Crossville Continues Negotiations With Central Communication

The City of Crossville will continue negotiations with the Central Communication Committee (CCC) regarding a new contract.

City Attorney Will Ridley said the current contract ends in June.

“So we need to get an agreement in place, otherwise our contractual obligation to fund ends. Whether you decide to do that voluntarily or not we have an agreement different,” Ridley said. “But the county has worked with E-911, the mayor and E-911 have negotiated back and forth.”

The City Council voted to exit the current agreement with the CCC earlier in the year. Ridley said the negotiated contract would eliminate Crossville’s liability.

“Under this scenario, the idea is we no longer have liability for these employees who are paid by the county, who were insured by the county too,” Ridley said. “We had no control over the day to day operation or oversight. Instead, now, we just give money each year under this local agreement that says, this is the amount we are going to give.”

The proposed agreement would dissolve the CCC. The current employees would become employees of the E-911 board.

“So with this agreement, the city loses control and says our control now is just the purse strings we have in this agreement to commit funding,” Ridley said. “I think it is about $550,000 each year.”

Ridley said further discussions will take place regarding the language of the contract.

Ridley said the contract implies that if the city backs-out of the agreement, Crossville would have to set up its own dispatch.

“And I have suggested we take that language out and instead just leave that open. If we want to get out of the agreement,” Ridley said. “We can renegotiate another agreement in the future. Let’s not put in automatic penalties.”

Ridley said the four-year term of the contract should also change to a 2-year term with two-year renewals.

The City Council discussed the negotiation during a work session Tuesday.