Allen County Commissioners continue to work on a difficult task – getting everyone to agree on 911 consolidation.

Commissioner Bill Brown reported Friday at the commissioners’ weekly meeting that he was still in discussions with Sheriff Ken Fries about creating a joint communications department with Fort Wayne. So far, Brown said, Fries remains unconvinced this move would increase public safety.

“The sheriff’s still not comfortable,” Brown said. “I’ve been meeting or talking with him on a daily basis … I think it’s critical the sheriff is on board with this.”

In July, city Director of Communications Tina Taviano proposed a plan to combine the departments that she said could save local governments about $1.5 million.

In October, City Council nearly voted to remove its communications department for 2009, leaving all emergency dispatch under the county’s responsibility. The vote was defeated, but council members agreed to revisit the issue next year. And, if no joint agreement with the city has been made, they might cancel city communication service for 2010. The commissioners have drawn up a joint communications draft, which recommends the city-county 911 operations be governed by the Multi-Agency Communications Partnership Board. Providing oversight to the new communications agreement would be an executive board, comprising the commissioners and the mayor.

Commissioners Linda Bloom and Nelson Peters said while discussions continued with Fries, it would be a good idea to let the city and county councils have a look at the communications agreement draft so they can provide feedback.