Selectmen challenge funding o county dispatch

The Board of Selectmen have challenged the funding of the police dispatch services provided by the Belknap County Sheriff's Department. Earlier this month the board contemplated eliminating the Police Department's 24-hour dispatch service by transferring calls on the "midnight shift' — from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. — to the county to overcome a budget shortfall. Town administrator Scott Dunn said yesterday that the board has abandoned the idea after learning from Sheriff Craig Wiggin that the sheriff's department lacks sufficient resources to serve the town. In a letter dated January 21, the board assured the Belknap County Commissioners that "we accept the Sheriff's conclusions at face value and we have no desire to adversely impact the safety of our police responders or jeopardize the overall efficiency of County Dispatch operations." However, the selectmen, continued that "we are troubled . . . over the fact that the Town of Gilford pays 16.3-percent of the dispatch budget," which represented about $93,000 in 2009 in personnel costs in addition to the costs of operating and maintaining the communications system. Since the sheriff's department provides dispatch services to nine of the eleven municipalities in the county, the board wrote that "we think it is blatantly unfair to mandate the Town of Gilford to pay for those services that are of a clear benefit to the other towns, especially if the County is unable to provide the same services to the Town of Gilford." The board suggested either refunding the town its proportional share of the cost of the county dispatch service or charging those towns that use the service rather than providing and funding their own police communications systems. "This request is made on behalf of the Gilford taxpayers," the selectmen wrote, "who have undoubtedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years for the county to provide police dispatch to the other towns it services." At the same time, the board expressed its support for a study of a regional dispatch service, open to all municipalities at proportional costs, which would not only reduce expenses but also "lead to improved communications, enhanced cooperation and increased safety." Dunn said that the overture to the county commissioners was intended not only to raise a legitimate issue of fairness but also to lend momentum to a study of regionalizing dispatch services. The prospect of scrapping the midnight shift dispatch arose to offset the Police Department's share of the increased cost of health insurance. With a vacant position, the dispatch center is currently turning to part-time employees and drawing on over-time to staff the third shift. Not filling the vacant position and eliminating the third shift would spare approximately $60,000 in personnel costs. The selectmen have addressed the $103,000 increase by eliminating the sick day bonus, which entitles employees to a day's pay for each quarter they do not take sick leave and a fifth day's pay for going a year without sick leave. Non-union employees agreed to the measure, sparing $54,000 in personnel costs, and another $14,000 was saved when employees of the Department of Public Works, represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, also agreed to forego the benefit. But, the police, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have yet to agree to remove the sick day bonus from their contract. Dunn said yesterday that because the county dispatch center lacks the capacity to serve Gilford, he anticipated the board would agree to fill the vacant position, which he added "leaves us still negotiating." Officer Steve Colcord of Teamsters Local 633 has said that the union was willing to renegotiate its contract and forego the sick day bonus, but only in return for parity with other town employees. He said that other employees accumulate vacation time faster than the police and are also able to accrue 190 sick days compared to 120 for the police. They also are entitled to take more personal days and to carry over more vacation time.