Jackson Free Press

March 30, 2005

A resolution to a public-safety communications problem, proposed by Jackson Police Chief Robert Moore and Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., was shot down at the Hinds County Emergency 911 Council meeting on March 23. The resolution, earlier introduced at the March 22 Jackson City Council meeting, endorsed the upgrade of the city's public-safety communication system from an analog system to a digital system. It was also intended to address communication incompatibility issues between the county and the city.

The system, called Network First, was intended to allow the two different vendors of the Hinds County Sheriff's Department and the JPD to communicate with one another. Hinds County uses a Motorola system. Jackson uses an EDAC system.

Moore wanted the E-911 Council to recommend to the Hinds County Board of Supervisors that up to $8 million be released to the city to make the change to M/A Com's Network First, but the council voted down Moore's request by a 10-6 vote. 911 Council Chairman Larry Fisher sided with the council in holding the endorsement.

"It needs to be put out for competitive bid," said Fisher. "Both M/A Com and Motorola have outstanding communications systems, and we need to really look at the very best price and means for it."

Fisher said the county had tried to "bring the city in on a system with Hinds County" two years ago, but Moore had said earlier that the city and the county needed to retain their own systems for safety's sake.

"If we put all our eggs in one basket, and we go with just one system and we have a catastrophic event, it will break us all down," Moore had argued earlier. "We have to have a redound system because we can't afford to have one system and it get knocked out. The wisdom is that we must keep our hardware, but come up with a software solution that will link us all together, yet remain independent and achieve the goals of communication that we so badly need."

Fisher said Hinds County is working with Motorola, as is Warren County, Rankin County and parts of Madison County. Motorola representatives had attended the March 23 meeting in anticipation of the topic, but Moore did not allow them the chance to address the council, Fisher added.

Fisher insists that the county is not trying to impose a Motorola system on Jackson.

"It's merely a matter of who can provide the best for the least. All the 911 Council wants to see is that we are able to communicate in the best manner possible and for the best price possible," Fisher said, explaining that Motorola had offered a system more than a year ago for about $1 million less.

"This board already had its mind made up before I walked into the building," Chief Moore told reporters after the meeting.

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr, pointed out that the 911 Council makes money to fund system replacements or upgrades through a surcharge on telephone bills and that Jackson contributes to the majority of the funding.

"If you look on your telephone bill, you'll see a charge as an E-911 surcharge. That goes into a fund that's administered by this countywide community, and we have some concerns about that obviously because we think some 80 percent of that money comes from citizens within the city of Jackson, yet we only have two votes on that council," Johnson said.

Fisher said it is not quite 80 percent and pointed out that the city is also the biggest beneficiary of 911 equipment and services.

"Jackson contributed somewhere around in the low 70 percentile," Fisher said. "I know it's not quite 80 percent, but I know that on 911 equipment 81.6 percent of the telephone bill that I pay annually is for the city of Jackson. I'm putting a lot of money back into the city of Jackson for its 911 phone services. It's not like Hinds County is taking all this money and spending it where it wants to."

Prior to the meeting, Moore had argued for less oversight from people outside the city.

"The city has the expertise, the knowledge and the research. We‘ve got everything we need, and it's time for people outside the city to stop telling the city what they need," Moore said.

Previous Comments

ID

168830

Comment

The Clarion-Ledger has a Page 1 story on this topic today: Writes Jeremy Hudson: Jackson telephone customers provide more than 70 percent of the money funding the Hinds County Emergency 911 Council, but the city has little more voting power than Utica when it comes to spending the money. That fact has city officials steamed but left with little recourse in the wake of the council's recent rejection of Jackson's request for an $8 million change to its public safety communication system. Jackson, like Utica, has two of the council's 21 votes. [...] "They are getting a good, fair share," Fisher said of Jackson. "This communication system has been the only real objectionable thing." The city doesn't buy the "fair share" and backed a bill this legislative session that would have given it two more votes on the council. But that measure died. The city pays more into the 911 Council fund because it has more telephone customers than any other city in Hinds County. Bell South would not say how many customers it has in Jackson and Hinds County because the information "is proprietary and other companies could use that against us," said Mike Walker, company spokesman. List of 911 Council members. What do y'all think? Is Jackson getting its "fair share"?

Author

ladd

Date

2005-04-03T15:21:44-06:00

ID

168831

Comment

Heck No!

Author

tortoise

Date

2005-04-03T21:13:45-06:00

ID

168832

Comment

What should happen then? Is this an example of the problems with "cooperation"? Give us more, tortoise!

Author

ladd

Date

2005-04-03T21:15:22-06:00

ID

168833

Comment

It's a problem of "cooperation" because Jackson is held under the thumb of Hinds County. Our State constitution is set up to allow Co.'s the maximum leverage. For rural areas and such that is great! But, here we are being held up because we have as much voting power with the Co. as Utica! Regardless of the radios and 911, Jackson provides the MAJORITY of all funds for Hinds Co. And, yes we do get some back; but, regardless of what the Co. says it appears we get very little in return. I hope someone can dig up some harder facts. With that said, as long as there is animosity between the Hinds Co. cartel and Jackson it will never change. Harvey, Melton, Whitlow or Jesus himself cannot change the "perception" of Jackson in the eyes of those outside the city limits and who sit on that Board. I think there are 15 members and only 2 are direct Jackson officials and maybe a couple of others who should have Jackson in their interest. We don't stand a chance at a fair shake/vote. And, have you ever noticed it's always the City's fault the two can't cooperate. What's that old saying about placing blame? Was it this difficult for Ditto/Danks to work with the Co., or is this a new thing since Mayor Johnson got into office? Hmmm? How do we know? Are they on Public Access? Are the minutes posted on-line? Who knows what goes on? More later.... I think? A little help?

Author

tortoise

Date

2005-04-03T22:08:12-06:00

ID

168834

Comment

And, have you ever noticed it's always the City's fault the two can't cooperate. Good question, tortoise. It does seem to be that way, at least from what I've heard. But your follow-up is good: we need to dig up more evidence on this one. Your ideas are good. Anyone have info? We can use some research help. It's quite the burden trying to do all the heavy lifting for every media outlet in town. ;-) Seriously, any factual info is much appreciated. What about the bid issue? How legitimate is that? Is Jackson out of line asking for this without bidding it out? What's the precedent on this?

Author

ladd

Date

2005-04-03T22:28:59-06:00

ID

168835

Comment

My thoughts: It's inappropriate for the E-911 to bring vendors (Motorola) to the meeting. I'm glad they didn't get the chance to speak. Moore has a very good point, about the need for redundant systems. Johnson and Moore would have a much stronger case, if they put the project out for a competitive bid. I also heard that it was the County who moved off of systems compatible with the City's a few years ago. Irksome, if true, given how people like to harp on the topic and now use it to make the city look difficult.

Author

kate

Date

2005-04-04T08:08:57-06:00