Barre City -Barre town dispatch dispute continues
Toolbox
By David Delcore TIMES ARGUS STAFF - Published: December 16, 2009
BARRE TOWN – Residents interested in knowing how a rift will be resolved over emergency dispatch services between Barre and Barre Town are going to have to stay tuned, but the spat just got a lot more interesting.
Concerns over cost and "customer service" have the town's selectboard seriously considering alternatives to renewing its contract for dispatch services with the city's police department.
After hearing a report involving the possibility of creating their own dispatch center, two of the board's five members – Jeff Gagne and Marion Fish – said Tuesday night that they would be willing to pay a premium to end the town's contractual relationship with the city as soon as possible.
"Let's do it," Gagne said, expressing a sentiment that was wholeheartedly echoed by Fish.
"I think it's time we took the bull by the horns and rectify some of the problems," Fish said, suggesting she has received numerous complaints about the "lack of professionalism" of the city's dispatch personnel.
"I find that the service is unacceptable from the public relations point of view," Fish said. "I'm tired of listening to it, and I think it's time we did something about it."
Those comments came after Fire Chief Chris Violette outlined an analysis of costs associated with creating a dispatch center that would be run out of the town's police department.
Violette, who conducted the analysis with the help of Police Chief Michael Stevens and Ambulance Director David Jennings, told board members the idea was definitely doable, but it could be pricey.
"We could absolutely do our own dispatch," he said. "The question is what the cost is to do that."
According to Violette, with a one-time investment of roughly $20,000 and annual personnel expenses that would start at nearly $285,000, the town could realistically launch its own round-the-clock emergency dispatch service in three months. Those estimates, he said, were based on a plan that would necessitate hiring and training five full-time dispatchers – one of whom the town already employs – and two part-time positions to cover busy shifts and provide extra coverage when full-time dispatchers are out.
The first-year cost of a still-unsigned-and-now-disputed contract the city offered the town back in June was $205,000. However, Violette said when you add in the cost of the dispatcher the town employs, the amount it currently spends on dispatching is roughly $250,000 – more than $33,000 less than the new service would cost.
Prodded by Gagne, Violette, Stevens and Jennings all said they have had service-related issues involving the city's dispatch service that have proven difficult to resolve despite quarterly meetings.
"There's room for improvement," Stevens said, describing his attempts to resolve problems as "frustrating."
That was enough for Gagne.
"That justifies the extra cost in my mind," he said.
Chairman Jeff Blow said he too was troubled by service-related complaints, frustrated by reports that they had not been addressed, and concerned about the cost of the city service. However, he said, he was "hopeful" the town and the city could work out their differences.
"I'm not ready to pull the plug on it yet," he said, explaining he has requested and been promised detailed financial information regarding the operation of the city's dispatch center.
"I would hope that the City of Barre would put their customer service hat on and try to find out why it is that we're not interested in signing a three-year contract," he said. "It must be a good reason. If one of my best customers told me they weren't interested in signing a three-year renewal the first question I'd be asking is 'How come? What's wrong? What's not right? What can we fix? How can we make things better?' That hasn't been asked."
Although Blow said his strong preference would be to continue contracting for the service from the city, if the town's concerns aren't addressed, he would be more than willing to consider other options.
Blow didn't rule out the possibility of the town getting into the dispatch business and suggested it could defray some of the additional expense by shopping the service to neighboring municipalities. He said he was also intrigued by the possibility of contracting for the service from the Lamoille County Sheriff's Department.
"They're very interested in talking to us and, frankly, I'm interested in what they have to say," he said of the Lamoille department. "There's nothing better than good clean competition."
The board got a word of caution from long-time resident and former town manager Paul McGinley, who questioned the wisdom of the town staffing and equipping its own dispatch center.
"I don't think it's time for the Town of Barre to take over dispatching service," he said, likening the move to creating an ambulance service that has turned into a far more costly venture than officials originally anticipated.
Despite past difficulties working with the city, McGinley said a solid majority of town voters supported a ballot initiative several years ago that called for increased cooperation between the neighboring municipalities.
"I think that's the way you ought to keep it at this point," he said.
Board members, who last week authorized Town Manager Carl Rogers to sign a three-year dispatch contract that they initially balked at and the city subsequently withdrew, voted to reconsider that action Tuesday night. However, they promptly tabled action on a revised two-year contract city officials say must be signed by Jan. 1 until next week.
If that contract is not signed by the city-imposed deadline, officials there have said they would move swiftly to suspend service to the town.
david.delcore@timesargus.com
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