Carson City unions mad at mayor

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2000 | 9:51 a.m.

The unions, including the Carson City Employees Union, are criticizing the mayor for being too cautious in approving a computer system for a new emergency dispatch center.

Also endorsing the ads are the four major unions representing firefighters, fire supervisors, sheriff's deputies and sheriff's supervisors.

The unions fear the mayor and city officials have renewed a search for a system and are now considering contracting with Reno's dispatch system.

City Supervisor Robin Williamson said the possibility of relying solely on Reno dispatch isn't on the table. However, she said City Manager John Berkich has been looking at the possibility of sharing services.

Two companies, Tiburon and HTE, have proposed systems for a new dispatch center. Tiburon would cost the city $1.4 million after hardware upgrades, while an HTE system would cost $775,000.

Masayko said that after reviewing the costs, the city decided to reconsider the options.

"I haven't made any decisions yet," Masayko said. "I've been accused many times of making up my mind. I've got no preference between Tiburon, HTE or XYZ."

"Does it make sense to at least consider working with Reno? I think it does," he added.