODUCTION
I hereby present to you for consideration, my recommendation for Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority’s (CCCDA) Fiscal Year 2013 Budget. This proposal was prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and in compliance with the Uniform Budget and Accounting Act, and CCCDA’s Fiscal Policies. The Budget Public Hearing Notice is posted on CCCDA’s website (www.calhouncounty911.org) and was published in the Battle Creek Shopper and the Ad-visor & Chronicle.
SUMMARY
The recommended 2013 Budget includes estimated revenues of $3,621,433 and expenditures totaling $3,618,370; resulting in a $3,063 surplus. The following are key factors in this budgetary proposal:
Effective July 1, 2013, CCCDA will implement the Call for Service Formula. This formula will replace the current contributions being made by some service users (or municipalities) in accordance with the CCCDA Interlocal Agreement Initial Funding Plan. This formula is anticipated to generate $1,241,374 from July 1, 2013 thru December 31, 2013.
The 2013 Personnel Proposal includes 30 full-time dispatch center staff (26 Emergency Telecommunicators and 4 Dispatch Supervisors), 2 part-time Emergency Telecommunicators, 3 full-time administrative positions (CAD Administrator, Deputy Director, and Executive Director), and one part-time Administrative Assistant. The Administrative Assistant position is new for 2013 and is related to the administrative tasks of implementing the Call for Service Formula: monthly reporting, municipal correspondence, invoice processing and accounts receivable. In addition to these duties, this position will assist with processing Freedom of Information Act requests and accounts payable. The estimated total cost of this additional position is $13,690 for 2013.
In 2010, CCCDA closed enrollment to its defined benefit employee retirement plans and implemented defined contribution programs. A recent Actuarial Valuation of the defined benefit plans by Municipal Employees’ Retirement System (MERS) revealed the following funding levels for each division: Administrator (1 active member) - 124.4%, Supervisors (5 active members) – 116.4%, and Emergency Telecommunicators (16 active members) – 128.4%. As a result of no unfunded accrued liabilities, CCCDA’s contribution to these plans has been drastically reduced by 90% from last year’s budget. This is reflected in the retirement line item 2911-725-010 titled MERS Defined Benefit.
CCCDA will incur a debt service (capital lease) payment to the City of Battle Creek as a result of an Equipment Lease Agreement both parties entered into in December of 2009. This capital lease payment equals $462,320 for 2013 and is reflected in line items 2911-992-010 (Lease – Principal) and 2911-992-020 (Lease – Interest). CCCDA will incur similar debt service payments related to this agreement in 2014 and 2015.
There are two (2) Capital Projects recommended as part of this proposal:
$11,500 is requested to replace the existing dispatch center chairs with 24/7 Emergency Communications Center rated chairs. CCCDA will transfer the existing chairs (those still functioning) from the primary dispatch center to the back-up dispatch center.
$300,000 is requested to begin improvements to the Township and County Fire VHF Systems. The upgrades are intended to increase coverage in degraded areas as a result of narrowbanding. This includes but may not be limited to: add simulcast sites to the County Fire network in Albion and Tekonsha, convert Township Fire network to a two site (Sonoma and Pennfield) simulcast system, install tower site buildings at the Albion and Bedford towers, install on-demand generators at repeater sites in Tekonsha, Albion, and Sonoma, and replace the existing generator at the Pennfield tower site.
CONCLUSION
The following documentation and itemized allocation spreadsheets will provide further explanation as it relates to CCCDA’s operational expenditures, anticipated revenues, authorized staffing, maintenance and service contracts, and capital projects.
