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THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
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| Mayor Chuck Scheper holds up a list of reasons to get rid of Covington's dispatch center |
Covington Mayor Chuck Scheper and the city commission voted 5-0 to end 911 dispatch services and eliminate the jobs of sixteen employees on or around September 1. The high cost of maintaining the service and the shrinking amount of revenue sources to support it were the points argued by the unified commission leading up to its unanimous vote. Between the reading of Tuesday's resolution and the actual vote was more than an hour of quietly emotional statements from commissioners, city administrators, labor leaders, and several of the sixteen highly qualified dispatchers who, at summer's end, will lose their jobs and their union.
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| Dispatchers slated to lose their jobs stand at Tuesday night's city commission meeting |
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"Ten have college degrees or EMT training ranging from two communication degrees, a law enforcement degree, a nursing degree, a forensic science degree, a business degree, and a geology degree," said Jim Gardner, a veteran Covington dispatch supervisor and board member of AFSCME Local 237, the union representing Covington's 911 operators. "These people are not just anyone off the street."
"Ten have college degrees or EMT training ranging from two communication degrees, a law enforcement degree, a nursing degree, a forensic science degree, a business degree, and a geology degree," said Jim Gardner, a veteran Covington dispatch supervisor and board member of AFSCME Local 237, the union representing Covington's 911 operators. "These people are not just anyone off the street."
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But the quality of the employees was never in doubt, Mayor Scheper and the commissioners pointed out repeatedly. "Why aren't we all working to bring the combined dispatch center here to the big city where the most need is and the most crime occurs," asked dispatcher Angelia Wallace.
But the quality of the employees was never in doubt, Mayor Scheper and the commissioners pointed out repeatedly. "Why aren't we all working to bring the combined dispatch center here to the big city where the most need is and the most crime occurs," asked dispatcher Angelia Wallace.
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The reason, Commissioners Shawn Masters argued, is that other municipalities were not willing to merge with Covington and as the mayor stated repeatedly, the dispatch center costs $2 million a year to support while only $800,000 of revenue is coming in to keep it. Plus, agreed Fire Chief Chuck Norris and Police Chief Lee Russo, public safety would be better served by a county dispatch. "This is an investment in the region and a positive step forward for or county and ultimately all three (NKY) counties," Russo said.
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"Stating it is going to be safer when we don't even have a clear idea how this is going to be set up or operated is a bit premature," Gardner said. "It also gives the impression that we are not safe now which isn't the case." Veiled suggestions of union busting all emerged during the meeting.
The reason, Commissioners Shawn Masters argued, is that other municipalities were not willing to merge with Covington and as the mayor stated repeatedly, the dispatch center costs $2 million a year to support while only $800,000 of revenue is coming in to keep it. Plus, agreed Fire Chief Chuck Norris and Police Chief Lee Russo, public safety would be better served by a county dispatch. "This is an investment in the region and a positive step forward for or county and ultimately all three (NKY) counties," Russo said.
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"Stating it is going to be safer when we don't even have a clear idea how this is going to be set up or operated is a bit premature," Gardner said. "It also gives the impression that we are not safe now which isn't the case." Veiled suggestions of union busting all emerged during the meeting.
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"There are people who will not agree to consolidate here (in Covington) because they don't want a union involved," said Jim Cole of the Northern Kentucky Labor Council. Covington's dispatchers are the only ones in Kentucky to belong to a union.
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But, "we have a four to five million dollar a year problem to solve," Mayor Scheper said, again warning of a possible $22 million general budget shortfall in the city by 2017. "If we don't take this action it means sixteen other faces will be facing (layoffs)." By the time the vote arrived each commissioner offered their empathy to the affected employees along with their vote approving the end of the center, even Masters who was confronted during the meeting by Angelia Wallace for promising in campaign material never to vote to consolidate dispatch. Masters called the vote the hardest in his political life.
But, "we have a four to five million dollar a year problem to solve," Mayor Scheper said, again warning of a possible $22 million general budget shortfall in the city by 2017. "If we don't take this action it means sixteen other faces will be facing (layoffs)." By the time the vote arrived each commissioner offered their empathy to the affected employees along with their vote approving the end of the center, even Masters who was confronted during the meeting by Angelia Wallace for promising in campaign material never to vote to consolidate dispatch. Masters called the vote the hardest in his political life.
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"I commend this mayor and commission for making this decision," said City Manager Larry Klein. "Everyone up here is anguished over it." Attempts were made to alleviate the worry of the dispatchers slated to lost their jobs. Though no one could say for sure, it was suggested that each Covington dispatcher could end up employed by the county, though for less money and without union representation.
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"I ask you to consider to go to work for the county," Klein said. "The county needs you and Covington needs you.
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