Trumbull County officials are weighing a new location for the county's 911 dispatch center, with Kent State University's Trumbull Campus under consideration, according to county commissioners who said they are confident about finding a home for the operation.
Commissioners described the campus option as cheaper than a previously discussed site in Cortland. The county had put the Cortland relocation at roughly $6 million, while commissioner Rick Hernandez said the Kent Trumbull alternative could come in about $3 million lower. He characterized the potential savings as substantial and said the figure could approach half of the Cortland facility's cost.
Commissioner Tony Bernard pointed to the college setting as a staffing benefit, saying the university is willing to offer a course so dispatchers could move from its classrooms into the center. Whether that training arrangement would be established, and on what schedule, was not detailed.
Hernandez also said commissioners approved seeking a grant to help pay for renovations and upgrades at the new site. No timeline for a decision, cost figure for the campus work, or vote on a final location was reported.