An agreement has been approved for the city of Bee Cave to transition police dispatch services from the city of Lakeway to the city of Marble Falls, as stated in a news release.

Zooming in

The city of Bee Cave’s police dispatch costs have doubled in the last seven years with an increase from $285,000 in fiscal year 2018-19 to almost $570,000 in FY 2025-26, according to the news release.

The city met with the city of Lakeway to discuss cost-reduction options, and Lakeway proposed two options:

• An annual fee not to exceed $520,000 with other changes to the terms of the contract
• Keep the same contract provisions and price from FY 2025-26

The proposed options were not accepted by the city of Bee Cave, and the city turned to consult with various regional partners to compare costs and service models. The city of Marble Falls was one of the partners the city spoke with.

The city of Bee Cave reviewed call volume data, operational capacity and long-term cost controls for six months before the Bee Cave City Council approved an agreement with Marble Falls, which will provide equivalent dispatch services at an annual cost of approximately $330,000.

The new agreement will go live Oct. 1. The change will bring upfront transition costs; however, the city will recover those costs within an estimated time frame of two years, according to the news release.

What they’re saying

Interim Bee Cave Police Chief William Pitmon stated the police department would not be moving forward with the transition if they believed it would negatively impact response times and officer safety.

“The reality is that advancements in technology have made the physical location of a dispatcher far less important,” Pitmon said. “This transition saves money over the long term while maintaining the high level of service our community expects.”

How it works

As a member of the Capital Area Council of Governments, the city of Marble Falls operates a regional dispatch center using the same 911 equipment and technology used throughout Central Texas.

As stated in the news release, about 90% of 911 calls originate from cellphones, which allows caller locations to be automatically provided using geo-validation tools; computer-aided dispatch, or CAD, mapping; and the regional 911 system. Calls can be answered and routed immediately regardless of dispatcher location.

Through the agreement, Bee Cave is now a regional partner on the call center advisory board.

“This partnership approach helps ensure long-term cost stability and lowers the risk of similar cost escalation in the future,” the news release states.