City seeks mediation with County

DAYTON—The Dayton City Council is seeking mediation with the County over the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) for Law Enforcement, Dispatch, and Court services after talks have stalled.

The decision was made at a Special City Council meeting on Monday after the City Council heard from Dain Nysoe on the Public Safety Committee, Mayor Zac Weatherford, and City Attorney Quinn Plant.

“We are at an impasse right now,” Mayor Weatherford said about the negotiations.

Weatherford said the City has an obligation to understand and know what level of service will be provided by the County and that information has been largely withheld.

“At this point, there has not been a lot of progress, and I think the Mayor is correct, there is a little bit of an impasse,” said the city attorney, Quinn Plant.

Plant said the City would like more accountability, including a process for solving disputes, as well as assurances that calls are answered within a reasonable amount of time, and that there are deputies on duty, at any given time, in the city.

“I think the County believes that the City is just stalling. So, we are kind of at this impasse where we’re saying we need more information,” Plant said. “The County is saying you have everything.”

Plant has discussed the mediation option with the County’s negotiator, Lance King, and he said they seem agreeable.

“It may result in a new contract. It might get us closer to a new contract,” Plant told the Council.

The Dayton City Council approved a motion by Dain Nysoe for the City and County to enter mediation with the County as soon as possible. The City is also requesting the cost be shared equally between the two parties.

The City and the County have been in back-and-forth talks since March when the City received a request for payment of 45-percent of the County’s annual law enforcement budget, 35-percent of the County’s annual dispatch budget, and 35-percent of the County’s district court budget for county-provided services.

This represents an annual increase of $199,500, according to City Administrator Trina Cole.

The original interlocal agreement was entered into by both parties on Jan. 22, 2007, and it was amended once on Dec. 3, 2012.

Resolution No. 1433, execution of an Engagement Letter with Foster Harvey P.C. to provide professional bond counsel services in the issuance of Water and Sewer Revenue Refunding Bonds, 2020 project was also discussed and adopted by the Dayton City Council on Monday.

City Administrator Trina Cole has said the bond refunding is for current outstanding water and sewer debt and will provide a cost savings of about $575,000 over the course of about 24 years.