Richfield Council Votes to Eliminate Local 911 Services

After weeks of discussion and taking calls from residents, the Richfield City Council voted to reject the purchase of a software upgrade needed to keep the city's 911 dispatch center alive.

"This is not an easy decision for any of us up here," Councilwoman Sue Sandahl said. "For me it comes down to the dollars."

The software upgrade would've set the city back $382,000 in addition to the nearly $700,000 it spends to run the facility each year. Other fees would also likely come down the line. Mayor Debbie Goettel was also concerned about the future costs of new technology.

"Technology is only going to get more expensive," Goettel said. "I see us moving on to something else where we have a partner that can help us do this."    

Of the five council members, Councilman Tom Fitzhenry, a retired Richfield police officer, was the only one who voted to keep the dispatch center running. Fitzhenry cited his decision to support the building of the center when the city built a new city hall three years ago.

"I know there's a lot of fees involved that aren't controlled by us," Fitzhenry said. "But, three years ago I made the decision to support dispatch and I'm not backing down."

What's Next?

The city has three offers from Bloomington, Edina and Hennepin County to be new dispatch providers. 

Here's the breakdown of costs, provided by a recent Star Tribune article:

• Hennepin County: A one-time transition payment of $80,000;
• Edina: $148,000 a year with $48,600 in transition costs;
• Bloomington: $450,000 a year with $50,000 in transition costs.

• Should Richfield Keep 911 Dispatch Local?
• Star Tribune: Richfield Must Decide by June 15 Whether to Keep City's 911 Dispatch