By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
A change in Barton County’s governing structure passed with little fanfare last Wednesday in a brief special meeting held by the board of commissioners a day after its regular weekly meeting. In that meeting, the board voted 4-0 to appoint Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir as the interim executive director of Barton County Communications/911. A study session after Tuesday’s regular meeting was a different story. A full room of first responders discussed the change for nearly two hours. Bellendir explained his role in the change.
“First, and most importantly, I want everybody to know that I did not solicit this position or this merger,” he said. “I was contacted by the board of county commissioners, who asked if I could do it. I said I could do it under conditions.”
Bellendir said Barton County Communications is currently under the direction of a department head, the same as most other county departments. As an elected official, especially a sheriff, Bellendir is not bound by the same rules as an appointed department head.
“A department head must answer to human resources,” he said. “They must answer to a county administrator. And, ultimately, they answer to a board of county commissioners of five people. This is a drawn-out process, whereas I can make a decision on the spot.”
Bellendir explained a one-word change in Kansas Statute 12-5380. The law previously stated, “The governing body of each city and county may provide or contract for the 24-hour receipt of 911 calls for all service areas within the jurisdiction of the city or county.” The change from “may” to “shall,” effective Jan. 1, 2026, now gives agencies less leigh way.
“You’re going to contract with somebody,” said Bellendir. “You can contract with Barton County, Kansas. You can contract with Pratt. You can contract with Hays. You can open your own dispatch center. But you shall provide 911 answering services to the people within your jurisdiction, and if you choose not to do it yourself, you shall contract with somebody. So that’s settled.”
Bellendir also shared the history of the 911 system, which has evolved since its first use in the county in 1989. Throughout the 1980s, the sheriff’s office and other first responders used a relatively simple radio system with few channels.
“These were all FM radios,” Bellendir said. “They were the same radios the oilfield guys were using in their cars and pickups. It was fairly cheap to maintain. We did not have repeaters. Reports were hand-drawn on a piece of paper. You wrote out your reports with a pen or typed them. There was nothing in dispatch that was computerized.”
Everything has changed with 911’s highly-specialized technology designed to assist both first responders and the public. Bellendir said the state of Kansas has announced plans to overhaul the 911 system by the year 2031. The cost to Barton County could be as high as $2 million. Though other taxing entities utilize Barton County Communications, that bill would fall entirely on the county.
“Initially, 911 was pretty cheap to run,” Bellendir said. “It isn’t anymore. Therefore, the commissioners and myself have decided that he who uses dispatch, and he who uses 911 services, need to pay for a portion of what they use.”
Bellendir provided call volumes to the board of commissioners, and suggested any fees be levied proportionately by those volumes. For example, if the commission asked for $50,000 in fees the first year, a small fire department like Olmitz, which handled six out of approximately 49,000 calls, would owe the county $6.18. Great Bend Police Department, which handled more than 18,000 service calls in the same time frame, would owe the county $18,585.
Bellendir explained the fees would be a service fee, not a tax. When the board of commissioners or other governing bodies levies a tax, there is no option to not pay the tax. The decision to use Barton County Communications would be a choice. He suggested placing those fees in a separate 911 fund that is separate from the county’s general fund to ensure those fees are used for specific services provided.
Tuesday’s study session was just a discussion among Bellendir, the board of commissioners, and area first responders. Bellendir said work will continue to finalize a final resolution to be voted on by the board of commissioners at a later date.