Davis County's four 911 dispatch centers will consolidate into two by October, Sheriff Kelly Sparks told commissioners at the Tuesday, July 14 work session, a change that keeps Bountiful's south-county dispatch center intact while merging northern operations into a new Layton facility.

Sparks said operations from the existing Layton center would move into the newly built dispatch center in late July or early August, "giving them time to sort out any issues before fully consolidating in October."

The result: two centers instead of four. The new Layton building will handle northern and central Davis County calls, while the Bountiful dispatch center continues serving seven police departments (North Salt Lake, West Bountiful, Woods Cross, Bountiful, Centerville, Kaysville, and Farmington) and three fire agencies (South Davis Metro Fire, Farmington Fire, and Kaysville Fire).

Sparks called the reduction from four centers to two "a massive upgrade for the County," adding that his ultimate goal is a single countywide dispatch center.

Commission Vice Chair Lorene Kamalu said she attended a recent fire officers meeting where attendees expressed satisfaction with the consolidation's direction. She praised Sparks for his collaboration with emergency agencies across the county.

Sparks noted that dispatchers and supervisors from the merging centers will keep their leadership roles as joint operations leaders in the new facility. The county approved a dispatcher retention incentive policy in May to keep staff through the transition.

Chief Deputy Arnold Butcher announced a farewell celebration for the old dispatch center on Friday, September 11, from 4 to 7 p.m., to honor employees' service.

Sparks is retiring after a 44-year career in law enforcement, according to the Standard-Examiner.

Mosquito abatement cost overrun

The same work session addressed a budget surprise. Public Works Director Adam Wright told commissioners that enclosing 300 feet of a mosquito abatement channel came in at $350,000 from a contractor already on site, nearly double the $180,000 budgeted.

Wright requested a $160,000 internal transfer from the Deuel Creek Contingency Fund, a $1.5 million project in its second phase, to cover most of the gap. County Controller Scott Parke said the transfer would not require additional county funds or a public hearing.

The channel has suffered from erosion and muskrat damage and sits between a gambusia pond and a chemical tank. A permit delay pushed the project back roughly two years.

Commission Chair Bob Stevenson and Kamalu expressed support for the transfer. Commissioner John Crofts was absent from the work session.

The Davis County Commission meets Tuesdays at the Administration Building, 61 South Main Street in Farmington. The full consolidation is on track for October with no public hearing required.