City gives final nod to 911 merger

Pittsburgh City Council gave final approval on Tuesday to a long-discussed merger of the city and county 911 dispatch operations.

The action, approved 8-0 with Councilman Len Bodack Jr. absent, means that about 70 dispatchers and managers who work at the city's 911 center in the Strip District will move to Allegheny County's 911 center in Point Breeze this fall. After Jan. 1, the city workers will become county employees.

"This issue has been on the table for 3 1/2 years. I think today is the day to move it forward," Councilman William Peduto said yesterday.

Mayor Tom Murphy hailed the merger as a way to improve the area's emergency response capabilities while saving the city almost $1 million a year in payroll and benefits. The city also will save nearly $5 million it would have had to spend to upgrade its system. The county will receive more than $3.5 million a year from a 911 fee surcharge on residents' monthly phone bills.

"It's good for the city. It's good for the county. It saves both of us money," Murphy said at a news conference after the vote.

Former County Chief Executive Jim Roddey signed off on the proposed merger last summer.

Before the vote, City Controller Tom Flaherty urged council to reject the merger, or at least delay voting on it. He maintained that the city hasn't studied the impact on public safety closely enough and that the savings seem exaggerated.

"I don't know where some of the dollar amounts are coming from," Flaherty said. "If we lose control of communications, we are going to lose control of everything. You are going down a very slippery slope."

Murphy said the city has carefully researched the savings and benefits of the merger. "I'm confident it will not only be safe, it will be more effective," he said.

To help smooth labor negotiations, the administration has agreed to take over pension payments for some workers who aren't yet vested in the city's pension program. That is expected to cost the city about $50,000.

The combined system is expected to handle at least 1,800 calls a day and serve about 600,000 residents.

Murphy said the city and county are working on other possible joint ventures, including computer operations and purchasing.