City officials from across Lewis County welcomed the action taken this week by the Board of County Commissioners to send a letter to Thurston 911 Communications (TCOMM) asking it to participate in a feasibility study of the potential regionalization of emergency dispatch services.
County officials decided to send the letter requested by TCOMM leadership following months of informal discussions between the two bodies, as well as talks between Lewis County staff and city officials who remain concerned about county 911 communications operations.
“I know last time I talked about us continuing to kick the can down the road, so thank you for picking up the can,” Chehalis Mayor Dennis Dawes said Friday during the monthly Mayors Meeting hosted by the BOCC. “…I would request that as this goes through, you keep the staffs of the cities included in the process.”
Dawes, who has been one of the most vocal critics of Lewis County 911 Communications as it has struggled through periods of turmoil and increased user complaints during the past few years, has been a proponent of exploring options other than the status quo.