Five dispatchers face an uncertain future after Lady Lake Commissioners opted to outsource its police dispatch to Lake County.
“The town of Lady Lake is a unique entity. We have a lot of elderly people. We have set a high standard. Our residents expect a high standard,” said dispatcher Teri McKinney, pleading with the commission not to act so fast.
The dispatchers said they had less than 24 hours notice of the meeting held Tuesday afternoon.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has indicated that it can save Lady Lake $273,980 over the life of the five-year outsource contract.
However, it will come at a cost.
The town will be served by five dispatchers rather than eight. And the dispatchers will be housed in the central dispatch center rather than locally in Lady Lake.
Dispatcher Karen McKillips said that could be a problem.
“We know who the chronic callers are. We know the landscape and locations. We know the people who have been in trouble,” McKillips told the commission.
Lady Lake’s budget provides for eight dispatch positions, but three of those are currently vacant.
Dispatchers have been working 12-hour shifts and at times there has been a lone dispatcher on duty. That means an officer must be pulled from road patrol to cover a dispatch position.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the Lady Lake dispatchers would have the opportunity to apply for work with the county.
To soften the blow, Lady Lake officials agreed to provide a lump sum payment to dispatchers when the dispatch responsibility is transferred to Lake County. The Lady Lake dispatchers, if hired by Lake County, will be taking a pay cut. The starting salary for dispatchers is $13.
Sheriff Gary Borders said any new hires would come in at entry level.
“I would have some morale issues with my own people,” Borders said if the Lady Lake personnel were brought aboard at higher than entry level.
Lady Lake Mayor Jim Richards said that part of the driving force behind the move was that the town’s health insurance costs for employees will rise 11.3 percent Oct. 1. An individual Lady Lake employee does not contribute to their health insurance costs, but will do so if they are hired for Lake County dispatch duty.
“Our residents need a lot of handholding,” said Lady Lake dispatcher McKinney. “I am afraid they are not going to get that anymore.”
