When Kalamazoo Township’s new municipal building opens, it will do more than serve Township residents and staff as a portion of its basement will function as the backup emergency dispatch site for the county’s 911 system.
The Kalamazoo Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved a 25-year lease agreement at its June 8 meeting with the Kalamazoo County Consolidated Dispatch Authority (KCCDA), the agency that handles 911 dispatch for Kalamazoo County. Under the agreement, KCCDA will use approximately 6,000 square feet of the new building’s basement as a backup facility, paying the Township $1 per year in rent. KCCDA will cover all construction costs for the buildout.
The arrangement benefits both parties in practical terms. That section of the basement had been slated to remain unfinished, meaning the partnership effectively delivers a fully built-out basement to the Township at no cost. Superintendent Moored, who negotiated the deal, was credited by multiple board members for securing terms that protect Township taxpayers while advancing a meaningful public safety partnership.
Supervisor Combs noted the value extends beyond the financials. “Having KCCDA’s backup site literally under our roof will only strengthen the connection and the partnership that we have with that organization,” he said. Kalamazoo Township already relies on KCCDA for its 911 dispatch services, making the relationship one with direct consequences for residents.
The board approved the lease unanimously.
