Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
BESSEMER — The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners Wednesday renewed its sheriff’s department dispatching contract with Iron County, Mich., for five years on a 6-1 vote.
County board chair Joe Bonovetz, of Bessemer, cast the only no vote.
Bonovetz supported switching Gogebic County Sheriff’s Department dispatching services to Negaunee Regional Dispatch, even though that would have cost the county nearly $100,000 more over the five-year period.
Bonovetz said he felt the county would receive more experience from Negaunee and wondered how Iron County could offer such cheap rates over the five years. The current contract of $101,344 for 2015 with Iron County will actually decrease to $101,132 by 2020.
Iron County representatives attending the meeting held firm with the figures in the bid.
For the next five years, Gogebic County will pay an average of less than $100,000 annually.
Negaunee’s bid started at $111,803 for 2016 and increased to $125,835 by 2020, the last year of the five-year deal.
Responding to Bonovetz’s vote, Gogebic County Emergency Government Director Jim Loeper said Iron County “has the same equipment as Negaunee” and said it was a fair comparison of “apples to apples.”
Commissioner George Peterson, of Watersmeet, said if the board was to vote for the higher contract, “then the (county) residents should get rid of all of us.”
Some discussion came after the vote and Bonovetz wasnGogebic County renews 5-year dispatching pactt bitter. “Iron County has done a fine job and will continue to do so,” he said.
Loeper said on Aug. 3, the county received the two bids and both a 911 subcommittee and the 911 committee recommended the county board accept the proposal from Iron County.
The Gogebic County Board added a 30-cent increase to its 911 communications surcharge on July 1 that will generate an added $45,000 to $50,000.
County board member Tom Laabs, of Ironwood, suggested the extra 30-cent fee be dropped after the Iron County bid was approved, but no formal action was taken on that suggestion Wednesday evening.
