ROSEBUD – For the first time since its inception, the Gasconade County Enhanced-911 Program will begin 2027 with a new banking partner.

The agency’s Board of Directors last week accepted a proposal from First State Community Bank in Owensville to serve as the program’s primary banking facility. The Maries County Bank has served in that role since the dispatching service began operating as an independent local government entity.

The directors have spent the past month considering the particulars of First State Community Bank’s proposal. “I don’t see anything wrong with the proposal,” noted Director and Treasurer John Adams, an original member of the agency’s board.

E-911 Executive Director Michael Lockhart told the board the process of moving the agency’s funds to First State will take some time with the transfer to be complete in January. “First State will have an entire team moving us over,” he said.

First State’s offer included a significantly higher interest rate on certain accounts than the agency now is receiving, as well as providing fleet credit cards at no cost, saving a fee of about $100 a month. “If you can save $100 a month, save $100 a month,” said Board President Mike Mueller.

The board agreed unanimously to make the move to First State Community Bank.

In other matters taken up during the regular monthly board session, Lockhart noted that other counties are beginning to get a first-hand look at how the Gasconade County program operates with an eye to improving their counties’ 911 programs. Crawford County is the most recent county to pay a visit to the program’s Rosebud offices. Crawford County is in the process of building a new communications center. “I fully expect their IT (information technology) guy to come back with some more questions,” the executive director told the board.

Lockhart said representatives of Barry County’s 911 program are scheduled to visit later this month to watch the dispatchers use the new Computer-Aided Dispatching system. “It’s nice to know the other counties are trusting us” to help them improve their programs, he said.

The board approved the lowest of three bids received for base stations and headsets for the dispatchers. The agency will be receiving four base stations and 17 headsets at a cost of $3,158. The existing base stations will become surplus property and Lockhart said he would reach out to other agencies that might be able to use them.