ATHOL — Three of the 21 articles on Athol’s fall town meeting warrant pertain to the costs of centralizing police, fire and emergency medical dispatching at the Athol Police Department, an arrangement reached in a compromise with the state after Athol withdrew from a regionalization agreement with Gardner.
Adoption of one article would transfer $25,000 from the capital stabilization fund to pay expenses associated with centralizing the three dispatch functions. Another article asks if residents will vote to raise and appropriate through taxes $12,000 for firefighter salaries and $42,000 to the Police Department for dispatcher salaries.
Yet another article involves amending language in the town’s personnel bylaws to state that minimum wage is the lowest a part-time dispatcher can be paid and the maximum compensation is the Step 1 Dispatcher Rate ($18.80 per hour) set by the collective bargaining agreement. The current language stipulates a part-time dispatcher can earn as little as $9.73 per hour, even though minimum wage is $11, according to Athol Town Manager Shaun A. Suhoski.
The fall town meeting is slated to begin at 7 p.m. in Town Hall on Monday.
In March 2015, the Athol Selectboard entered into an intermunicipal agreement to regionalize its dispatch services with Gardner. The plan 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. But Athol residents became unhappy with what they perceived as shadowy negotiations and in February voted at a special town meeting to pass a nonbinding resolution to withdraw from the agreement. Selectboard members voted unanimously later that month to honor that resolution and give the 18 months’ notice required to terminate the plan.
Following a dispute with the state 911 Department, which is tasked with coordinating and implementing enhanced 911 service in Massachusetts, the town agreed to implement a centralized dispatch at the Athol Police Department. This was done in September.
According to Suhoski, the $25,000 from the capital stabilization fund will go toward remaining infrastructure upgrades to secure the fire station and additional telecommunication equipment. The $12,000 for firefighter salaries is part of an arbitration settlement. Suhoski said 12 firefighters certified in emergency medical dispatch service will receive $1,000 in compensation because emergency medical calls are now taken at the Police Department.
The $42,000 to the Police Department will be used to meet contracted salary increases and possibly a new full-time dispatcher position.
The fall town meeting warrant also contains 13 articles pertaining to zoning. There is also an article that asks if voters will amend an article from the 2012 annual town meeting and repurpose $35,000 designated to replace the boiler at Pleasant Street School to fund general repairs there.
Town Clerk Nancy E. Burnham said 1 percent, or 68 individuals, of Athol’s registered voters must attend Monday’s town meeting in order to meet quorum.
Reach Domenic Poli at:
dpoli@recorder.om or
413-772-0261, ext. 258.