ATHOL — A compromise has been reached regarding Athol’s withdrawal from an intermunicipal agreement to regionalize its dispatch services with Gardner.
The Athol Selectboard voted unanimously Tuesday to accept the terms of the latest solution proposed by the state 911 department and Gardner.
Frank Pozniak, executive director of the 911 department, sent Athol Town Manager Shaun Suhoski and Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke a letter dated July 17 to gauge the towns’ support for the solution. Under the compromise, the regionalization project and all development grant funding will cease immediately. Also, Gardner is required to provide the 911 Department with a full accounting of development grant funds spent and expenses, if it has not already. Hawke said this information has been provided by the dispatch supervisor.
The compromise will also result in the 911 department withholding from Athol all funding from its grant program for 10 years beginning with the start of Fiscal Year 2018. Athol must also implement a centralized dispatch at the Athol Police Department by Sept. 15.
The relationship between Athol and the 911 department had become contentious after selectmen voted in February to honor a nonbinding special town meeting vote of the people and opt out of the intermunicipal agreement signed in March 2015. The proposal was to consolidate Athol police and fire dispatch with that of Gardner and operate in a regional emergency communication center in the new Gardner police station.
In May, the 911 department sent a letter demanding repayment of $739,564.54 in state money for the project and said the state planned to re-route Athol’s 911 calls to Gardner. Selectmen said they were appalled by what they perceived as “implied threats” in the letter and town officials met with the department to settle their issues.
A call to Suhoski was not returned by presstime.
Reach Domenic Poli at:
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On Twitter: @DomenicPoli