20260506 Budget Work Session - SEACOM Discussion

This Cochise County Board of Supervisors budget work session held on May 6, 2026, focused primarily on the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget for SEACOM, the county's public safety communications center. The discussion detailed the transition to a new subscriber fee model charging $16 per call instead of a flat fee based on radios, which has resulted in increased fees for many subscriber agencies. The budget presentation included a projected SEACOM budget of approximately $3.2 million, with Cochise County's share around $1.05 million and Sierra Vista's share about $1.2 million. The board was informed of a $94,000 shortfall due to a reduction in state 911 grant funding from 100% to 65%, requiring adjustments in the budget and billing to certain agencies. Additional budget items included funding for staffing increases, IT support shared with county IT, a new HVAC system for the network room, and a new radio channel to monitor increased call volume. The session also covered plans to engage smaller subscriber agencies and discussed the importance of maintaining backup PSAPs and bilingual call handling capabilities. No formal votes were recorded in the transcript, but several action items related to budget allocations, fee structures, and interagency coordination were discussed.