YORK -The York Board of Supervisors is set to vote Tuesday, June 6 on a resolution that will merge their 911 operations with James City County, creating a response unit that will serve those two counties plus Poquoson and Williamsburg.
The James City County Board of Supervisors must also approve the merger. It is scheduled to vote on the matter June 13.
The Regional 911 Emergency Communications Center will be managed by York County and located there, handling all police, fire, and emergency medical dispatch calls for the four localities.
If approved by both boards, the merger will take effect July 17. Negotiations have been smooth, said York County Administrator Neil Morgan.
“James City County has not taken issue with anything we’ve suggested,” he said.
The resolution calls for the establishment of a nine-member advisory board composed of the director of the Regional 911 Center, and the fire and police chiefs of York and James City counties, Poquoson, and Williamsburg.
The Board will be responsible for the operational policies of the center and will review and recommend for or against all operating budgets and capital improvement proposals regarding the center’s operation.
Morgan has pledged to offer employment to all full-time James City Emergency Communications Center employees, who have been working at the York office since their own center was forced offline by a fire in February.
James City County employees who accept jobs with the York operation will not be subject to employment probation and will be allowed to immediately participate in employee benefits, Morgan said.
The joint operation will be jointly funded by the participating localities. Funding will be reevaluated every five years. The initial term of the joint agreement will also be five years, with an option to renew for another five years after the end of the first term. Either county can end the agreement by giving at least one year prior written notice to the other county.