When first created in 1979, Arkansas One-Call member fees were a flat monthly amount based either on the amount of underground facilities or the number of customers served by the member utility. Since incorporation in 1981, the goal of the Board of Directors has been to move the fee structure to a use-based system --- one in which the fees are tied directly to the cost of providing the notification service.

Since 1981, the Board of Directors has approved three rate decreases and one rate increase as it has moved steadily toward its goal. Arkansas One-Call's fees, which are among the lowest in the country, now are based entirely on two factors --- the cost of servicing a member's account, and member notifications.

Each member pays a basic monthly fee which is designed to pay the cost of servicing the member's account even if no locate requests were transmitted to the member. The basic monthly fee takes two additional factors into account --- the number of dispatch offices served by the One-Call Center, and the number of counties in which the member has underground facilities.

The basic monthly fee of $25.00 covers the cost of providing the accounting, the mapping, and communications for one dispatch office and underground facilities in one county. A $10.00 fee is charged for each additional dispatch office served, and $7.50 is charged for each additional county served.

Thus, a member with only one dispatch office and with underground facilities in only one county pays a $25.00 basic monthly fee. A member with three dispatch offices and with underground facilities in five counties pays the $25.00 basic monthly fee, a $20.00 dispatch office fee, and a $30.00 county database maintenance fee, for a total monthly fee $75.00.

Call fees have been established to reflect the cost of transmitting locate requests to member utilities. As with One-Call Centers throughout the country, notification by phone carries a higher fee because it is more labor intensive and thus has a higher delivery cost.