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City Of Montrose To Create Its Own Dispatch Center, Parts Ways With County Facility

montrose regional dispatch center
City of Montrose

The city of Montrose is going to create its own regional dispatch center with an estimated price tag of $1.8 million. 

The decision comes after months of back-and-forth between the city and county over costs and management of the Montrose County Dispatch Center. 

In a letter, the city attorney tells Montrose County Sheriff Rick Dunlap that despite efforts to reach an agreement the city wants its own facility. 

Tom Chinn is the Chief of Police for the city of Montrose. 

"We meet several times about forming an autonomous board and making a board of directors," Chinn says. "And, we were unable to convince the county that what we were talking about was the right way to go."

Sheriff Dunlap’s office runs the regional dispatch center.

He says he isn’t surprised Montrose is going to start its own.

"It’s obvious this was the intent all along because we have bent over backwards to try and work with the city," Dunlap says.

He says he thought the county and city had come to a compromise after a meeting in July.

"All five of us walked out of that meeting with a good feeling about it," Dunlap says. "It was something that everybody could accept and work with. It gave the city some of what they wanted and that was some authority in the dispatch center. It gives all users some authority in the dispatch center, but it does not give authority to hire and fire because all of the dispatchers and the people who work in there are Montrose County employees." 

The city’s letter gives the county an 18-month notice. However, Dunlap says Montrose needs to be ready sooner than that. 

"Well they’ve got one year and the county attorney is preparing a letter to them notifying them that one year from today’s date (8/18) we will no longer provide dispatch services for them," he says.

KVNF asked Chinn if the city’s new dispatch center will be operational in a year. 

"We certainly hope so," he says.