2010 News Archive 

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Help JC get its 911 fees!

Since its launch last September, ChatComm – the joint Johns Creek/Sandy Springs 911 Communications Center – has been hit hard by the economic recession, falling short in its annual operating costs.

"We've been hit hard by the recession, just like everyone else. Yet, we're still providing, and will continue to provide, superior 911 communications to our cities," said Johns Creek City Manager John Kachmar.

The State of Georgia gives city and county jurisdictions the ability to assess up to a $1.50 fee per phone line (landline, mobile, and VoIP) per month to assist with the funding of location-based technology to ensure that emergency responders are dispatched to the correct location.

ChatComm is funded in part by those 911 fees, which have declined over the last year, as businesses have closed and homeowners cancel their landlines to use only cell phones.

In addition, many of the 911 fees being collected from Johns Creek and Sandy Springs residents and businesses are inadvertently not going to the cities. They are still going to Fulton County, which provided 911 services until ChatComm was launched. (See below how you can help with this problem.)

At an April 12 work session, Johns Creek City Council discussed advancing $350,000 from the general fund to ChatComm. Sandy Springs has already approved a $900,000 advance.

Kachmar said the advances are expected to be repaid by future 911 revenues over a five-year period.

How you can help:

Prior to September 1, 2009, all 911 fees collected from Johns Creek residents and businesses were remitted to Fulton County, since they provided our 911 emergency services.

With the launch of our own 911 emergency communications center (ChatComm), Johns Creek is now entitled to receive those fees to help support ChatComm's operations.

While the majority of the fees from Johns Creek phone lines have been redirected to the city, we are aware of many that have not. We are asking that you check your current telephone bill(s) to ensure that the fee(s) are being sent to Johns Creek.

If they're not, please call your phone service provider(s) and ask them to change the jurisdiction.

Please note: this is a fee that you're already paying each month on your phone bills. It is NOT a new fee.

We appreciate your help.

Sample Phone Bills:  AT&T Sprint/Nextel T-Mobile Verizon