By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Government is, ideally, about solving problems. Facing a staffing shortage at Barton County Communications/911, County Administrator Matt Patzner and the board of commissioners worked to find a solution. Part of that solution came last Wednesday when Sheriff Brian Bellendir was appointed interim executive director of the communications department.
“The Commission and I were in discussions about how other 911 agencies operate, and we found that there are several agencies around the state that are under the control of the sheriff,” Patzner said. “We wanted to get Sheriff Bellendir’s thoughts on this and get an idea of if this was something he would be open to considering.”
Patzner said staffing levels at 911 are now critical and have hovered around that level several times in recent years.
“The Commission and I have tried to address this through policy and wage adjustments, which have proven to be ineffective to this point,” said Patzner. “Right now, the Commissioners want to gather as much information as they can to find a solution that effectively addresses the staffing issue at 911. 911 is crucial to the safety and well-being of our community, and the goal of the Commissioners is to address the problem at hand with the best solution available.
During a study session following Tuesday’s regular commission meeting, Bellendir noted an upcoming 911 infrastructure change coming from the state level over the next five years. While no resolution has been approved, Bellendir spoke of charging local entities that use the communications department.
“Local entities will be expected to shoulder the financial burden of these changes,” Patzner said. “We will not be charging other municipalities for 911 services in 2026 or 2027 in order to respect their budgeting process, but there will be discussions about charging other municipalities starting in 2028 and beyond and what that will look like.”
The Barton County Board of Commissioners will hold another study session on the topic next Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 1:30 p.m. in the Commissioner’s Room at the Barton County Courthouse.