Cowlitz 911’s long road to independence is coming to an end one way or another Tuesday night.
The Cowlitz County commissioners will vote during a 6 p.m. public hearing on an ordinance creating the Cowlitz 911 Public Authority, which will make the police and fire dispatching agency independent from the county.
In July, 911 Director Deanna Wells told The Daily News that the 911 E-Board began meeting with Thorp-based consulting firm Reinke & Associates to create plans for a new, independent governance board. By January, the 911 Council and E-Board unanimously asked the commissioners to create a separate 911 public development authority.
The reasoning behind forming a separate agency was to help streamline the 911 center’s processes and eliminate conflicts, according to Kelso City Manager and E-Board vice chair Steve Taylor.