Memo- PSC Alliance Study-Final Report
. Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and members of the City Council
cc: Steve Mielke, City Manager
From: Chief Craig A. Reid
Date: 2/20/2004
Re: PSC Alliance Study-final report
On February 4th you received the final report on dispatch consolidation alternatives.
This study was undertaken by a group of suburban cities in Hennipen County to study
call load and compatibility issues in advance of the State of Minnesota study on this
issue due to be released in March 2004,
Some key points of this study:
. . This report shows of the study cities that Hopkins has the highest cost per 911
call. A number of cites in the study group do not allocate costs (space
allocation and computer maintenance line items on budget) as Hopkins does.
This dramatically raises the listing of our costs.
. The report also notes we are the smallest city in the group, but our jail use time
(number of hours we hold prisoners) is higher than any other study city except
Bloomington,
. Our department organization makes our dispatch staff responsible for a number
of other duties that other study cities did not report as dispatch costs yet pay in
other areas (24 hour report typing, front window service, jail monitor)
. With our new phone system we will be able to track the number of non-911
calls we receive in dispatch, This is one factor we could not provide the study
that I think will show higher than average workloads as well.
This report did not address technical compatibility of departments. Issues like
replacement of records software could add $500,000.00 to any consolidation effort.
The report was released to the State of Minnesota on February 15th, They havE;l
requested the report as a part of their statewide study.
Please bring your copy of the study to the work session on Tuesday. If you need an
. additional copy please let me know