The possibility of consolidating 911 services with Rogers County sparked a debate at Monday morning’s meeting of the Nowata County Commissioners. Jerome Gnatek presented a cost analysis study and said it would come at annual cost of approximately $101,000.

Currently, 911 dispatch is hosted at the Nowata County Jail, which is not compliant with several regulations.  Nowata Police Chief Mike McIlhaney says the startup costs for a new facility would be astronomical.

Chairman Doug Sonenberg says that communicating with another county is a concern because communication from town to town already is an issue. The E911 committee also stated that Rogers was the only county interested in working with Nowata.

The county has until December to get a plan together or the State of Oklahoma will intervene. Gnatek also brought a resolution forward to authorize the 911 trust authority. The authority is trying to take responsibility away from the sheriff’s office for dispatch services.

Discussion on this matter will continue at an E911 committee meeting on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the county courthouse annex.